CES 2016: Family tech big hit at tech show

Gadgets aimed at families and children are becoming ever more popular at CES, and this year was no exception. From GPS bracelets to smart toothbrushes, family-themed technology was a hot topic. Here’s a few of the gadgets making waves at CES 2016.

Edwin the Duck

First seen at CES last year, Edwin the Duck is more than your average rubber duck. He’s a multitasker, acting as entertainment for your child, a tool for education, a safety device and a comfort at night. That’s a lot for one small duck. Let’s explain a bit further. Edwin stars in his own range of interactive stories and games on your tablet, keeping your child entertained while also teaching them things by stealth.

Edwin also plays music for you to sing along with, and at night, he can play lullabies and light up by tapping his wing to act as a night-light.

Even with all that extra stuff going on, he’s still a regular rubber duck at heart. Mould and water resistant, you can bring him into the bath to play, where he will play a selection of tunes for your child. There’s more of course. He’s a bath thermometer, glowing red when the bath is too warm. At $100, he’s an expensive rubber duck, but Edwin just might be worth it.

AvatarMind’s iPal

When I first saw iPal on the show floor, it was bellowing out “Old MacDonald” while moving back and forth. It has the curious effect of being simultaneously fascinating and creepy, which is probably not quite what the manufacturer is going for.

Designed to be a robot companion for your child, AvatarMind’s iPal is a singing, dancing child sized robot with a tablet embedded in its chest. Aimed at children between four and 10 years of age, it’s about 3.5 feet tall and moves around the place on wheels. It has a few different functions. Aside from being your child’s new best friend, it can also be an educational tool, teaching them languages for example. It also allows access to social networks - age permitting, of course - and parents can use it to keep an eye on their child throughout the day.

Fisher Price Code-A-Pillar

When experts say we have to start children coding at an earlier age, Fisher Price really took them seriously. The Code-A-Pillar is a toy for toddlers that will teach them - eventually - how to code. Due for launch in June, the toy splits into separate parts, each with their own function. Connecting them in a different order will get the caterpillar to perform in different ways. And as they get older, the challenges become even more difficult so the toy grows with your child. A series of add on pieces will also be available, bringing new functions to the toy.

C-Way

The show floor was full of trackers: ones to monitor your activity health, tags to keep a close watch on your belongings, even pet-focused trackers. So why not your child? The C-Way band is a bit more than a simple GPS device. Yes, it has GPS built in so you can log in and find where your child - or to be more accurate, the band - is at any time, but it also works as a sort of smart diary for your child, giving them alerts when they are meant to be in a certain place. Parents can send messages to the band too.

Grush

Battles over brushing teeth may be a nightly occurrence in some households, but one company thinks it has hit on a way to take some of the pain out of things for parents - by turning the act into a game. Grush is a Bluetooth enabled toothbrush that links up with your smartphone to encourage your child to brush their teeth properly. The app encourages kids to brush properly - 30 seconds per quadrant, and at the right angle - by translating the brushing movement into a game. It also allows parents to keep track of how well kids are brushing their teeth, with the data saved to the app.