Remote Control

If you're going out on a bike ride directly from your home, your keys are just one more thing you have to bring along and stuff in a pocket. The Doormate offers an alternative (for cyclists with garages), as it's a bike-mounted garage door remote.

Three years ago we heard about Oceanbotics' SRV-8, a small yet highly capable underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle). Well, it's now got a much burlier bigger sibling, in the form of the SRV-8X Optimus.

While the GoPro Hero is still pretty much the name in actioncams, it can be fiddly to operate, plus its battery life may be too short. The new Volta is designed to address those shortcomings, combining one-handed controls with a battery pack.

Autonomous aerial delivery drones do potentially risk getting caught in branches, losing their way, or falling onto people's heads. That's where the Coco 1 comes in, as it's a ground-based delivery robot that is entirely remotely controlled.

It was three years ago that we first heard about the Cleo, a robust, donut-shaped prototype drone made by Cleo Robotics. Well, its successor is now commercially available, under the new (and apt) name of the Dronut X1.

Even though underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are getting smaller, their communications cables have remained relatively fat and hefty. That may about to change, though, thanks to a new fishing-line-based fiber optic tether.

Although the showbiz industry still is centralized in places like Hollywood, it's becoming less and less so as technology advances. That's where Solo Cinebot comes in, as it's a robotic camera system that can be operated over the internet.

In recent years, fish farms have increasingly started using underwater ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) for cleaning the nets that enclose their fish pens. A relatively new one, the StealthCleaner, has a unique triangular form factor.

Lighting a candle is not that difficult to do, although if you have to light a bunch of the things on a daily basis, it could be a bit of a hassle. That's where Candle Touch comes in, as it's an actual flame-and-wax candle that's lit by Bluetooth.

Although there already are "smart" powered curtains, the things can be complex to install, and need to be plugged into a power outlet. The SwitchBot Curtain, on the other hand, is a battery-powered device that simply gets added to existing curtains.

The OmniFob is designed to be the last fob you'll ever need. A universal remote of sorts for your keychain. This teachable, versatile device is more than just a key-tracker that can open your garage door or send an SOS, it can integrate with your Smart Home systems and even start and lock your car.

Among other things, trained dogs are capable of sniffing out bombs, locating buried survivors at disaster sites, or assisting the physically challenged. They can't, however, always see or hear their handler's commands. A new vest is designed to help, as it relays gentle vibrational cues.