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Las Vegas (AFP) – At the CES tech megashow in Las Vegas, it’s rare to see an entrepreneur holding up a plant and presenting it as the latest consumer technology breakthrough.
But for Neoplants co-founder Patrick Torbey, the annual gathering after the New Year shouldn’t be thought of as “just about machine technology and electronics.”
“It’s also about natural technology that we can use these very good engineering techniques,” Torbay told AFP.
Paris-based Neoplants was demonstrating a bioengineered plant that could “do the work of 30 standard indoor plants” to clean up toxic pollutants.
Ever since Sin City Expo began fifty years ago, technology aimed at helping the environment has been on the rise at CES.
But observers often question the seriousness of the consumer technology industry’s commitment to protecting the environment, all the real excitement is focused on smart TVs and robots, a more complex and less profitable project to save the planet.
“This is going to be the kind of trend that ends up on the sidelines as far as it’s important to consumers so far,” said NPD consumer electronics analyst Ben Arnold.
“As someone who studies the market, I have yet to see where[locally-minded technology]makes a difference in terms of units and dollars,” he added.
Ran Roth, head of technology company Sensibo, agrees that successful devices make financial sense, and he believes his products do just that.
Root devices use artificial intelligence and sensors to better control air conditioning.
Sensibo sensors measure humidity and temperature and use software that learns from user experience, saving energy and money.
Roth says that if a new technology is to be developed, it must have a “path to profitability,” which green tech often lacks and often fails to provide.
“The good thing about smart thermostats is that they are readily available and offer the highest return on investment,” says Roth, who calls air conditioning a “human right.”
‘What happened to him?’
But as the climate emergency worsens, industry observers say major tech companies face more pressure to commit to sustainability goals.
Abhijit Sunil of Forrester Research said: “Over the past year, we have seen the public naming and shaming of companies engaged in greenwashing.
“So many organizations are careful about what they refer to as sustainability initiatives and are now as transparent as possible,” he said.
Sunil agreed that real progress on the environment had to be seen in the industrial sector, which could be a step towards doubling down on the consumer gadget business.
Product design, manufacturing and packaging are low-hanging fruit when it comes to environmental technology, he said, looking at the company’s waste and carbon footprint.
One such company, ACWA Robotics, won an award at CES for a robot designed to detect and prevent water leaks in underground pipes.
In France, where the startup is located, it is estimated that 20 percent of drinking water is lost due to pipes.
ACWA robotics engineer Elise Lengrand told AFP that the fight for environmental protection is the challenge of a century.
“I mean, it’s great to do big TVs and stuff, but that’s the bottom line,” she said.
© 2023 AFP
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