CES 2024: Swiss make AI leap

The peaceable central European nation of Switzerland is not exactly a byword for high-tech innovation, but it has made a splash at the annual CES tech expo in Las Vegas with a wide range of advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies.

No less than 34 new high-tech Swiss innovation start-ups were brought to CES by Switzerland Global Enterprise, an official agency for export and investment promotion. Covering fields like renewable energy, drones, AR/VR, healthtech/medtech, lifestyle, and enterprise/ CT, the CES debutantes showcased just how deep innovation goes in that country.

“The collaboration between industry leaders and academic elite institutions has consistently facilitated an exchange of ideas and expertise, propelling Switzerland to the forefront of AI innovation,” says the agency. “As Switzerland continues to solidify its position as a key location advancing AI research and development, Switzerland Global Enterprise is seizing the opportunity to provide a glimpse of the current state of Artificial Intelligence in Switzerland by showcasing some of the latest innovations.”

The four most significant AI start-ups, as highlighted by Switzerland Global Enterprise, are:

Safe-living: based on sophisticated AI technology and a proprietary radar for sensing the tiniest motions, Safe-Living developed an emergency device to intelligently distinguish between pets, daily activities, or health-threatening events. In case of an emergency, the device automatically calls for help, identifying situations where someone is helpless. The emergency device is placed on a table or other piece of furniture and operates contactless and in a privacy-preserving manner – the device does not incorporate cameras or microphones. Most importantly, users aren’t required to wear any wearables, like pendant alarms, or push any alarm buttons anymore.

AVAtronics: unveils AI-Enriched Wideband Active Noise Cancellation Technology at CES. Experience AVAtronics’ powerful, best-in-class embedded digital solution that eliminates noise in the transportation, industrial, and consumer electronics industries. AVAtronics will have headphone and TWS earphone demos showcasing the company’s ANC performance in the atmosphere of the noisy CES conference. They will also introduce their reference design earbud OTC hearing aid AVAHEEAR combining AI-enriched ANC with advanced hearing features to improve the lifestyles of millions of people looking for alternative solutions. AVAHEEAR provides a solution for those who hear comfortably in quiet but struggle to hear friends and loved ones in social situations.

machineMD: uniquely combines virtual reality and artificial intelligence to radically improve the measurement of brain function, leveraging the proven pathway of the eyes as a window to the brain. The company’s flagship product, neos, is a medical device for the fast, automated, and quantitative measurement of eye and pupil movements, used by ophthalmologists and neurologists in the diagnosis and monitoring of neurological disorders, including brain tumours, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.

FLOWIT: introduces a groundbreaking digital coach built on AI, transforming employee engagement and development. The AI in the digital coach is leveraged to promote leadership equality and ensure individual development in daily operations. Utilising FLOWIT’s AI-powered coach involves employees in four interconnected modules: Engagement, Performance, Development, and Growth. Instead of traditional scales,
pulse surveys are conducted in a chat format with the digital coach. The AI analyses chats, including multilingual text data, categorising essential topics within the company and providing HR with suggestions for possible low-threshold measures.

Other AI startups from Switzerland exhibiting at CES include:

• Algorized: Software-enabled Ultra Wide Band sensing and perception for health and safety.
• csky.ai: Edge AI technology device turns conversations into private transcripts.
• Jedsy: Standard for instant medical delivery through sustainable drones.
• Largo.ai: Data-driven AI for movie and advertising industries for successful content.
• Delvi.tech: AI-based 3D inspection for production lines requiring fast inspection and repeatability.
• Nimagna: Dramatic full virtual stage AI video producer for webinars and presentations.
• Pipra: AI-based hospital technology to avoid delirium, a major post-operative risk & cause of dementia.
• Zoundream: First AI analysis of infant cries for early detection of developmental disorders by sound.
• Ostloong Innovations: AR and AI skiing technologies with AR goggles for real-time information.
• Superba AR: Creates world-scale Augmented Reality, AI applications, and experiences.

* CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, is one of the most influential tech events in the world, serving as the launchpad for several thousand new products every January in Las Vegas. It is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), and features every aspect of the tech sector.