24 New Gadgets Every Parent Needs to See

POPSUGAR Photography | Rebecca Gruber
POPSUGAR Photography | Rebecca Gruber
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It's hard to believe that our lives could become even more connected than they already are, but they will at an even earlier age — like, before we're even born. That's the key message coming out of CES 2017, the largest tech convention in the world. If drones were the talk of the town in 2016, robots and artificial intelligence (e.g., Amazon's Echo technology) are what will be invading our homes in 2017 — and that's not necessarily a bad thing. From wearables that track your fertility and contractions to a device that creates a truly connected nursery and robots that are not only your children's playmates, but snap photos to create a complete photo history of your kids, we are truly living in the Jetson age.

Read on to see 24 new devices that just may make parenting smarter in this digital age.

Kikoo

Kikoo

Meet Kikoo, an autonomic robot designed to become your kids' companion. Kikoo uses facial recognition technology and age-based interactive content to talk, sing, and play with tots up to 6 years old. The $600 robot can also take photos and videos to create a photo album of your child's growth.

Willow Breast Pump

Willow Breast Pump

Willow ($430) is the first smart wearable breast pump that fits into a mom's bra, hands free. The device will be available in the Spring and silently pumps without requiring any of the bulky tubes or motor during the process. Within the pump's sleek design, there's an internal bag that collects up to four ounces of milk. It can also automatically sense when your body is ready to transition from letdown to expression phase without needing to wait for a preset time.

Mattel Aristotle by Nabi

Mattel Aristotle by Nabi

You'll never look at a baby monitor the same way after meeting Aristotle ($300, available in June). A combination baby monitor, Amazon Echo, smart light, Bluetooth speaker, sound machine, and baby soother, the Aristotle is truly making the nursery smart.

It tracks feedings, pumping sessions, and diaper changes — letting you know when you need to order more diapers and then orders them. The box comes with a wireless camera that streams 256-bit encrypted video to an app on your phone and additional cameras can be added to the room.

But Aristotle really shines when it is used as more than a monitor. It can be programmed to only respond to kids when they say "please" when asking for things. It reads from a stable of pre-selected books — I heard Thomas the Tank Engine — and more, and more can be downloaded, it plays animal sound guessing games with kids, and can be set to only speak in a second language during certain hours (Spanish, Mandarin, and French will be available at launch). Most impressively, the software is designed with natural language processing so it understands how toddlers speak — missing letters and all. As a child grows, it learns their speech patterns to reduce miscommunication.

Kaishi Fetal Heart Rate Monitor

Kaishi Fetal Heart Rate Monitor

Launched in China earlier this year and headed to the US by the end of 2017, the Kaishi Fetal Heart Rate Monitor (approximately $75) allows moms-to-be to record and share their unborn baby's heartbeat. Completely passive, the mouse-like device uses a highly sensitive microphone to sense a baby's heartbeat. The heartbeat is then relayed via Bluetooth transmission to an accompanying app. The recording can then be shared with family and friends.

WowWee Robotics Elmoji

WowWee Robotics Elmoji

One of our favorite toys of 2016 was WowWee Robotics's Coji coding robot, a robot that even the youngest kids can code via the use of emoji. Now the Coji is getting a Sesame Street makeover. Get ready for the Elmoji Coding Robot. Designed as a partnership between Sesame Workshot and WowWee Robotics, the robot will work similarly to the oringal Coji, with some Sesame Street additions. Kids can play games that control Elmoji’s actions and movements, all with Elmo's smiling face guiding their way.

Nod Baby Sleep Coach App

Nod Baby Sleep Coach App

Mimo took the baby world by storm when it introduced the world's first infant sleep wearable. The baby onesie uses sensors to collect information about a tot's temperature, activity, and sleep quality. With all of that data, Mimo's learned a few things about babies and sleep. They're now putting that data to work along with Johnson & Johnson in the form of a free app called Nod. The app provides parents with personalized sleep coaching based on a family's needs. It analyzes baby's sleep and waking hour habits and provides suggestions via the pediatric sleep coaches on J&J's staff. The app will go live by the end of February 2017.

Bloomlife

Bloomlife

Are you really having contractions or is it a false alarm? It's a question moms-to-be have been asking for years, but Bloomlife intends to take the guesswork out of when it's really time to run to the hospital. The contraction tracking device features a sensor embedded into an electrode patch. Simply place the patch on an expectant mama's belly and load the free app. Within seconds, you'll see how long each contraction lasts and how it compares to previous contractions. Eventually, the founders of Bloomlife hope to expand the sensor's readings to include fetal heart rate and other vital information. The patch can be worn up to one week and each pack comes with five patches. Bloomlife is available for rental at $150 for 1 month, $250 for 2 months, and $300 for 3 months.

Ava Fertility Tracker

Ava Fertility Tracker

Peeing on a stick to see your most fertile days may soon be a thing of the past. Ava ($199) is a fertility tracker that analyzes temperature, pulse rate, and seven more biological factors to determine your five most fertile days each month. The wearable, which is only worn at night, looks similar to the Apple Watch, but weighs next to nothing. The beauty of Ava is that it identifies your fertile days on the first day of the cycle, rather than once it is almost over, as many other fertility tracking methods do.

NannyBot

NannyBot

Could actual childcare providers become a thing of the past? Probably not, but Five Elements' NannyBot is making a play for the space. The robot follows kids around and provides an audio and video feed to parents' phones and tablets — like a roaming nursery monitor. The NannyBot ($1,699) has an embedded video camera that follows a sensor attached to a child, or via a remote control on the parents' phone. The robot can be programmed to speak to children on it's own and has a fabric bin that can hold toys or snacks.

iPal Robot

iPal Robot

Avatar Mind is hoping that iPal will become your children's best friend. A social robot that not only keeps track of a child's vitals and calls emergency services in the event of an emergency, the three-and-a-half-foot tall iPal interacts with kids and educates them via a tablet embedded on its chest. The tablet is loaded with educational programs, and can be used to sing, dance, and navigate with kids. A built-in camera and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity allows parents to keep an eye on children from anywhere and interact with their kids remotely. iPal will be available by the middle of 2017 for $1,500.

Lego Boost

Lego Boost

For kids too young to play with Lego's Mindstorms programmable sets, the company is introducing Lego Boost, a robotics system designed for 7-year-olds. The five Lego Boost sets kids will each include a battery-powered core system that powers motors and motion sensors that kids can use to create fun robots out of Legos. The kits will be available this Summer.

FoldiMate

FoldiMate

OK, this one isn't for the kiddos, but it's something every parent can appreciate. FoldiMate is a laundry folding machine that does just what it says — it folds your laundry perfectly, one piece at a time. It will even spray it with your preferred scent if you like. The device is still in prototype mode, but its creators expect it enter the market by the end of the year.

Woobo

Woobo

One of the cutest items at the show was Woobo, a furry, smart artificial intelligence companion designed to become your kids' best friend. The plush toy is actually an educational stuffed animal that interacts with kids and helps them with their daily tasks. Designed by educators who thought kids could do more with their stuffed animals, Woobo can answer kids' questions, play games with them, and read them stories via downloaded audiobooks and story podcasts. Built in filters prevent kids from accessing inappropriate information. It also offers a preloaded "relaxation time," a guided meditation geared toward kids under 8 years old. A parent app gives parents the opportunity to set alarms and monitor their kids' progress from afar.

Parihug

Parihug

Perhaps the sweetest new item at CES was Parihug, an internet-connected stuffed animal that gives an actual hug from far away. About a year in the works, Parihug sends virtual hugs thanks to fabric-based sensors. When one of the bears is hugged, she sensors recognize it and transmit it as a WiFi message to the other bear that then vibrates in real time, giving the end user the feeling of a genuine hug. If both bears are hugged at the same time, the bears emit a heartbeat. The company's founder, a junior at Case Western Reserve, is working on an accompanying app that will allow traveling parents to send hugs via their phones so they don't have to pull out a stuffed animal in the middle of a work dinner. Parihug plans to set up a Kickstarter campaign this Summer, with bears, selling for $75, first shipping in Q1 2018.

CogniToys CogniSaur

CogniToys CogniSaur

CogniToys introduced one of the first AI-toys for kids last year with it's CogniSaur — a kid-friendly version of Siri and Alexa. Later this year, the company plans to introduce a 2.0 version of CogniSaur that plays games, teaches colors through LED lights, and allows for memory games through the introduction of new sensors. The new version is designed for toddlers and will cost $100.

BabyWatcher

BabyWatcher

Curious parents can now get an ultrasound whenever they want thanks to BabyWatcher. The portable, non-medical ultrasound machine generates 2D videos and photos that can be sent to friends and family or saved for posterity. While BabyWatcher will not provide measurements, it can reassure parents-to-be that their baby is moving with the simple wave of the wand. The device can be rented for $84 for one week, $105 for two weeks, or $115 for three weeks.

Lunii My Fabulous Storyteller

Lunii My Fabulous Storyteller

Looking a bit like an old-time radio, Lunii My Fabulous Storyteller ($80) is a choose-your-own-adventure storyteller that lets kids direct their own experience. Once turned on, kids choose four elements — the hero, the place, another character, and an object. Lunii then mixes up the elements to tell one of 48 stories. Every time one of the chosen elements is mentioned, it lights up on the box. This year, the company plans to introduce historical stories. When all 48 stories have been told, additional stories can be downloaded.

Wunderkind

Wunderkind

Consider Wunderkind to be the Fisher Price Codeapillar for big kids. The Lego-compatible building blocks allow kids to build their own robots thanks to 15 modules that each perform different functions. There's an LED block that blinks up to 16.8 million different colors, a proximity sensor that senses distance and obstacles, a "brain" that contains a microphone and accelerometer, and more. The modules are color coded by function to help kids keep things organized. The robot possibilities are endless — from a mobile alarm clock that rolls around the room to get kids out of bed to a room guardian that sends your tablet a signal when someone enters your room. Wunderkind kits are available for pre-order starting at $199.

Blue Frog Buddy

Blue Frog Buddy

Buddy, a personal robot companion, is designed to be the newest addition to your family. A customizable robot, Buddy can be programmed to do whatever your family wants him to do. He can entertain the family by streaming music and videos via your Spotify account, maintain the family calendar, serve as an alarm clock for each member of the family, play educational and fun games with the kids like red light, green light, act as a security system by patrolling your home, and communicate with family via Facetime-like apps. Buddy will interact with other smart devices in the home to keep everyone on track. The armless robot is set to join families by the end of 2017 and will cost $750.

MeMoo

MeMoo

With the popularity of Amazon's Alexa and Google's Home, it's no wonder that CES was ripe with kid-friendly versions of the devices this year. C-Way’s Memoo ($175) is a family-friendly AI device that is packed with parental controls. Parents connect the device to an app on their phones and then program it for their kids. It can kick off the kids' day with an alarm, followed by a weather check, and rounded out with a recitation of the day's activities or daily headlines that kids would find interesting. If the parents have a Spotify account, kid-friendly (parent-approved) music can be played through Memoo, and kids can also ask the device to read stories and play games. Parents can configure the device to connect with family and friends, so kids can reach out to a pre-approved list of contacts via two-way messaging. When not used as an AI device, MeMoo can be used as a sleep aid, with various colored nightlights to choose from and a storytelling function where parents can pre-record fairy tales.

C-Way hopes to introduce Memoo to the U.S. in June for $169.

Meyko

Meyko

Meyko is a medication reminder for kids. Designed to help kids manage their asthma, Meyko records medicinal intake via a connected app and then follows kids' daily rhythms to help them learn when they need to take their medicine. When Meyko looks sad, kids know it's time for them to take their meds. The company's founders intend to launch Meyko in the U.S. by the end of the year for approximately $700.

Xooloo

Xooloo

With kids spending more time on their devices than ever before, Xooloo is primed to become teens' and tweens' digital coach, teaching them good tech and digital habits. The app manages kids' time on their phones, mapping the amount of time they spend on games, social media, the phone, and more. Both parents and kids have the same app on their phones, with the parents' version providing detailed information on the child's digital habits. Parents can set limits based on the type of app a child is using, and children receive warnings when they're about to reach those limits. They can then negotiate for more time if needed. But the best feature may be the "dinnertime" setting that temporarily shuts down a device during a set period. Prior to shutting down the device, the app "warns" the child of the impending shut down, thus training them to put down their devices during family time.

Xooloo is designed to open the line of communication between parents and kids about digital habits. According to the founders, after three months of use, most families find that kids don't need warnings about their app use — they grow accustomed to the time limits and ultimately use their devices less.

Xooloo launches Jan. 31 and will be free for the first 30 days. After that, it will be $3 per month, per device.

Octopus by Joy

Octopus by Joy

Teach your kids good habits with the help of a watch that guides them throughout the day. Octopus by Joy, is a watch that serves as a scheduler to keep kids on time and learning independence. Using an icon-based display, parents program Octopus to remind kids to do certain activities (e.g., brush their teeth, feed the fish, unpack their bags, wish their dad a happy birthday, etc.) at set times. The schedule is then sent to kids over Bluetooth and the watch gives off a gentle vibration to remind them that it's time to do something. In doing so, kids' not only learn the concept of time, they increase their self-esteem in knowing they did something on their own.

Octopus comes programmed with more than 700 icons, though as kids get older, the face display icons can be changed to a digital or analog clock as kids learn how to tell time. Octopus is currently live as an Indiegogo project for $69, but will be in retail stores in July.

Happiest Baby SNOO

Happiest Baby SNOO

The Happiest Baby SNOO ($1,160) may be the world's most technologically advanced bassinet, incorporating Dr. Harvey Karp's famed five S's into product form. A beautiful sleeper on its own with a modern wood and mesh design, the bassinet features a mattress that produces white noise and "swings" up to one-half inch each direction to help lull babies to sleep. Hidden microphones detect a waking baby and signal the sleeper to respond with increasing sound and motion, basically providing the same response parents would when a newborn fusses in the middle of the night. Should a baby fuss for more than three minutes, the bassinet shuts off, signaling that the baby is distressed by something that needs parental involvement — a diaper change or a feeding.

But perhaps the most unique feature on the SNOO is the sleep sack Dr. Karp developed to ensure that newborns stay on their backs throughout the night. The SNOO Sack replaces the swaddle — which has a tendency to come undone, making new parents nervous about suffocation — with a tight sleep sack with "wings" that attach to the sides of the bassinet. Although the design is unusual, it's also practical, making it impossible for a baby to flip over onto his or her stomach overnight