Procter & Gamble Co. is trotting out some nifty new technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, including a hand-held device that applies tiny doses of “corrective serum” to blotchy skin and a smart-home air freshener that distributes micro-droplets of fragrance using a home’s natural air flow.
“We are at CES because we want others to see how we are leading in applying technology to consumer packaged goods,” said P&G’s Chief Innovation Officer Javier Polit in a press release. “We are also hopeful that this showcase of our own innovations opens the door to new ideas and new experiences that will ultimately benefit the consumer.”
P&G is one of several consumer-product companies using the annual technology show to demonstrate their latest inventions. The move comes after years of concern by investors that the company’s innovation pipeline isn’t strong enough. P&G is promoting a half-dozen new products developed by its skin-care, home-care and personal-care brands.
Among the innovations:
- The Opte’ Precision Skincare System is a handheld device that uses blue LED lights, a digital camera and a proprietary algorithm to analyze skin-color variations. Using that analysis, it sprays tiny drops of mineral pigments, moisturizers and skin-lightening ingredients to eliminate dark spots.
- The AIRIA smart fragrance system uses patented technology similar to an inkjet printer to distribute a mist of scent droplets that “ride the natural airflow of your home” to eliminate odors. The product has been under development for six years and sold in a beta test on the Indiegogo web site last year. P&G is updating the product based on consumer feedback and hopes to launch it this fall.
- The Oral B Genius X is the latest iteration of an electric toothbrush that uses artificial intelligence to help users identify when they brush too hard or miss parts of their mouth when brushing. A P&G fact sheet says the Genius X “learned from thousands of brushing styles to instantly perfect yours.”
- Gillette is launching new heated razor at CES that uses a “stainless steel warming bar” to provide “soothing warmth to the skin that feels like a hot towel shave,” according to a P&G fact sheet on the GilletteLabs innovation. The device allows for adjustable heat levels and includes sensors to keep it from overheating.
