Nine marvelous Arm-powered devices (that aren’t phones) we found at Mobile World Congress 2018

When you consider that Arm has over 95% market share in smartphone processors, a round-up of Arm-powered smartphones launched this week at Mobile World Congress 2018 might end up looking like any other list of new releases.

And while the show continues to be a launchpad for some of the most exciting new phones, the theme has shifted in recent years to encompass every corner of the mobile computing world and the Internet of Things (IoT).

With this in mind, we set ourselves a mission to scour the halls of Barcelona’s enormous Fira Gran Via exhibition center in search of some of the most interesting non-smartphone devices made possible by Arm at MWC…

Audi A8 2019

Automotive was a big deal at MWC 2018. Connected and intelligent cars graced many stands, with self-driving capability a hot topic. The Arm stand hosted the Audi A8, Audi’s flagship luxury sedan and the first production vehicle to feature ‘Level 3’ autonomy. As well as numerous intelligent driving technologies such as active suspension, lane departure detection and intelligent cruise control, the car’s Traffic Jam Pilot is able to take full control of all aspects of driving in low speed highway situations. It’s also brimming with entertainment and comfort technology, including matrix LED lighting, numerous touchscreens and even massage seats. The majority of electronic systems used in Audi vehicles are based on Arm architecture.

Meater

Those seeking the precision of a perfectly pink prime rib will want to check out this ballpoint-pen-sized wireless meat thermometer. Powered by an incredibly tiny, low-power Arm Cortex-M0 processor and designed for use inside the oven, Meater can withstand temperatures up to 527°F (275°C). Pair your smartphone via Bluetooth, set the desired level of done-ness on the accompanying app and Meater’s guided cook mode will monitor both internal and ambient temperatures in real-time, ensuring that your meat is not only safe to eat but beautifully tender, too.

Selfieccino

This year’s ‘why not?’ award goes to Create-4, a tech-focused experiential marketing agency. Its latest invention, the Selfieccino, uses edible ink to print a color selfie onto your latte or cappuccino — because who hasn’t wanted to be able to drink their own face? Currently still a prototype, the printer uses Arm microcontrollers to ensure a precision print. It’s also capable of printing onto the head of beer, biscuits and presumably much more.

Intuition Robotics ElliQ

Artificial intelligence (AI) was another key theme this year. This Arm-powered robot companion is designed to encourage older adults to lead an active and engaged lifestyle as well as connect with loved ones. ElliQ’s adaptive personality learns a user’s disposition and habits over time, using this data to proactively suggest activities at the right time — such as when the user last went for a walk or contacted loved ones. As well as voice control, ElliQ’s robotic head uses naturalistic body language to encourage users to view it as a living, moving companion.

Xiaomi Mitu DIY Battle Robot

Designed for kids but entirely acceptable for adults too, the Mitu battle robot from Xiaomi retails as a 1000-piece kit, centered around an Arm Cortex-M processor. This processing power affords the completed robot a number of impressive capabilities including self-balancing on two wheels, phone control, basic path following and programming using simple coding blocks. The kit can adapt to a number of different robot designs (and you can create your own if you’re feeling bravely creative).

Amiko Respiro

Amiko’s Respiro sensor module fits onto existing respiratory inhalers, affording those with respiratory issues a better quality of life by enabling better management of their condition. A host of sensors track inhalation technique and frequency, capturing parameters such as inhalation flow rate, flow acceleration, lung capacity, inspiration time and even the patients’ handling of the inhaler. At the heart of the device lies an Arm Cortex-M processor, enabling real-time machine learning (ML) and insight gathering.

Tangram Smart Rope

Ten minutes of skipping can have the same health benefits as a 45-minute run, according to the British Rope Skipping Association. The once-playground activity is seeing a surge in popularity thanks to the likes of Kim Kardashian, who’ve recently named skipping as their favorite workout. Poised at the intersection of wearable fitness trackers and everyone’s favorite new Instagrammable fitness regime is the Tangram Smart Rope, an LED-embedded, Arm Cortex-M powered jump rope that displays your fitness data in mid-air as you work out. So whether you’re tracking jump count, time elapsed or calories burned, the data is right there in front of you.

tēmi — The Personal Robot

We first caught sight of tēmi following its human master faithfully around the show floor. This personal robot may lack the anthropomorphic look of some of its peers, but what it lacks in humanoid features it makes up for in functional AI and a nippy set of wheels. Summon tēmi from any room in your home and — stairs excepted — it’ll find its way to you, ready to connect you to loved ones via video chat, stream TV or play music from its built-in sound system. A combination of voice and facial recognition is employed in order to identify which family member is using tēmi and adjust preferences accordingly. At the unit’s base is a powerful Arm-powered central computer, the ‘Robox’, capable of taking data from tēmi’s multiple sensors and reacting in real time.

HP Envy x2

One of the first devices to offer Windows 10 on Arm, the 2-in-1 detachable HP Envy x2 laptop packs a winning combination of a power efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and a massive battery into its slim-line chassis. The result is a Windows laptop with up to 20 hours of battery life as well as the benefits of always-on connectivity.