CES 2015 in Las Vegas is the biggest technology convention in the world and there were several Canadian companies who used the vast show floor to present their products. Here are some of the standouts.

QNX
The Ottawa-based BlackBerry subsidiary has become the world’s leading infotainment software provider with over 50 million vehicles running its wares. Although more of a middleman for the hardware embedded in the dashboard, QNX has been on an upswing of late. It now powers the software behind Ford’s SYNC platform, and at CES 2015, it showed a concept Maserati Quattroporte GTS outfitted with a number of cameras and sensors built-in. These could detect obstacles on the road with a set of four light strips along the dash that would light up to indicate an object’s proximity.

The cameras on the outside provide a 360-degree view of the entire vehicle, with the rearview and sideview mirrors actually being LCD screens showing a wider angle. The inside had a fully digital instrument cluster with a large touchscreen in portrait mode in the middle of the dash. This setup was entirely conceptual, but it shows what may be possible in the near future.

Smart Technologies
This Calgary-based company showcased its interactive whiteboard called the Smart Kapp. In a nutshell, it’s a dry-erase board like any other, except that it plugs into an outlet, connects to an app on a smartphone, tablet or computer and allows the user to share the content in real-time. Unlike the plastic sheeting used in a whiteboard, this one is made of glass and is propped up on its own stand rather than mounted on a wall. It also tends to stay upright in portrait orientation. There is an education and business focus to the device, and it can be used in either scenario.

Sulon
This Toronto-based company unveiled the Cortex, a headset that combines virtual and augmented reality wherein virtual experiences interact with the real-world environment. It has 3D sensors and scanners inside to fuse those two together, and the user can control them using motion and gesture commands. The headset shown was a prototype, so it’s not ready for primetime just yet, but it does portend an interesting view on how the real and virtual worlds may be inclusive, rather than mutually exclusive.

Trace
Originally from developers from Calgary and Toronto, Trace’s FlyR1 drone is entirely based on the idea of ISO camera. In other words, it can hover and stay focused on you as a subject until you disappear from view. Once out of sight, it automatically lands on its own. The focus is on extreme sports, though it could conceivably be used for any number of scenarios.

Spin Master
Those old enough to remember will recall Meccano, the model building toy brand that goes back all the way to 1901. Now part of Spin Master, a toy company based in Toronto, they unveiled the Meccanoid toy robot that can stand 4-ft. tall, but also be built in various different designs. It has a limited amount of artificial intelligence, more in the sense that it can mimic actions it sees or hears.

Whoosh!
Calling itself the “next-generation screen cleaner”, this Toronto-based firm showed a cleaning solution that is not only able to wipe a screen clear, but also do so in a non-toxic way free of ammonia and alcohol. The added benefit is that it can also resist fingerprints afterward. Screen cleaners are plentiful in the market, but Whoosh! believes it has something uniquely different that can polish any screen from a smartphone, tablet, computer, camera, watch and more.