B.C. company's AI-driven autonomous stroller turns heads at Las Vegas electronics show

A Vancouver company has rolled into the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with a head-turning invention it says will make life easier for new parents.

The Gluxkind Ella is the “smartest stroller in the world,” according to company co-founder Kevin Huang.

Huang and his wife Anne Hunger came up with the idea in 2020 while expecting their first child.

Less than three years later, they have a fully working stroller equipped with a self-propelled motor and sensors that provide a 360-degree field of vision.

"It's motor-assisted so you can think of it like an e-bike,” said Hunger, who serves as Gluxkind’s CEO. “You put a little bit of effort in but the stroller itself really does the heavy lifting."

When there is a child inside, the autonomous motor will only work if someone is touching the stroller’s handlebar – otherwise the brakes engage.

According to Hunger, the real magic happens when you take the child out.

"So, for example, you have a newborn and they are crying. They want to be soothed and held,” she said. “Then parents can just do that – they have their two hands and their full attention for the child, and the stroller basically takes care of itself."

Hunger and Huang have taken the stroller out in Vancouver on many occasions and say it always draws lots of attention.

"I can tell you the number one comment is, 'Where were you when our kids were little?'" she said.

CTV News showed a video of the autonomous stroller to expectant mother Aryana Sye.

“I think it’s cool. My only concern as a soon-to-be new parent is the technology,” she said expressing safety concerns.

Hunger said safety is the company’s highest priority, and it is working to get the Gluxkind Ella certified to Canadian and American standards for strollers and consumer electronics.

She says the goal is to make life a little easier for parents, who sometimes have strollers weighted down with groceries or other items.

"Especially in Vancouver as well, there's so many hills and you see parents struggling going uphill and downhill with a fully-loaded stroller,” Hunger said.

The Gluxkind Ella was honoured with a CES Innovation Award.

The company hopes to ship its first 100 strollers sometime this year but the smart technology won’t come cheap – initial pricing will be US$3,800 per unit.