Before they are in each house, some of the most essential gadgets today were technological punchlines, too bizarre, too early, too expensive or simply bad.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, inventors and engineers dreamed big, but consumer technology often had trouble keeping its promise.
Whether it is a robotic pet that could not love you in return, a void that continued to slam in furniture or a digital currency that no one could understand how to use, many of these innovations have failed hard.
But failure was not the end. In most cases, these flops have planted the seeds for the tools that we now hold for granted.
This list revisits the first prototypes that laughed at stores and shows how their basic ideas have returned, better, cheaper and smarter.
1. Intelligent vacuum (Electrolux trilobite → robot vacuum)
Electrolux Trilobite (2001) was the first consumer public vacuum cleaner in the world. It included ultrasonic sensors and automatic mooring – radical for its time – but failed to use. He missed the corners, fought with door thresholds and often stuck. It was out of reach for the most part at 1,600 euros (around $ 1,850 today).
Why he failed:
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Ineffective edge cleaning.
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Frequent navigation errors.
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Too expensive for mass adoption.
NOW:
Robot vacuum cleaners are now affordable and impressive. Romberba J7 + from Irobot uses AI and a front camera to avoid disorder and pet cables.
The Roborock S8 Maxv Ultra Vaims and Mops with Lidar guidance.
Even the EUFY ROBOVAC G30 budget offers solid performance and room map for less than $ 300.
2. Portable companion apparatus (Sega Dreamcast VMU → Smartwatch)
The visual memory unit (1998) was an eccentric complementary module from Sega for Dreamcast: a memory card with a small screen that could display statistics in the game or play mini-games. It was fun but limited, eager for battery, low on memory and widely ignored by developers.
Why he failed:
NOW:
Smart watches like Apple Watch Series 9 and Google Pixel Watch 2 offer a rich second screen experience entirely integrated into your phone.
They support contactless payments, physical form monitoring, media control and even emergency alerts, making it much more than digital accessories.
3. Digital robot assistant (Sony Aibo → Domestic robot / Robot for pets)
The Aibo Original de Sony (1999) was a robotic dog with basic sensors and movement capacities. He responded to vocal orders and displayed simulated emotions. But its price of $ 2,500, its repetitive behavior and its lack of function of the real world made more new than a companion.
Why he failed:
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High cost with little use.
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Shallow emotional interaction.
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No repair support after 2006.
NOW:
Modern house robots have divided into functional and emotional tracks. Amazon Astro and Elliq help daily tasks and care for the elderly, while redesigned animal robots like Aibo (relaunched in 2018), Loona and Moflin now recognize faces, respond with nuanced behavior and learn interaction.
4. 3D portable display (Nintendo Virtual Boy → VR Headset)
The Virtual Boy (1995) was the first Nintendo at 3D game, using red stereoscopic screens on black. Unfortunately, he had bad ergonomics, a limited library of only 22 games and caused eye fatigue and headache. He was interrupted in a year.
Why he failed:
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Tension on the neck and discomfort.
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Graphics without interest and poor ux.
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Nausea and health warnings.
NOW:
VR helmets like Meta Quest 3 and PS VR2 offer color OLED screens, spatial monitoring and immersive content libraries. They are lighter, wireless and usable for work, game and physical form – offering Virtual Boy’s vision in every way.
5. Fully lower mobile communicator (AT&T EO → Smartphone)
The AT&T EO Personal Communicator (1993) was among the first aircraft to combine a phone, a fax, a modem, an email and PDA functions. But he weighed more than two pounds, cost $ 3,000 and had poor autonomy. He launched too early and only about 10,000 units were sold.
Why he failed:
NOW:
Today’s smartphones – like the iPhone 16 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25 – compress all these functions and more in elegant and powerful devices. With applications, high resolution cameras, AI and dazzling internet fleas, they make the OE to a stone tablet look like.
6. MINI-PC Portable Linux (Zaurus Tranchant → Raspberry Pi / NAS)
The Zaurus line of Sharp, like the SL-C3000 (2005), was a rare race: pocket-based PCs based on Linux with complete keyboards, a stylus entrance and developer flexibility. He was loved by technological odds and ends but failed to reach the dominant current due to high prices (~ $ 500 to $ 700), limited connectivity and Buggy software.
Why he failed:
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Niche call: too technical for occasional users.
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Unreliable wireless support; Wi-Fi was clumsy.
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Overlapping by cheaper PDAs and the first smartphones.
NOW:
Zaurus’s heritage continues in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem. Raspberry Pi 5 and DIY configurations using UNAID or Truenas offer massive flexibility for streaming, automation or even home, all for less than $ 100 and supported by dynamic online communities.
7. Pocket PC (Apple Newton → Tablet / Smartphone)
The Newton Messagepad from Apple (1993) was a pioneer: a portable device with the input of the stylus and recognition of handwriting. But he could not reliably recognize the text, his most publicized function. It was voluminous, slow and expensive (~ $ 700), and quickly became the target of jokes for having misunderstood even simple sentences like “catch up” as “egg freckles”.
Why he failed:
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Recognition of punctual writing has undermined its basic field.
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Expensive and large for daily use.
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A short battery life and limited connectivity.
NOW:
Today’s tablets, such as the iPad Pro, the Samsung Galaxy tab and the Microsoft surface combine the precise input of the stylus with pressure sensitivity, fast processors and cloud synchronization.
Writing applications such as notability and OneNote make it seamless notes. What Newton was aimed at doing in the 90s is now effortless by elegant and powerful devices.
8. Mini game console (Pet Chao de VMU → Nintendo Switch / Steam Deck)
The SEGA VMU (1999) included small “chao” mini-games to play on the go, offering an early portable interaction linked to a console. But they were shallow, drained by battery and not very replayable.
Why he failed:
NOW:
Portable games are now competing on full -fledged consoles. Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck play AAA games anywhere, with vibrant screens and real controllers. Add cloud game options like GeForce Now or Rog Ally, and mobile games have become an entire ecosystem.
9. CBDCS (before / Digicash → national digital currencies)
The Smart map of the Finland before Spart-Value (1993) and Digicash by David Chaum (1990) offered the first visions of digital currency. Before operating as a prepaid debit card, while Digicash has enabled anonymous transfers. Both failed due to low demand, mediocre infrastructure and regulatory roadblocks.
Why they failed:
NOW:
In 2025, 134 countries (representing 98% of world GDP) developed or piloted digital currencies from the Central Bank (CBDC). Examples include:
CBDCs are now used for well-being disbursements, payments and shipments of transportation, marking a significant development in digital money supported by the state.
10. Air Fryer (Fred Van der Weij Prototype → Modern Air Fryer)
In the mid -2000s, the Dutch inventor Fred Van der Weij built a huge homemade device to solve a personal problem: how to make crispy oil fries. Its prototype of early air fryer, made from wooden, metal and aluminum mesh, looked more like a scientific backyard project than a kitchen appliance. It worked (barely) but was never intended for mass production.
Why he failed:
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Overdown and impracticable for home kitchens.
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Built from raw materials with bad conviviality.
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Never developed beyond the concept proof stage.
NOW:
Today’s air fries are elegant, essential accounting. Models like the Ninja Foodi Dualzone or Cosori Pro can roast, cook, warm and dehydrate, often replacing whole ovens.
They use refined convection technology, require a minimum of oil and are delivered with presets, the integration of applications and dishwasher baskets. What has started as a giant wooden box is now one of the most popular cooking tools in the world.
Inventions in 2025 on which you do not put your money?
Technological history is full of false starts. However, even the most clumsy and over-type gadgets often contain a ribbon of the future. What collapsed in 1995 could be essential in 2025. Robotic assistants, virtual reality, CBDC and portable technology – each made fun of their early form, but their underlying concepts have proven to be resilient.
It is a reminder that innovation is not always fully formed. Sometimes it comes with red tinted glasses, costs too much and breaks after three days. But give it a few years and a few billion dollars of R&D and you may well find it in your pocket, direct your home or help you pay for coffee.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Each investment and negotiation movement involves risks and readers should conduct their own research when they make a decision.
