Nurse Li Qin of neonatology department feeds an infant at Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 19, 2018. All 11 doctors and 23 nurses of the neonatology department of the hospital spent their Spring Festival holiday in the ward to take care of the newborn infants.Photo:Xinhua

A robotic crib with a mission of preventing sudden infant death syndrome made its appearance this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, part of a growing "baby tech" exhibit.

Snoo cribs, made by the California startup Happiest Baby in collaboration with industrial designer Yves Behar, use built-in microphones to "hear" babies' cries and then soothe them with rocking.

Snoo's parent has partnered with more than 50 companies including Snap, Hulu and Under Armour to provide the high-tech crib to workers on parental leave, said Marina Romanova of Happiest Baby while demonstrating it on the show and using a doll.

"Companies provide Snoo free," Romanova said of the robo-cribs, which are priced at $1,295.

"It promotes productivity and loyalty."

The louder a baby cries, the more vigorously the rocking, within limits, a demonstration showed.

If the strongest rocking setting doesn't quiet a baby, the Snoo stops and sends a parent  a smart phone message to check on the child.