Featured
CES: TV, cars, health, will define tech year
The CES gadget fest starting in Las Vegas this weekend will set the tech agenda, writes ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK.
CES is also becoming the platform of choice for new automotive technology. So much so that, in 2018, it was voted one of the top ten auto shows in the United States. Expect it to climb up the ranks as more manufacturers use the event to highlight the tech that will find its way into production cars in the next three to five years.
A favourite in 2018 was a technology expected to become mainstream only a decade from now: B2V, or brain-to-vehicle, from Nissan. The demo version used a headband that sends the brain’s signals to the vehicle micro-seconds before the signals reach the driver’s hands or feet. It then allows the vehicle to optimise the systems that are about to be used, for example when an obstacle is seen up ahead and the driver wants to hit the brakes.
“CES is the only place where you’ll find the entire vehicle tech ecosystem, including top manufacturers and brands, OEMs, suppliers, aftermarket specialists, and software and chip developers,” says the organisers. “And beyond the supply chain, trends like artificial intelligence, voice technology, 5G and smart cities will help shape the future of transportation.”
Expect Ford, BMW, Daimler-Benz, Kia, and Volvo to join Nissan in the quest for the next big automotive thing. However, few will attract as much attention as a CES conference event on Wednesday, 9 January, titled “The Flying Car”.
On a more practical level, a Tuesday session on “The Future of In-Vehicle Infotainment” will explore the possibilities of the automotive and broadcast industries collaborating on product design.
“Imagine if broadcast and automotive industries could deliver even greater value to their customers,” runs a teaser for the session. “Imagine what the world looks like when humans no longer drive.”
Click here for a preview of digital health at CES.
