The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), set to run January 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, has driven change across its industry for more than 50 years. The world’s first VCR premiered at CES, as did an early prototype of the Nintendo NES and Microsoft’s first Xbox. History happens here. And with the 2023 footprint projected to be 50% larger than last year’s, there’s plenty of game-changing tech to come.
Brian Comiskey, director of thematic programs for the Consumer Technology Association, says “Human Security for All” is the overarching theme of this year’s CES. That concept has inspired top innovators to demonstrate solutions to global challenges regarding food insecurity, health and sustainability. With that in mind, here are three of the top tech trends we expect to see on the show floor.
The Rise of the Metaverse
Ah, the metaverse. An exciting new virtual venture for some, a glorified buzz word for others. If the idea of an immersive, virtual 3D world to which we can all escape to a la Ready Player One seems far fetched, a bit polarizing and still ahead of its time, that’s because it is. But according to Comiskey, we’ll start to see “the building blocks of the metaverse on display” at CES 2023 in ways that feel more tangible.
“The pandemic really accelerated a lot of the infrastructure technologies that would power the metaverse,” he says, suggesting that cloud computing, 5G and gaming software engines are all “critical for virtualization.”
Virtual reality will also become a vital arm of the concept, and that’s already being reflected on the exhibit floor. Vermont startup OVR Technology, for example, will demonstrate its olfactory tech, which allows us to smell scents in VR as though we’re actually in those environments.
“Metaverse is important in terms of spatial sound, immersive audio, immersive visual, but full sensory immersion is something that is kind of the promise in a lot of ways,” Comiskey says. “Smell has such an important impact in terms of our memory. It’s a rather primal sense at its core.”
Nemo’s Garden, an Italian project experimenting with growing crops in underwater biospheres, has partnered with Siemens to create a “digital twin” in the metaverse of its ocean-floor farm. The twin will allow the Nemo Garden’s team not only to test concepts in a virtual setting, at a faster rate, but also to work beyond the limitations of seasonal conditions or physical distances.
The Push for Digital Health
Health tech has always been a pillar of CES, but Comiskey says we’ll “see an expansion of its therapeutic footprint” like never before. Rather than focusing on the body’s everyday conditions, he says, innovators are looking to solve real physical problems.
Last month, Abbott announced its FDA-approved Eterna, one of the smallest implantable spinal cord stimulators on the market, designed for pain reduction. We’ll likely see that tech and many of Abbott’s other neurostimulators at this year’s show.
And Korea’s SK Biopharmaceuticals has engineered a sophisticated pair of Zero Glasses, which can detect and predict epileptic seizures by tracking bio signals from the brain, heart and body movement.
Smart Mobility Taking the Wheel
Las Vegas Convention Center’s newly added West Hall will see a lot of foot traffic this year as the automotive showroom of the future.
“Electrification is going to be back again in a big way,” Comiskey assures. “We saw a lot of electric vehicles, whether trucks or passenger vehicles or even e-bikes, at last year’s show, and we’re going to see that concept extend again. But this time, it will be more about land, sea and air.”
The shift to EV has reached a fever pitch in recent years, as reducing greenhouse gas emissions has become more essential. This past fall, for instance, California announced that it would begin phasing out the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. By 2035, 100% of new vehicles sold in the state are expected to be zero-emission.
So it’s no surprise that brands like BMW, Dodge and Stellantis have a whole fleet of new electric cars and trucks to present at CES, and Comiskey says electric boats will also return. Canadian auto parts manufacturer Magna should be another to watch, as it showcases “a front panel to [its] car called a Mezzo Plus that changes the exterior shape of the vehicle … to improve aerodynamics,” Comiskey says.
Autonomous vehicles should also draw considerable interest, with numerous self-driving demonstrations planned for CES, along with the return of the Indy Autonomous Challenge, a high-speed race between nine robo cars at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The future begins now.
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