After a week filled with thousands of product debuts unveiling innovation to offer solutions to global challenges, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 has come to a close. Held offline after two years, the show saw over 2,300 exhibiting companies worldwide, including more than 800 startups, launch products featuring innovation across artificial intelligence, automotive technology, digital health, smart home and more.
CES 2022 featured transformative technologies that will spur business and shift markets, with major brands including Bosch, Canon, Hisense, HTC, LG Electronics, Nvidia, Samsung Electronics, Sony, Panasonic and Qualcomm. Key trends included:
Though the show’s primary focus was consumer electronics, vehicle technology was front and centre at the show, with more than 190 automotive companies including BMW, Hyundai, Indy Autonomous Challenge, Sony, Stellantis and VinFast, Vietnam’s first automaker.
Prevalent throughout the show was artificial intelligence, making products and technologies smarter, more efficient and customisable, advancing nearly every major industry from agriculture to healthcare, automotive, manufacturing and entertainment. Companies included John Deere, featuring the first fully autonomous tractor, and Beyond Honeycomb, with an AI-enabled robot to prep and cook customisable meals.
One particular announcement that caught the attention of visitors and people worldwide is Sony, which unveiled a new sports utility vehicle concept - the Vision-S 02, an SUV prototype. The company’s CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, said, “With our imaging and sensing, cloud, 5G and entertainment technologies combined with our content mastery, we believe Sony is well positioned as a creative entertainment company to redefine mobility,” Yoshida said.
Best known for its electronic gadgets and entertainment products, Sony plans to use AI and robotics in its new EV business. The concept SUV uses its SNE sensors to enable some self-driving functions leveraging its expertise in entertainment. Interestingly the passengers can play video games on the go while connected to their PlayStation consoles at home.
DSP Concepts, the creator of the Audio Weaver development framework that powers sound and voice functionality, announced that it is working with Samsung on a new concept product: Samsung’s “The Freestyle”, a portable screen with an integrated smart speaker.
Tokyo-based aero tech startup SkyDrive unveiled its ultra-light and compact flying vehicle, Model SD-03, designed to vertically take off and land with improved stability. This emission-free electric vehicle enables fast and safe door-to-door transportation anywhere, including uses for emergency rescue.
Lumotive, a leading developer of solid-state lidar systems, and the ZKW Group, a specialist for innovative premium lighting systems and electronics, unveiled a functional demonstration of its lidar technology integrated with a ZKW vehicle headlight.
Hesai Technology, a global leader in lidar technology for autonomous driving and ADAS, showcased its new automotive-grade lidar sensor - AT128, a directional long-range hybrid solid-state lidar designed for ADAS applications in mass production passenger and commercial vehicles. It combines high performance, compact design, and high reliability.
VinFast has announced a new development strategy and revealed its complete electric vehicle lineup covering five segments. The company officially launched a range of fully-electric vehicles designed by Italian design firms Pininfarina and Torino Design. These models will also have smart features, including Smart Home, Mobile Office, In-car Shopping, In-car Entertainment, and many other convenient, advanced features that create an exhilarating experience for every journey and everyday life.
ZF showed proof of its progress toward Next-Generation Mobility and how it believes it is no longer a distant vision but a tangible goal within its grasp. The company has developed smart technologies with advanced core intelligence that bring safe, automated and electrified vehicles to new levels. These developments offer critical improvements that benefit our global society and the environment.
Bosch presented connected, smart, and sustainable products and services for a better life through its offerings to varied segments. In the automotive, the company presented its new smart connected eBike systems that merge the physical experience of riding an e-bike with the digital experience provided by connectivity and an app.
Continental presented its latest technologies and innovations under the umbrella of six strategic action fields: Autonomous Mobility, Smart Mobility, User Experience, Safety, Architecture and Networking, and Software and Systems Excellence.
Valeo showcased five major innovations transforming and shaping a cleaner, safer, more autonomous, more connected mobility. It presented an all-electric 48V motorcycle, third-generation LiDAR scanner, Valeo NFL (Near Field LiDAR), Valeo VoyageXR Panorama and Valeo Safe Insight, which combines several technologies to identify the driver and alert him in the event of distraction or drowsiness.
Qualcomm announced several new partnerships and, in some cases extending the existing association automotive partnerships besides introducing a new addition to the Snapdragon Ride Platform, the Snapdragon Ride Vision System that can support front, rear, and surround cameras for ADAS.
Intel subsidiary Mobileye introduced a new system on chip called EyeQ Ultra, which is specially developed for autonomous driving. In addition, it also announced plans to bring a new supercomputer designed to bestow passenger cars, SUVs and trucks with autonomous driving powers.
Volvo Cars has announced that as part of its continued partnership with Google, it will be the first carmaker to directly integrate its cars with Google Assistant-enabled devices.
Blackberry announced a partnership with Pateo to enable its intelligent vehicle data platform Blackberry Ivy to get integrated into Pateo’s digital cockpit solution.
California-based EV startup Indi EV introduced a prototype of its Indi One, which according to the company the world’s first social media-oriented car, which has an integrated computer for gaming, a complete Windows workstation that can handle Zoom calls and even record events that can later be shared on social media and software that lets riders capture trip content and video to be uploaded to the cloud.
While BMW unwrapped its colour changing car, Mercedes revealed the Vision EQXX, a concept vehicle meant to showcase what the carmaker’s electric vehicles will look like in the future.
CES 2022 propelled the global business last week as it saw many for the first time in two years and attended by over 40,000 visitors in person, with 30% travelling from outside the US, representing 119 countries.