CES 2023 promises the latest in virtual reality headsets and flying vehicles

This content was published on Jan 2, 2023 – 18:04
January 02, 2023 – 18:04

(AFP)

The latest advances in artificial intelligence, from vehicles to robots and home appliances, will be on display at the annual electronics show CES, which opens Thursday in Las Vegas, in the western US.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which was held virtually in 2021 and last year’s hybrid, will be held from January 5 to 8 on more than seven hectares, from the vast Las Vegas Convention Center to the pavilions installed in the parking lots.

“In 2022, there were huge empty halls: CES was a shadow of itself,” Techspotential analyst Avi Greengart told AFP. “Now we expect crowds, commuting difficulties, closed meetings – everything that makes a business show.”

CES will officially open on Wednesday, but companies will begin showing off their latest technology from Tuesday.

– Cars, great heroes –

Analysts say the next generation in the transportation sector, from cars, trucks, ships and tractors to flying machines, will attract public attention.

“It would be like attending a car show,” said Kevan Yalowitz of the consulting firm Accenture.

More than ever before, cars come with operating systems that look a lot like a smartphone or laptop. Accenture predicts that by 2040, about 40% of vehicles on the road will have a remote update programme.

With connected cars comes online apps and entertainment, as developers scramble to engage passengers with streaming services or in-flight purchases.

According to Yalowitz, more and more vehicles will be involved in the “consumer time battle,” one of the main topics of CES 2023.

Greengart predicts that there will also be a large proliferation of electric vehicles with artificial intelligence.

“What’s really buzzing are the custom flying machines,” said independent technology analyst Rob Enderle. “It’s basically human-carrying drones.”

– Ship to Metaverse? –

Led by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta company, the immersive virtual worlds known as the metaverse are seen by some as the future of the internet.

This was already a dominant theme at CES 2022, and VR headsets aimed at taking people into the metaverse are expected to take center stage again this year.

Facebook’s parent, Meta, is letting guests try out its latest Oculus Quest virtual reality headset, with the goal of convincing skeptics that the company’s transformation into the metaverse was the right choice.

The devices or services unveiled as part of the next generation of the Internet, or “Web 3,” are also expected to include mixed reality equipment, as well as blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

Web 3 promises a more decentralized internet where tech giants, big corporations, or governments no longer hold all the keys to online life.

“The idea of ​​how you connect will be part of the big direction at CES,” said Carolina Milanesi, an expert at Creative Strategies.

Analysts expected cryptocurrency to be promoted among Web 3 innovations at the show, but “there could be a setback” due to the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency platform FTX and the arrest of its president, Sam Bankman-Fried, according to Milanesi.

– Covid and the weather –

CES 2023 will likely show the effects of the pandemic, Greengart said, as products designed during the era of remote work will flood the market, even if pre-COVID habits return.

Technology designed to better assess health and remotely connect to caregivers will also have room in this issue.

And while this is a consumer fair, the environment will also be a theme, with displays from devices designed to pick up trash from waterways to apps that help people reduce energy consumption.

Analysts say many companies are removing plastic from packaging and switching to biodegradable materials, while trying to reduce carbon emissions.

“If you’re the vegetable-growing type of person, CES isn’t for you,” Greengart said. “But I congratulate the companies that are finding ways to make their products and supply chains more sustainable.”