CES looks to shake off tech gloom

Tempted by a virtual reality headset that allows you to smell virtual objects, a smart mirror that tells you whether you are brushing your teeth properly or a refrigerator that can change colors to suit your mood? If so, then you can zoom in on this year's CES along with other tech enthusiasts.

Formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, the largest technology exhibition in the world went online in 2021 due to the pandemic. CES 2022 saw a quarter of the event's typical attendance. But for this year's show, which was getting underway on Thursday, the organizers expect attendance to hit 100,000 — over 70 percent more than last year — before it wraps up on Sunday.

And wearables, smart-home gadgets, appliances, cars and even machinery are featuring prominently among the booths in Las Vegas.

"Born out of the health crisis over the past two to three years, we're entering into a new phase of automation and virtualization," said Steve Koenig, vice-president of research at Consumer Technology Association, or CTA, which is staging the event.

"We're going to see progressively more and more industrial IoT(Internet of Things) applications across the rest of the economy," Koenig said ahead of the show.

He also highlighted the concept of "the Metaverse of Things". The metaverse is a 3D interface for the IoT. Though the concept is often met with skepticism, Koenig said the metaverse is the next generation of the internet, and CES 2023 will be evidence that the metaverse provides an elevated online experience and an elevated sense of immersion.

In the retail sector, the virtualized 3D interactive environment can improve the online shopping experience with Touchcast, a virtual experience and event platform.

"Whether we're shopping for a computer or a new pair of sneakers, we can have a cutaway of the shoes to see exactly how this foam protects the runner's foot," Koenig said.

Automotive technology has taken center stage at past events, and that sector will be even bigger this year, with nearly 300 exhibitors bringing the latest self-driving technologies, electric vehicles and personal mobility devices.

Digital therapeutics

John Deere's autonomous tractor, which won an award in the CES Best of Innovations competition, is an advanced robot that uses GPS guidance, sensors and artificial intelligence to perform farm tasks without an operator in the cabin.

Digital therapeutics is also in full force at CES this year. Telemedicine and telehealth are getting more attention with the pandemic, with more sensors, wearables and other diagnostic tools coming in.

Abbott's Proclaim Plus therapeutic system, another winner in the CES innovation awards, is an example of advanced therapies using technology to manage pain.

Sustainability will be front and center for hundreds of exhibitors at this year's CES, featuring technologies that can conserve energy and increase power generation, address food shortages and create more sustainable agricultural systems.

ACWA Robotics' intelligent robot can save millions of cubic meters of water and help optimize cities' water infrastructure investments as a clean water pathfinder.

This year's CES comes on the heels of a tough year for the tech industry, with disrupted supply chains, high inflation, and widespread layoffs. For the first time, the CES has a theme — how technology is addressing the world's biggest challenges.

For the global challenges, such as climate change, shortages of energy and labor, people can find answers in technology, Koenig said.

"During these periods of economic downturn, innovation tends to accelerate and even punch up," said Koenig, citing innovations that followed the arrival of the global financial crisis in 2008.