Grail ResearchFIELDNOTESConsumer Electronics Show
Las Vegas | January 2017
Consumer IoT We’re not alone – Artificial Intelligence
and virtual assistants are redefining
smart home technology
Smart Auto Cars continue to become more
autonomous, connected and intelligent
3D / Immersive TechStill expensive and still fighting to
go mainstream
Smart CitiesSin City shows us the future of the
connected city
Personal ComputingStrength in numbers – market leaders
partner to improve products
Fitness / Health / Wellness / Lifestyle Sensors everywhere, connecting users
to on-demand/preventative care
Drones and DroidsFlying higher, diving deeper and
learning faster
Display TechSuper-sleek TVs and projectors drive the
future of viewing experiences
The conference tracks at CES put policy makers from multiple countries on stage with
entrepreneurs to talk about the need for consistent standards, among a host of other topics.
Observations from CES 2017
It has become a highly-anticipated
annual ritual here at Grail Research
to kick off the new year with a trip to
the world’s largest technology
showcase, Consumer Electronics
Show (CES), in Las Vegas.
A noticeable change this year is the
quickened pace at which we are
seeing prototypes and concepts
from past CES editions evolve into
viable products within still
developing ecosystems. Amidst all
the flash and fanfare though, we did
witness a few larger trends, covered
in the pages that follow, which could
bring major changes to tech-heavy
industries such as retail,
entertainment, healthcare, and
automotive, to name a few.
• Just as the industrial Internet of Things
(IoT) marches on, driving operational
efficiencies across many fields, the
consumer IoT is similarly diversifying
to target segments with specific
needs. Whether you are a professional
athlete seeking an integrated precision
training system or a parent balancing a
tough work life with raising kids, today’s
consumer IoT offers tools that help you
meet your goals, both at home and away.
• The future of retail, entertainment and
telepresence is clearly immersive, with
3D capture, augmented reality (AR)
and virtual reality (VR) tech rapidly
becoming viable and commercially
accessible. With low barriers to entry and
increasing app support, new mobile VR
and AR apps, running on smartphones
like Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and
rumors that Apple is developing VR and
AR devices, could finally give this market
mainstream traction.
• Between modern robotics and artificial
intelligence (AI), the stage is set for a
future not constrained by the limits of
the human body or brain. Technological
advancements and economic implications
aside, a critical challenge for tech players
will be to work with policy makers across
the globe to design standards that
address privacy and public safety issues.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• The consumer tech space
continues to evolve as
companies redefine their focus
areas and diversify to stay
ahead of the curve. Many well-
known companies are now
offering connected auto and smart
home technologies or extending
their product lines to embrace
these trends.
• On the other hand, several big
names continue to look for their
next big bet on the consumer
side. Throwback firms Kodak and
Polaroid are still failing to excite,
despite flashy displays, but we did
see Nokia pull in some crowds
with its Withings wearables.
• More consumers, including early
adopters, are now looking for
smart watches and fitness
bands with friendly design, as
well as fashion and aesthetic
appeal. The tide is clearly in favor
of smartwatches that look like real
watches and fitness bands that
don’t look like activity trackers. In
this respect, firms like Garmin and
Fossil are trying innovative ways
to win space on the consumer’s
wrist.
Observations from CES 2017
With flying taxis already being talked about, it may not be too far out before
drones touch our lives in several new ways demonstrating the larger
benefits of such modern technologies.
CONSUMER IoT
With smart home tech maturing in recent
years, manufacturers are trying hard to
make the IoT widely available to consumers,
even as questions remain about how to
encourage them to give it a try or adopt
overarching smart home ecosystems. Based
on our show floor conversations, it seems
privacy and security concerns, together with
ecosystem compatibility, remain top-of-mind
hurdles for the industry.
This year, we saw appliance companies
work more seamlessly with major platforms
such as Apple HomeKit, Google Home,
Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and
Xfinity Home, just to name a few.
.
Observations from CES 2017
Sleepace’s smart nightlight doesn’t tuck
you into bed but it does help you fall
asleep and wake up more naturally.
Using Amazon Alexa, Whirlpool’s new
range of smart appliances can be
controlled with your voice.
Griffin’s smart toaster attracted some
interest, but, as of yet, the mobile app
can’t butter your toast. Maybe next year?
Haier’s sleek Smart line of refrigerators,
coming to the US this year.
Observations from CES 2017
Panasonic displayed a substantial
range of smart home products
under its “lifestyles we all desire”
concept, a look into the near future.
The AI-powered Bonjour alarm
clock adjusts wake-up times based
on traffic and other data, while also
being a smart home hub and a
personal, voice-enabled assistant.
Customers may be getting rid of
cable boxes, but, with Xfinity Home,
Comcast is looking to stick around
in your future smart abode.
The aptly named Laundroid, by
Seven Dreamers, can recognize,
sort and fold your clothes, and
looks like a storage cabinet.
CONSUMER IoT
SMART AUTO
Cars on display at CES offered various
combinations of three key features: electric
power, connected experiences and self-
driving capabilities. (Sleek appearances and
zippy speeds are a given.) Even as on-
demand shareonomics impacts the longer-
term car ownership model for consumers,
auto manufacturers are going hard for a
pole position in the race to the future.
Having already souped-up cars with
advanced connectivity and infotainment, car
makers are now upping their emotional
appeal with next level of interactivity and
convenience, powered not by gasoline or
diesel, but by artificial intelligence (AI).
Below are some of the highlights.
.
Observations from CES 2017
Toyota's Concept-i uses an AI system called 'Yui' to anticipate the driver’s needs and moods.
Through features such as facial / gesture recognition, Yui automatically switches between
driving modes and assists the driver when it detects a hazard.
BMW’s driverless concept model, with a
fold-away steering wheel and a touch-
free HoloActive control system.
Ford is teaming up with Amazon to
integrate the Alexa voice assistant into
its cars and trucks.
Observations from CES 2017
Faraday’s FF91 zooms from 0 to 60 in
2.39 seconds and has a range of 378
miles, with looks that pull in huge
crowds, but, no, you can’t touch it!
ChargePoint Express Plus commercial
charging stations use a modular design
that is easy to scale.
Mercedes' Vision Van holds a clever loading
bay and can deliver stuff on the fly - literally.
That’s a delivery drone on the roof.
SMART AUTO
SMART CITIES
Smart cities and green technologies
continue to command attention at CES and
this year was no different, with connected
systems that use real-time data analytics to
solve problems around energy use, traffic
congestion and urban infrastructure
sustainability.
This year, CES showcased its first ever
Smart Energy Marketplace – an area of the
show run completely on an energy
independent micro-grid, which allowed for
real-time tracking and management of
energy consumption.
.
Observations from CES 2017
CURB’s smart home energy management
system sits in your breaker box and feeds
data to the cloud, letting you monitor power
consumption from your computer or phone.
SolPad’s modular solar panels form the
world’s first stand-alone, self-architecting AC
micro-grid and powers an entire smart home.
DISPLAY TECH
Since 4K display technology launched a few
years ago, everyone has been waiting for
the next big thing. Although companies have
been promoting 8K resolutions for a while
now, 2017 seems to be the year 4K finally
takes off in a big way, with increasing
number of 4K movies and games on the
marketplace and more accessible display
unit pricing.
Sleek design is always on display at CES
and this year saw the slimmest displays yet
from LG, Samsung and Sony. Other Asian
brands occupied huge parts of the show
floor and featured compelling offerings.
Hisense, for example, brought the big guns
and impressed with a 100 inch Laser 4K TV.
.
Observations from CES 2017
LG’s new W7 premium line is wafer thin
and has beautiful picture quality, with true
black from OLED pixels. That Dolby Atmos
sound bar packs a punch, too!
Samsung's flagship 75 in. QLED 4K TV,
offers sharper LED images and brighter
colors with its Quantum Dots technology.
In the Eureka Park and University Innovations marketplaces, HoloLamp used augmented
reality (AR) to project 3D holographic displays that are visible without glasses or headsets.
Samsung’s "Lifestyle TV" is designed to
resemble a large picture frame that comes
alive when you turn off the TV.
PERSONAL COMPUTING
Gaming innovation continues to drive the
power/performance-hungry segment of the
personal computer market. Hardware
manufacturers are now packing what used
to be server-grade specs into desktops and
laptops, enabling them to power the most
demanding VR games.
Observations from CES 2017
Samsung partnered with Google to create the Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro.
Both models, which sport a stylus and support Android apps, are intended to compete with
Apple’s iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface Pro.
HTC is teaming up with Intel to build wireless VR headsets that adopt the new WiGig
standard, which will cut both lag times and tethering wires, solving critical issues for gamers.
FITNESS / HEALTH /
WELLNESS / LIFESTYLE
Staying fit and pushing your body’s limits is
big business – and not just limited to
professional athletes. From trackers for your
wrist, heart, limbs, ears, breath and brain, to
sensors embedded in shoes, shirts and
dresses, it has never been more possible (if
a bit overwhelming) for everyone to enjoy
the benefits of pro-level fitness tracking.
This year, however, we witnessed an
increased pivot towards applying precision
instrumentation and connected technologies
to digital healthcare. Companies showcased
smart, cloud-based medical wearables,
ranging from home-based stat monitoring to
clinical level diagnostic applications meant
to treat aliments and conditions such as:
chronic pain, stress, sleeplessness, oral
health, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory
conditions and obesity.
.
Observations from CES 2017
Under Armour launched some snazzy duds
for times when athletes aren’t so active, such
as sensor-connected recovery sleepwear.
Under Armour’s sensor-equipped running
shoes pair with its MapMyRun mobile app to
record routes, elevations, times and more.
Philips’ HealthSuite heart health app gathers
vital stats from connected devices to track
lifestyle-based risk factors for heart disease.
Polar’s Team Pro Shirt integrates heart-rate
sensors directly into the fabric, and includes
motion sensors and GPS tracking.
FITNESS / HEALTH /
WELLNESS / LIFESTYLE
.
Observations from CES 2017
Philips DreamStation Go is a lightweight,
portable PAP therapy solution for travelers
suffering from sleep apnea. It comes with a
mobile app to track a user’s sleep quality.
The Willow wearable breast-pump is
designed for on-the-go convenience. Its
integrated smartphone app helps nursing
mothers keep track of relevant stats.
Dental product manufacturer Kolibree
showcased its smart toothbrush, ara, which
collects data about the user's brushing habits.
Say hello to your virtual dental assistant…
L'Oreal's new Kérastase Hair Coach is a
smart brush with five sensors that assess
data about your hair's health and relays it
to a smartphone app.
3D / IMMERSIVE TECH
Even though immersive 3D technology in
TVs never took off the way some
envisioned, it still remains the inspiration
behind some cutting-edge gadgetry this
year. Virtual / Augmented / Mixed Reality
(VR/AR/MR) exhibits from dozens of
manufacturers showed the potential for
some spectacular sensory experiences.
However, with mainstream consumers –
and hardcore gamers – still unlikely to
spend upward of $1,000 to soup-up their
existing setups, the gaming console market
could see more VR action in future. HTC’s
announcement of a VR/gaming app studio
should help encourage growth in the
broader VR/AR/MR ecosystem.
Mobile VR also looks promising, with its
low-cost, entry-level consumer accessories.
However, the quality and availability of
supported apps and games will determine
when the market gathers steam and goes
beyond the Google Cardboard and
Daydream-style phone mounted headsets.
The real excitement about VR this year
comes from advances in compact, 360-
degree, 3D camera technology, which will
finally make such content creation
accessible to mainstream users.
.
Observations from CES 2017
Tobii brings eye tracking technology to PC
gaming, notebooks, VR and smartphones.
While top VR headsets like Oculus Rift and
HTC Vive remain the pinnacle for VR fans,
this year saw a huge interest in mobile VR,
which could take the tech mainstream.
Attendees kicking back for a VR demo was
a common sight this year.
Several industry players are combining VR
with customized gameplay and controllers
to deliver near real-life experiences that
range from flying to boxing and more.
DRONES AND DROIDS
Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) were in ample supply at CES and
are poised to become big business thanks
to the US Federal Aviation Administration’s
move last year to open the skies to
commercial UAV use.
This year, though, a new set of stars
arguably stole the show: Robots! Several
keynote speakers attributed the increasing
proliferation and capabilities of robotics to
rapid advances in AI and voice-activated
personal assistant technology. From
telepresence to mowing the lawn to
brewing a custom cup of coffee, robots
have their hands in several new areas
already.
.
Observations from CES 2017
LG showcased its new robotic lawnmower
– think of it as a Roomba for your backyard
and one more chore off your list.
Mayfield Robotics unveiled kuri, which can
understand its surroundings, recognize
specific people and respond to questions
with facial expressions, motion and sound.
China’s Ehang 184 can fly itself – and a
human passenger – for 40 miles on a
single charge. Is the flying car finally here?
PowerVision's underwater drone, PowerRay,
can dive 98 feet and is controlled through a
mobile app that streams video and images,
taking a leisure fishing to a whole new level.
Here fishy, fishy!
Observations from CES 2017
The ubiquity of AI is the new
normal. The competitive landscape
is being redefined by companies
looking to harness the power of real-
time predictive intelligence to
customize experiences, provide
tailored recommendations and
automate tasks.
Voice recognition and virtual
assistants are changing the way we
view IoT and will likely lead to
increased adoption as connected
devices become easier to use and
voice recognition capabilities
continue to improve.
The merging of technologies is
driving cross-overs across
industries and markets. Traditional
markets such as automotive, home
appliances and personal fitness are
no longer led by legacy players
alone, as technology firms eye new
areas for disruption and growth.
Technology moves fast. Markets move faster.
Stay on top of what it means for your unique business.
To learn more, drop us a line at [email protected]
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