Of Gimmicks, E-Cars and Visions
After the pandemic restrictions, CES will be held in Las Vegas again as usual – with exciting tricks, meaningful inventions and grand visions. Gone are the days when the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas represented mostly inspired tech geeks from around the world. In addition to somewhat revolutionary software and hardware for consumers, the automobile industry is also gaining more and more space at the giant fair.
The Detroit Auto Show used to be particularly attractive for major automakers. Today, those at CES in Las Vegas are fighting for the best presentation slots. Among others, the prestigious German brands BMW and Mercedes, together with members of the Board of Directors, will be present to present their visionary new cars.
World premiere of the BMW “i Vision Dee”
The BMW i Vision Dee celebrated its world premiere on Wednesday night (local time) at the Pearl Theater in Las Vegas. With its visionary environment, the group primarily wants to give a forward-looking view of the digital future of the group of companies. The “Dee” in the name stands for “digital emotional experience” and is intended to emphasize the relationship between man and machine. The group tries to support this bond in the car through a so-called “mixed reality slide”, among other things.
The touch sensor on the panel allows the amount of digital content on the head-up display to be phased – even in the form of augmented reality, complementing virtual reality. The driver can experience this not only on the head-up display, but also on the windshield. Whether this facilitates interaction between the driver and the car or makes it difficult to focus on the road is, of course, up to the individual behind the wheel.
Mercedes “EQXXX” as prototype
The Mercedes EQXX prototype also offers a giant screen that brings data streams to life. But the electric car is making headlines for another reason: In April last year, it covered more than 1,000km on just one battery charge. If that were transferred to a combustion car, it would be a one liter car.
The relatively quick implementation of the project was made possible by dozens of racing engineers. Parts of the team – currently responsible for F1’s silver arrows – were involved in the development of the battery, its housing and the rear axle suspension. The research vehicle must not go into series production. However, the elements should reach series models within a few years.
Consumer Electronics for many Fields
Of course, in addition to prestige projects from car manufacturers, CES also showcases many other inventions aimed at advancing humanity digitally. This includes new products for a connected home, more advanced augmented reality glasses or apps that aim to help reduce energy consumption.
Almost all gadgets are designed to make our daily lives easier in some way. For example, Timekettle has developed headphones that can translate any major language in the world into another simultaneously with just half a second of shift – with a claimed 95 percent accuracy. Cost: 350 euros.
Fast Scanning due to Corona
All these inventions demonstrate once again how digitization is rapidly advancing in various areas of our daily lives. The Corona pandemic has caused severe economic damage across the world. However, it further accelerated the scanning process. The technology industry is one of the winners in this difficult time for most people and companies.
This is also evident at this year’s CES. Having been held digitally or minimally for the last few years, the fair already has more than 3,000 exhibitors on site again. In total, the organizers expect around 100,000 visitors. The numbers have not yet reached the pre-pandemic level. However, it is much superior to the last exhibition.
So CES is back in full swing and the industry it represents is growing strong. This is largely due to the fact that we humans have never been as dependent on technology as we are today.
