The annual International Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, held in Las Vegas, Nevada is rapidly emerging as one of the most prominent and boundary-pushing trade shows in the world. Companies from all industry come together to display their latest technologies - from drones to wearables, sensors to automobiles and 'Internet of Things' to augmented reality, it is all a must-see. The team from Intersection-Inc. was there to see where the rapidly evolving technological world is looking to now.

Continuing on the strong theme from last year, automotive manufacturers made a strong showing with a variety of innovative concepts. Brands such as Audi, Mercedes, Kia, Toyota, VW, BMW and GM all had new concept products to display, while newcomers Faraday Future unveiled their hybrid supercar concept, the FZERO1. Noticeable was the amount of interior concepts that were on display from each brand, either as a standalone buck (Jeep Galileo Concept) or as a major feature on a full concept car (VW Budd-e Van Concept). The need for an elevated sense of connection between human and machine, and the push for a greater user experience, has all industries, particularly the automotive sector, looking intensely at how to achieve this. Almost every interior was completely awash with screens of all shapes and sizes, with virtual reality, augmented reality, gesture and voice control being amongst the ideas for new ways to interface with these machines. Many Tier 1 companies also had interior concepts to show off what they could bring to the table.

It is an exciting time to be part of this evolving design environment with such incredible new technological directions to look in. However, there is still plenty of room to connect human and machine more intimately and naturally. It was refreshing to step back from the digital side a little with the all wooden Jeep Galileo Concept Interior and mechanically-focused Toyota Kikai Concept.

Although the automotive sector may have been under the spotlight the last two years at CES, the technology is also being implemented in every other industry. Drones, autonomy, AI and robotics were key themes with products such as the personal Ehang184 drone which will autonomously fly you somewhere of your choosing (eliminating human error) to the Parrot Disco Drone, a fixed wing small drone with a high definition camera in its nose.

Societies need for connection on global scale is making the world a small place, products like the Livestream Movi camera increases the ease of this. With small livestream cameras which can linked together and edited live via mobile. These products are already being used by companies such as Disney and Tesla.

Virtual reality was a hot topic with Oculus, HTC, Samsung and Sony amongst the companies bringing their systems to the show. All of them varied slightly however it was concluded by most in attendance that the Oculus Rift was the most complete solution so far and that there were many other applications for the product rather than just gaming (think entertainment, driving and training systems for example). While these headsets, and related devices, pushed virtual reality, there were many augmented reality devices as well. The Garmin Varia Vision was a clip on for regular glasses. Based around cycling, it would allow the user to still use their regular glasses choice while clipping on a touch-controlled system which would tell them vitals of their trip, and social information. The Daqri Smart Helmet was also a favorite, essentially a construction site hard helmet with augmented reality systems built in, helping in areas such as site organization and safety.

Appliances numbers are always plentiful at CES and 2016 was no different with many major brands bringing their latest products. LG released their signature range which included a twin washer, a smart fridge, a TV, a washer/dryer combo system and a hybrid air purifier. The smart fridge allowed you to open the door with a wave of the foot and check your food contents by simply knocking on the door (glass panel reveals the interior). The LG OLED TV was also a star, only 4mm thick and completely bendable.

Samsung also brought a smart fridge to the show; however it was more digitally-orientated. The 'Internet of Things' featured strongly in many products at the show, including this fridge from Samsung - allowing you to control other things like lights, heat and audio in your house. It will take and send a picture of the interior of your fridge, so you always know what to buy while you’re at the supermarket or alternatively the related app will allow you to order the food straight from it.

The sheer scale of the CES show means that you could write a complete novel about the show and its contents. We at Intersection-Inc. are already looking forward to next year and the advancements that 2017 will bring. In the mean time we continue to look for new ways to design greater experiences for the user, creating functional and beautiful products and systems while connecting human and machine ever closer.

Sam McCafferty 2016

Photo Credit: Chuck Pelly