Check out our CES 2022 coverage.
The upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2022 should be interesting. It will be an in-person event and I plan on being there. Vaccination is required and I will probably be wearing a mask anyway just to be safe. I’ve checked out a couple of trade shows in 2021, but attendance has been sparse. Vendors tended to have only local participants, so we’ll see how CES fares.
The exhibitor list is extensive as usual, and the venues are likely to be packed. Attendance will be key, but it could be like the start of the COVID epidemic when Embedded World 2020 was in session (Fig. 1). I was there, unmasked and lucky. Though the crowds were much smaller and a few areas were vacant, plenty of announcements and new tech were on tap nonetheless.
1. Embedded World 2020 was a bit lonely.
As with most CES shows, much of our coverage will come from behind the scenes. There’s essentially a show within a show with meetings and demos in hotel suites and meeting rooms that aren’t accessible to general attendees. Some of what we get to see will not show up on our site for a couple months, since many previews are under embargo. But if we can print it, you will see it.
CES looks like it will have the exhibitors, assuming none backout at the last minute, and the number of announcements appears to be massive based on the multitude of companies we’re talking to before the show. Likewise, the product breadth is typical CES, which tends to be over the top anyway.
Automotive, AR/VR, Robotics, and Much More
Automotive will be a key area again, with the focus on more sensors, more automation, and more intelligence. I expect artificial-intelligence and machine-learning (AI/ML) applications to abound, along with voice systems like Alexa embedded in everything that moves or stands still.
The latest augmented- and virtual-reality (AR/VR) wares will be on display with higher-resolution and faster-frame-rate products that may garner more than just gamers. I expect numerous drones flying around, and they may well be utilizing AR/VR to control them. I’ll also be looking out for the commercial applications that were just emerging before CES went virtual.
3D printing and robotics will grab my attention in the Venetian Expo again. These two tech areas may seem to be old hat, but I’m always surprised at what emerges at CES. Robotics will be an interesting one. Smart vacuum cleaners and related fare will be rolling, but some of the medical applications will really be of interest to me.
I’ll be scouting out the giant HDTVs, audio equipment, and other stuff, too, but concentrating on the developments that engineers, designers, and developers will be most interested in. Some of the things we saw in the past include the latest chips that would drive these products from HDMI support to digital signal processors.
So, if you’re attending, keep an eye out for me. Unfortunately, the venues remain spread out and the new addition to the Las Vegas Convention Center will not be in use. Perhaps next year, when Elon Musk’s Tesla Tunnel project may make more sense (Fig. 2).
2. Elon Musk’s Boring company has a loop under the convention center.
In the meantime, it’s Lyft and hiking. I will likely be hard to find because of the crowd. Hopefully, we all stay safe and informed. Stay tuned.
