CES 2018: a look inside the Vegas tech gala
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) bills itself as the "global stage for innovation." This year's event is taking place from January 9-12 in Las Vegas, where a variety of technological wares are on display.
The robots are here
The annual consumer electronics trade show (CES) first took place in New York in 1967 but has taken place in Las Vegas for over 20 years now. Among the new technologies showcased at this year's event are Avatarmind's iPal Smart AI Robots, seen here performing calisthenics. They are designed to be companions for children and elderly people.
Elementary, my dear Watson
In 2012, Microsoft announced it would no longer showcase at CES but other computer giants, such as IBM, continue to attend. Here, people take part in a demonstration showcasing 'IBM Watson,' a so-called question answering computer system which responds and answers to ordinary human language questions.
The soft sell
At CES 2017, over 184,000 people attended with more than 4,000 companies exhibiting. Attendees are given the opportunity to try out many new products and technologies, such as in this image where participants test the comfort of Panasonic's new MAJ7 massage chair.
Droning on
The Consumer Technology Association, the organizers of CES, say there will be 20,000 different product launches at this year's event. Among the new products launched are several drone technologies, such as the Kudrone drone being operated here by Xuefeng Chen from China. In an example from the so-called "Internet of Things", he is using his iPhone to control the drone.
Robot Rider
Robotics is an increasingly popular strand at CES, which aims to showcase "intelligent, autonomous machines that are changing the way we live". Among the robotics showcased so far this year are motorcycle-riding humanoids — MOTOBOTS — as seen in this image. Some critics of CES say many of the showcased technologies are not of much practical, real-world use.
The two-seat Merc
There is a strong focus on automobile technology at CES 2018, with "concept cars," electromobility and self-driving advances all on the agenda. Among the most striking vehicles seen so far this year is the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, a plug-in hybrid supercar that was designed using Formula One racing tech. Interested in buying one? It will cost you around €2.3 million ($2.76 million).
Turning up the 'whoa'
The marketing campaign for this year's CES said that while the 2017 edition brought "the whoa," 2018 would require attendees to be ready for "more whoa than ever before". However, many large technology companies now hold their own events to promote their major product launches and that has naturally had an impact on the CES event's capacity to truly dazzle visitors.