This Year's Star: Smart Hubs Controlling IoT Appliances

CES, one of the world's leading home appliance and electronics shows, was held in Las Vegas, USA, from January 4th to 8th, 2017. This year marked the show's 50th anniversary, with over 3,800 companies and organizations participating from more than 150 countries and regions, attracting 165,000 visitors.

2016While last year, smartwatches from various companies, each claiming to be a rival to the Apple Watch, took center stage, this year felt like a saturation point for them. Drones also lost some momentum due to flight regulations in different countries.

But there's no need for disappointment. If we were to name this year's star, it would undoubtedly be the smart hub that controls IoT appliances.

SIGNATURE is LG Electronics' premium brand. This is its new series of OLED TVs, the "OLED TV W." The panel is a mere 2.57mm thick.

The "LG Smart InstaView," a smart refrigerator equipped with Amazon's voice recognition Alexa. It allows users to order items running low in the fridge, search for recipes, and check the weather forecast using voice commands.

At its core lies Amazon's voice recognition speaker "Echo" and its voice recognition device "Alexa," which achieved hit status during the US Christmas season in 2016.

At this year's CES, examples of its application were in full bloom. For instance, LG Electronics unveiled a smart refrigerator equipped with Alexa. Simply speaking to the display allows for the completion of grocery orders.

It's not just appliance manufacturers. Ford and Volkswagen, automotive brands, are also embracing "Alexa" as the standard for devices connecting cars to homes via the internet.

Throughout the venue, people could be seen calling out "Alexa!" to devices, the keyword to activate them.

3D Printers Making Steady Progress

Similarly, several home appliance manufacturers proposed domestic robots with communication functions designed to interact with users while also linking with home appliances. Incidentally, their designs, perhaps unintentionally, strongly reflected each company's brand identity at first glance.

Meanwhile, we shouldn't forget that gadgets which garnered attention a few years ago are also making steady progress. A prime example is the 3D printer.

Polaroid, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, unveiled its new 3D printer, the "PLN1." While the maximum size of printable objects is limited to 12x12x12cm, the body size is a compact cube measuring just 27x27x27cm.

The "LG HUB ROBOT Mini," equipped with artificial intelligence. It can issue commands to smart home appliances like washing machines and vacuum cleaners via voice, and also stream music.

Polaroid's newly unveiled 3D printer, the "PLN1." The cube-shaped body measures a compact 27x27x27cm. It can produce objects up to 12x12x12cm.

The model that had its US premiere at the previous CES surprised visitors with its compact size compared to previous products, but this year's offering delivered an even greater impact.

With the PLN1, the company aims to finally open the door for 3D printers into ordinary households.

The world of 3D printing continued to expand. At Canon's booth, "Solidify," a company in partnership with its US subsidiary, attracted attention with its custom-made 3D figurines.

Similar services have already launched in Japan, but it seems likely to gain even more traction in America, a country fond of anniversary celebrations. Manufacturers suggest they are also perfect as toppers for wedding cakes.

CES Lets You Feel the Near Future

After wandering the exhibition halls, I returned to my motel, bathed in the neon glow of the casino city. Turning on the TV, I saw footage of Barack Obama's final days in the White House.

Soon, it switched to a TV commercial for a local dental clinic. The clinic offers a shuttle service via minivan and provides patients with video game machines and other novelties. Dentists change with the times and place.

Panasonic proposed in-flight entertainment featuring 4K displays, under the theme of a "First Class Cabin."

The "Barista Robot" demonstrated by Denso. It brews coffee in conjunction with the cloud service Microsoft Azure.

In the near future, minivans will likely be replaced by autonomous vehicles, and game machines by children's 3D printers. The illusions that these might become reality tomorrow flicker through one's mind. That is Las Vegas during CES.

However, the television displaying this is a nostalgic CRT model. By the wall, an old, massive air conditioner is working hard to heat the room to the set 80 degrees Fahrenheit, emitting a loud roar. When I switched it off due to the noise, the entire wall shook.

After seeing high-tech products, the charm of real American appliances becomes even more apparent. This, too, is a reality.