IoT Home Appliances: Gaining Momentum

With an "Eiffel Tower"-like structure rising beyond a Manhattan-esque streetscape, and a Rialto Bridge-style pedestrian bridge spanning the way to Venice, the Las Vegas cityscape offered a glimpse into a virtual city. Self-driving cars from exhibiting companies were parked here and there, creating an illusion of having wandered into an alternate reality.

CES, one of the world's largest consumer electronics shows, was held from January 9th to 12th. This year, approximately 3,900 companies and organizations, similar to last year, showcased their innovations across 11 venues.

The central hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center was dedicated to the home appliance and electronics sector, the main focus of the event.

This year's highlight was the further integration of IoT home appliances with AI assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Demonstrations showed how companies are connecting their own AI platforms, relaying pizza cooking status from a refrigerator's display to an adjacent oven, and simultaneously activating a dishwasher's post-meal cleaning mode.

Also Present: The '2.5D Printer'

Japanese brands were also making their mark.

Casio unveiled the new G-SHOCK RANGEMAN model, the GPR-B1000.

It boasts what they claim is the "world's first solar-assisted GPS navigation" function.

Casio also exhibited a product named 'Mofrel,' aimed at professionals.

This is not a 3D printer, but rather a "2.5D printer."

It reproduces the textures and colors of various materials, such as fabric and leather. This is achieved by applying a heat-expandable micro-powder onto a sheet of paper or polyethylene-based material.

Holding a printed sample, one could see even the stitches on leather were rendered with exquisite detail. The printing process is also remarkably fast, taking only 3 to 6 minutes for an A4 size.

This technology, which won three Grand Prix awards at CEATEC JAPAN 2017, made its US premiere here. Visitors, likely designers from various manufacturers, showed keen interest.

"It can significantly reduce the time required for creating prototypes, such as automotive interiors," a staff member explained.

Cool Show, Warm Applause

Polaroid took a "retro" approach, featuring the "OneStep 2," a revival of their "OneStep" camera originally released in 1977. While the exterior echoes the original, features like the strobe and battery have been refined.

Two years ago at CES, many manufacturers released analog record players, generating buzz. It will be interesting to see how this analog instant camera resonates with the digital generation. With film costing approximately ¥2,000 (for 8 shots) and development taking 10-15 minutes, we'll be watching the market's reaction with keen interest.

However, LG's display was truly breathtaking. Their tunnel-like corridor, constructed with their OLED displays, has always been a popular attraction, but this year they surprised visitors with a "Grand Canyon" formed from bold curves.

Comprising 246 units and stretching 27 meters in total length, the visuals looped repeatedly. At one point, as a particular sequence concluded, the visitors erupted in applause. This was my third year covering CES, and witnessing such excitement at an event primarily for industry professionals and journalists was remarkable.

The Rolling Suitcase

Meanwhile, one floor of the Sands Expo, a separate venue, was dedicated to startup companies.

There was a booth from Indiegogo, the globally renowned crowdfunding platform, as well as sections featuring startups from various countries, organized by government-backed economic support agencies from nations like France and Italy.

For example, 'Curvify One,' exhibiting under the 'French Tech' banner for French startups, presented a connected wine rack. Simply photographing a wine label with a smartphone would allow it to be cross-referenced with a database. It would then suggest wines that pair well with meals and indicate their location within the rack with a light.

While knowing that their presentations were aimed at attracting investors, the youthful energy of the attendees, combined with the atmosphere, lent a certain 'school festival' vibe.

Suddenly, something approached our feet. A young person was riding on a black box.

It was a demonstration of the 'Modobag,' an electric trolley case.

Developed by Scott Bradley and his six colleagues in Chicago, it's designed for comfortable travel in large airports. According to Bradley, it has a range of 6 miles (approx. 9.6 km) and costs $1,495 (approx. ¥160,000). However, it weighs about 9 kg. With stricter carry-on weight limits, especially on low-cost carriers, we look forward to the next version.

What a Motor Show Lacks

On the same floor, we heard about a company developing earphones with simultaneous translation capabilities, backed by NAVER, the internet search company that also operates LINE, and set out to find it.

The product, named MARS, was selected for a "Best of Innovation" award prior to the show's opening in 2018.

After searching for 30 minutes, relying on the company name "Orpheo Soundworks" listed in the official catalog and the booth number, we finally located it.

We expected a grand display, but upon arrival, it was just a small stand, somewhat lost among other startups.

In person, MARS looks quite similar to existing, commercially available, independent earbuds. While one might say it lacks visual impact given its advanced features, its understated design could potentially be an advantage.

A test unit for simultaneous translation was also available. Tommy Kim, the CEO, and I attempted a conversation, he in Korean and I in Japanese. Unfortunately, the translation wasn't seamless, but this might be understandable given the noise level in the crowded venue.

Kim, born in 1973, founded the company in Irvine, California, just three years ago in 2015. It currently has about 10 employees. Previously, they developed Bluetooth earphones with noise-blocking features and audio solutions for B2B clients.

Startups, just a few years old, are gaining recognition alongside established brands. Perhaps in a few years, they will have large booths in the main pavilion at CES.

This is an exciting sensation that cannot be found at motor shows, where exhibitors have become largely predictable.