SHREVEPORT, La. – More than 140,000 people from around the world are descending on Las Vegas this week, along with nearly 5,000 companies, all for one reason: to show off what they believe is the future of technology.
That event is the Consumer Electronics Show, better known as CES. For more than half a century, CES has been where some of the most important consumer technologies first appeared. It is also where a few very ambitious ideas quietly disappeared.
CES is where 4K televisions debuted, followed by 8K. It is where ultra-thin displays made “invisible” TVs possible. Virtual reality moved from science fiction to something you could actually experience. Drones took off here, too, eventually becoming so common that they needed their own dedicated airspace at the show.
It is also where a cryptocurrency ATM first appeared on the exhibit floor. If someone had invested $1,000 in Bitcoin when that machine debuted, that investment would be worth nearly half a million dollars today. CES has a long history of spotting trends long before they become mainstream.
But for every success story, there are plenty of reminders that hype does not always equal reality.
About 10 years ago, companies promised 3D printers would be in every home. That never happened.
Seven years ago, robots that folded laundry were one of the biggest attractions. The FoldiMate demonstrated perfectly folded clothes, raised millions of dollars, and then shut down in 2021 without ever becoming a household appliance.
Rideable robot luggage created a lot of buzz at CES in 2019, but never really found a market. The Zano microdrone raised more than three million dollars on Kickstarter and then went out of business, leaving backers empty-handed.
Flying cars are unveiled almost every year at CES, but none have truly taken off. Single-passenger vehicles have struggled, too. Elio Motors promised nearly 100 miles per gallon and collected close to $30 million in preorders. Not a single customer ever received one.
Still, some ideas introduced at CES are finally gaining traction. Drone-based home security systems can now automatically investigate movement around a property, sending live video back to a homeowner’s phone and even alerting police if needed. A new electronic spoon can make food taste salty without actually adding salt, a clever solution for people watching their sodium intake.
This year, one trend will dominate nearly every booth and product category: artificial intelligence. AI is being built into televisions, cars, appliances, and even humanoid robots designed to look and behave more like people than machines.
I will be on the CES show floor all week, separating the innovations that might actually change how we live from the ones that are better left as concept demos.
Follow me for daily (or hourly) updates from the CES Show floor.
