There is always a host of new stuff to see at the world’s largest trade show, CES, each year.
It could be residential greens, autonomous shuttles, electric boats or Li-Fi for public transportation.
And in 2024, this will be no different with a variety of cool technology gear coming as well as interesting exhibits and even a variety of celebrities making appearances.
So put on some comfortable shoes, grab some water and get ready to walk a lot to a heap of interesting events happening during the show.
German Bionics’ latest exoskeleton for healthcare will allow users to lift 66 pounds additionally for transferring patients and more. Source: German Bionics.
Rise of the exosuits
One area that is likely to be in large display at CES 2024 are exoskeletons.
These technologies are used to boost a human’s ability to do everyday activities. It could be to carry heavier boxes in a warehouse or enable a person with a problematic limb to help walk or give strength to lift a senior who is unable to move.
Already there has been several pre-announcements for exoskeletons such as the Apogee+ power suit for the health sector from German Bionic. The suit won a CES 2024 Best of Innovation Award in the wearable technology category.
The exoskeleton is designed to provide support for healthcare professionals like frontline workers in hospitals, geriatric wards and rehabilitation clinics. It will be the first time the German company showcases the exoskeleton in North America.
According to German Bionic, the suit gives up to 66 pounds of back relief per lifting movement to help with transferring patients between beds or to wheelchairs and more.
Other exoskeletons will debut at CES focused on addressing other societal challenges like labor shortages in logistics or for those workers in other physically demanding tasks.
Air taxis
While many flying cars and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have made appearances at CES in the past. In 2024, it is likely to hit a whole new level.
For instance, Supernal, the autonomous wing of Hyundai Motors, is making its CES debut and bringing with it a prototype air taxi. Also, Xpeng is set to debut its air taxi for the first time in North America. Electronics360 will be covering both announcements in depth next week during the show.
However, it doesn’t stop there. CES 2024 is likely to be a showcase for eVTOLs and technology for these aircraft as this is the year they will debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics as transportation for the event and then later at the 2025 Expo in Japan.
Gallery of Flops
While the Gallery of Flops was also at CES last year; this year the collection has grown in both size and the number of flops on display.
The gallery will feature failures from around the globe, anything from Apple’s Pippin, a video game console released in 1990, to a facial toning device to make someone appear more youthful.
This year, exhibits will include those embarrassing products from Samsung and Google as well as many, many others.
The Indy Autonomous Challenge will once again be back at CES this year this time racing at night. Source: IAC
Indy Autonomous Challenge
This event has been a staple at CES in the past years, showcasing how autonomous vehicles can be used for more than just ride-hailing but for racing.
At the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the autonomous race will feature several vehicles from universities across the globe including Michigan, Michigan State, Colorado State, KAIST, Purdue and many others. They will all be working with companies like Bridgestone, Cisco, Amazon and more to race vehicles that have no cockpit or driving apparatuses.
Additionally, the race takes place at the Speedway at night on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, for the first time in its history.
Variety of keynotes
As usual, CES will feature a wide range of keynotes from leaders in technology. This year the keynotes include:
- Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L’Oreal
- Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap
- Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart
- Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel
- Gail Boudreaux, CEO of Elevance Health
- Kisun Chung, CEO of HD Hyundai
- Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm
- Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq
- Corei Barry, CEO of Best Buy
The cross section of heavyweights spans not just the traditional tech fields but well into the consumer space, financial areas and healthcare and beauty. It shows just how far technology is penetrating into every aspect of everyday life.
Celebrity appearances
There is a little show that takes place in San Diego, California, every year called San Diego Comic Con. It started as a medium sized show focused on comic books and other genre areas like anime. It grew into a universal entertainment show with movies, TV and every other form of media.
It has long been speculated that given the strong ties of technology to areas like streaming, appliances, home entertainment and more that the show may start to be infiltrated by Hollywood and music trends.
This year, Robert Downey Jr. will be on hand during an event for MediaLink. Other celebrities include Howie Mandel, “Shark Tank’s” Mark Cuban, film actors Bianca and Chiara D’Ambrosio, and “Game of Thrones” writers David Benioff and Daniel Brett Weiss.
Musicians at the show include T-Pain, Ludacris, Will.i.am and Wu-Tang Clan.
Also at the show, Netflix, Amazon and many other entertainment companies will have booths that will focus on how technology is changing the way their companies are working.
CES 2024 takes place January 9-12 in Las Vegas.
