For the past 54 years, big and small hardware manufacturers hoping to reach their target audiences unveiled new goods at the Consumer Electronics Show.
The first CES event, held in June 1967, drew 17,500 people, many of whom were blown away by GE’s new 24-pound colour television. The meeting grew so much in the following decades that it essentially produced its own gravity. According to organisers, the last in-person CES in 2020 saw a total verified attendance of 171,268.
The trade fair went online-only in 2021, but it returned this week, despite the fact that many exhibitors and newspapers (including this one) declined to send representatives due to the current omicron spike. “It’s time to stop living in fear and start making the world a better place,” Consumer Trade Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro wrote in an editorial essay.
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, however, just 40,000 people came. This represents a 75% decrease.
Who is it necessary for if an event barely attracts 25% of its regular attendance? TechCrunch Transportation Editor Kirsten Korosec, Hardware Editor Brian Heater, and writer Haje Jan Kamps discussed CES 2022 today:
- Kristin Korosec: CES’s automotive lustre hasn’t faded
- Hardware entrepreneurs should reevaluate their media tactics, according to Brian Heater.
- Haje Jan Kamps: I really missed it this year.
Kristin Korosec: CES hasn’t lost its automotive luster
Somewhere around 2014 or so, CES turned into a car show. And even with the latest variant of COVID derailing in-person plans for many companies, CES 2022 didn’t lose its automotive luster.
This year was different in a few respects, signaling that the automotive industry has taken a few cupfuls of we-really-need-revenue punch. Technology that is further away from commercialization showed up, but not in the same force as in previous years. CES 2022 was not the year for evtols, hyperloop, and to a lesser degree, autonomous vehicle technology.
Around the year 2014, CES morphed into an automobile show. Even with the latest version of COVID delaying many firms’ in-person plans, CES 2022 didn’t lose its automotive shine.
In a few ways, this year was unusual, indicating that the car sector has been dealt a few cups of we-really-need-revenue punch. Technology that is still in its early stages of commercialization appeared, although not with the same vigour as in past years. The year of evtols, hyperloop, and, to a lesser extent, autonomous car technologies was not CES 2022.
The event didn’t skimp on autonomous vehicle technology, and there were a few major announcements and activities. The head-to-head autonomous racecar competition at the Las Vegas Speedway, GM CEO Mary Barra’s intention to sell personal autonomous vehicles by mid-decade (although some key details were missing), and Intel subsidiary Mobileye’s plan to bring to market a new supercomputer designed to give passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs autonomous driving powers were among the notable ones. When the topic of automated driving came up, it was frequently in the form of future promises, narrowly defined autonomous functions like parking — or both. The Mobileye announcement alluded to one of the CES 2022 themes: computation.
The biggest news from CES 2022
So, you think you’ve been to CES® a million times? Think again. Tech has never been more important in our lives, so CES 2022 is bringing the industry back together to experience the next generation of innovation. Check out what’s new and different about CES 2022!
Unexpected Tech (and where to find it)
CES drives innovation across industries, with unexpected, game-changing tech including:
- Beyond Honeycomb’s AI integrated robot kitchen will recreate your favorite meal in Central Plaza.
- Indy Autonomous Challenge will host a first-of-its-kind for autonomous racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.
- Sierra Space’s spaceplane will be on display in Central Plaza.
- TuSimple will bring their self-driving semi, freight and long-haul trucks to West Hall.