[CES 2018] What to expect from CES this year

The world’s leading tech and automobile companies will come together to showcase their latest products and technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show, one of the year’s most highly anticipated tech events and which opens Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

CES 2018 is set to kick off with the key concept of smart cities that can cover smartphones, home appliances, automobiles and transportation based on the 5th generation network, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technologies.

The preshow keynote presentation will be given Monday by Intel Chief Executive Brian Krzanich with the theme of “How data is shaping innovation of the future.” In the following days, Ford Motor Company’s head Jim Hackett, Huawei Chief Executive Richard Yu and other leaders from Qualcomm, Verizon and Baidu will be on stage touting new smart devices, automobile and network technologies. 

Major South Korean firms, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Hyundai Motor, are also joining the show with their smarter and connected products and technologies.

Samsung, which has one of the biggest booths in the show every year, will highlight its “One Samsung” that connects all of its mobile devices, televisions and home appliances with artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies. The firm is expected to unveil diverse home appliances powered by its own AI technology Bixby to provide customized services and information for users.

Samsung said Sunday it will unveil an 85-inch quantum-dot light-emitting diode TV with artificial intelligence technologies that can convert low-resolution images into high-resolution images. When low-resolution images are entered, the TV automatically finds optimized filters to amend the lightness, blackness and blurring to convert them into high-resolution images, the firm said.

Rival LG is also slated to unveil its organic light-emitting diode televisions integrated with its own AI platform DeepThinQ and virtual personal assistant Google Assistant. The AI-powered televisions will allow users to control TV channels and search contents with voice commands. Users can also control home appliances, including air purifiers and air conditioners, through the TV connected via the Wi-Fi network, the firm said.

Its display affiliate, LG Display, said Sunday it would introduce 65-inch ultrahigh-definition rollable display and 55-inch transparent display for the first time during the show. The rollable display will improve the utilization of space by hiding it when not used and will make users enjoy contents whenever and wherever by easily adjusting the size, the company said.

Global tech firms, Sony, Philips and Siemens are also predicted to showcase their products and services integrated with artificial intelligence and Internet of Things. Lenovo and Huawei will introduce virtual reality headsets while Google plans to take the wraps off its new concept of smart home devices codenamed Manhattan.

Automakers, who have recently edged into the show’s center stage in what used to mainly be occupied by electronics manufacturers, will continue to play a key role with their improved self-driving and connectivity technologies.

Korea’s largest automakers, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, will also jump on the bandwagon of self-driving automobiles by showcasing their own AI-powered voice assistant technologies developed in partnership with the US voice recognition firm SoundHound. The voice assistant allows drivers to control in-vehicle system with voice command and provide customized driving and infotainment services.

Hyundai’s parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis will also unveil safety technology DDREM, which can prevent car accidents by automatically stopping on the shoulder when a driver is considered to be not driving properly due to drowsiness.

More than 170 vehicle-related companies, automakers and transportation apps, including Ford, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, Continental and Bosch, will take part in the event to showcase their latest smart car technologies.

Executives and leaders of each conglomerate and relevant business units are also set to be on hands at the event.

From Samsung Electronics, Kim Ki-nam, the head of Samsung Electronics’ device solutions division, will lead the pack along with Kim Hyun-suk, director of Consumer Electronics, and Ko Dong-jin, director of IT and Mobile. Samsung Display CEO Lee Dong-hoon and Samsung Electro-Mechanics chief Lee Yun-tae will also be at the show.

From LG Electronics, Vice Chairman Cho Sung-jin will be joining alongside Song Dae-hyun, head of LG‘s home appliances business, Kwon Bong-suk, vice president of the home entertainment department, Lee Woo-Jong, leader of the vehicle component division, and Hwang Jeong-hwan, chief of mobile communication business.

LG Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon, in charge of the group’s new growth businesses, is also likely to attend for a third consecutive year. LG Display head Han Sang-beom and Chief Technology Officer Kang In-Byeong will hold a press briefing to speak about the firm‘s business strategy this year.

From the automotive industry, Chung Eui-sun, the heir apparent of Hyundai, is expected to attend along with Yang Woong-cheol, the vice chairman of Hyundai.

Other anticipated participants include SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Sung-wook and SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho. Park Jung-ho will be the only chief of Korea’s three major mobile carriers to make an appearance.

From smaller electronics companies, Coway CEO Lee Hae-sun will attend.

CES is the biggest tech show among the major triumvirate of tech events that includes the Mobile World Congress and IFA. This year, more than 170,000 visitors from 150 nations are predicted to visit the show to see exhibits showcased by around 3,900 firms, according to the Consumer Technology Association. Over 70 Korean firms plan to attend.

By Shin Ji-hye 
(shinjh@heraldcorp.com)