It has finally happened. Your car is now a "mobile" phone. Android Built-In.
android
Volvo and Google showed off the EX90 with a prototype experience for an Android controlled vehicle. You will no longer need to pair your phone to the car. Android is built in. It is the interface for all your vehicle functions, as well as communicate with Google connected devices.
Could this begin a new common experience across vehicles? Perhaps slightly modified to meet branding needs like Android smart phones.
We would prefer less tablet/phone design and something appropriate for viewing and operation when driving.
Information like range and battery are so small when compared with the mph/status text. Time is on the large tablet in a small font.
An estimated 13% of new cars sold in 2022 were electric. (iea.org)
Global EV fleet in 2021 consumed about 50TWh of electricity, less than 0.5% of current total final electrical consumption worldwide. (iea.org)
13.6 million plug-in passenger vehicles are expected to sell in 2023, with around 75% of those being fully electric. (Bloomberg)
Display in Motion
The Holon Mover used a display to show route information in a refreshing attention grabbing way.
Projected Graphics and Display
The Climb-E concept from Italdesign combines information on a rear and forward facing display with projected lights on the ground to inform other drivers and passengers status and safety information.
E-Ink
The BMW Dee concept car had e-ink displays to animate the grille, adding new opportunities to give a vehicle character (just like KITT on Night Rider).
Tint Change
The VW ID7 was on display covered in an e-ink display that can adjust the tint to hide or show the paint on the vehicle. Warning - this video contains strobe lights.
Let Others Know Why You Stopped
Ride share vehicles can warn passengers and drivers of their intentions to pick up or drop off.
display technology
No Need to Pick a Car Color
The BMW Dee concept also showed off color changing e-ink technology, allowing the owner to freely changes not only the vehicles color, but also segments to create patterns or stripes.
safety
INDI 1 LA-based EV loaded with tech. This is the first time that we can recall that the sales pitch included information about the vehicle's video card.
Ring Car Cam (after-market solution) can keep an eye on your vehicle with an inside and forward facing camera.
INDI 1 has an interior camera in the vehicle which can come in handy for ride sharing drivers.
INDI 1 allows the owner to choose a Linux or Windows based computer system capable of live-VR for passengers to enjoy.
transportation
CES 2023
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was back and bigger than ever after expansions to the Las Vegas Convention Center. 4.8 million square feet of space, 3,000 exhibitors, over 115,000 attendees, and 70% larger than CES shows of past meant a lot more steps for our team. Exercise is good, right? However, more space means more products, technology, and trends.
We’re excited to share some of the interesting finds from the show, along with some of our ideas on what’s to come next from those categories. We’re always ready to talk about how to bring your innovative ideas to life through design and development. If you’d like to connect, send us an email.
Emerging Technology Trends from
the Consumer Electronics Show
self-diagnose
We saw more health monitoring devices than ever before at CES this year. Manufacturers were quick to point out that they are not FDA approved.
Is this trend emerging from the lack of trust of our medical experts or the rising cost of healthcare?
One thing is for sure, there will be more data available than users will know what to do with.
With EyeQue VisionCheck 2, you can check your vision, calculate your own prescription with its results, and find a store to make eye glasses without needing a doctor's prescription.
After years of attending live concerts with no ear protection and blasting loud music in his cars and headphones, George found out his hearing is good and ten years younger than his age! Sadly, this test can not explain the sensitivity in his right ear to heavy bass.
U-Scan by Withings is a home urine lab. It it reusable and has a replaceable cartridge to either test for female hormones or nutrition. It rests along the edge of the toilet and requires urine to flow across the surface. Strangely enough, men are asked to sit to be tested. A little bit of observational research may have identified how men typically urinate at home.
The Cym Boat is a single-use disposable urine test. It does require a more hands-on experience to use especially when using your smartphone's camera to scan the boat for results.
Olive Diagnostics displayed a smart sensing toilet.
Oview is a home sperm lab. It uses your smartphone camera and app to use artificial intelligence count sperm and determine fertility.
The Beagle is a device you can breath into after a workout to track how effective your workout was.
We thought heart rate and time was all you needed.
The iMediSync can test your brain's health to predict potential mental conditions in just 10 minutes. Recommended testing at any age once a week to track patterns.
more than meets the eye
App Control
You can control and configure Optimus from and app, as well as voice commands.
Transform and Roll Out
Optimus and his trailer come pre-programed to do classic actions.
Maneuverability
Optimus and all of his motors can be controlled and programmed to animate and strike a pose.
If you grew up in the 80s, the Robosen booth was a must-see during the show. Seeing a dozen wireless-controlled Optimus Prime robots with cartoon sound effects and voices were something only dreamed about 40 years ago.
Back at CES 2019, Robosen showed off the T9, a non-branded transforming robot toy that looked like it was a "Transformer." Since then, Hasbro partnered with them to make Optimus Prime a reality.
The trailer and a stand can be purchased separately making the grand total just under $2,000. The price will come down over time and more releases. Fingers crossed for Megatron, Bumblebee, and Starscream. Disney recently partnered to develop a movie edition Buzz Lightear.
Which Transformer would you like to see made?
As researchers and user experience designers, we wish we could've been part of this development from the start. We could've helped identify what collectors really want in a toy like this.
Robosen created an IoT charging stand to display Optimus after finding out owners of early releases put the toy back in the box when they're not using it. Unfortunately, Optimus does not jump off the stand on command - he needs a hand.
Optimus currently does not know when its owner is watching Transformers so it can interact with the episode or movie. This is something fun that Sphero droids do with Star Wars.
real robots
Smart Mower
Worx may have solved a major issue with robotic mowers by adding a camera and a neural network to avoid obstacles and go over paved paths or sidewalks.
Clean With Character
R3 has one of the cutest robots we have seen to clean up after us.
Pool Cleaning Robot
The P1 Max by Lydsto is a self-charging smart robot that can clean the walls and floors of a pool.
cool displays
Curtain Lights
Entertain and change the mood of a room with Govee programmable the LED curtain lights.
Holographic LED Display
Muxwave offers a range of transparent displays capable of showing cool effects or be transparent as needed.
Simple Wearables
Sony demonstrated its simple to wear motion sensing devices allowing your avatar to be a digital action twin.
Not-So-Simple Wearables
Other companies have not refined its wearables into a simplified package.
The box worn over the mouth captures your dialog so others around you can't hear your conversation.
meta-interesting
Today, it seems Meta's Facebook Metaverse may be too expensive for the masses to experience. While there has been negative news about the Metaverse, busniesses have been using the term "metaverse" to represent a digital open world experience, not associated with Meta's Facebook version. These worlds have existed for quite some time. Second Life, Roblox, and Minecraft just to name a few.
Each wearable device may enhance users' experience, but is it worth your time to invest?
Tactical Look
Do you need to look bullet-proof in reality while playing in virtual reality?
Fully Customizable Digital Humans
Pantheon Lab Limited allows you to adjust the physical look of this digital human to be you, a spokesperson, or reporter in a digital world.
IRL Banking in the Metaverse
Shinhan Bank offers its customers access to a digital platform where they can bank, access healthcare, commerce, follow sport teams and view art. The platform is a new way to engage with the bank's partners, and may find its way stateside in the next year.
Experience Smell In a Virtual World
OVR offers users the ability to specially smell virtual items or even avatars passing by. This was by far the most refreshing demo of the show. We could smell the virtual s'mores and campfire. Now, if we could only feel the heat from the flame.
Wind In Your Face
We have seen very elaborate and expensive virtual car racing game consoles, now you can feel the air around you.
"meta"verse
cool addition
Learn Piano
We appreciate technology that can be added to enhance an experience and not need to purchase a completly new device.
Piano LED Plus is an IoT device that be added to any keyboard or piano.
The user can select a song to play and the LED strip will light up the keys to press.
This seems to be an improvement over Rock Band video games of the past.
new ways to experience sound
Magnetic Fluid Speaker
Blackleaf Ferrofluid Speakers react to magnet in the speakers and animate to your music creating a visually stunning experience. Some of us here miss computer music player screen saver animations - this is the next best thing.
Feel Sound
Edge Sound Research makes Resonx. t's a device that can be placed in various furniture and spaces so users can feel, not just hear, the music. The table in the video shows the amount of vibrations that a static photo can't show. We seriously thought the booth was just a couple of people taking a break and sitting down. This was our second favorite experience at the show.
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Contributors: Gil Cavada, George Guffey, Jake Vail, Angelika Halama, Brian Perille, and Nick Cucci
