CES 2023 highlights: Featuring a future from TV

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held every year in Las Vegas, is the most influential tech event in the world and this year’s shone the light on a future of greener transport, personalised digital experience, and a focus on innovative safety (with just a hint of sci-fi). Typically, CES is the first opportunity for many companies–from LG displaying their latest TV technologies right through to Chevrolet announcing a new model–to show off their products from the coming year.

While it may be dominated by big brands, CES is an opportunity for automakers to offer a sneak peek into the exciting future of transportation, innovation in their products, and improvements to what some might have thought were already established ideas. Below, we round up some of the most intriguing technological advancements found at CES 2023. 

Next generation mobility in trucking

Autonomous vehicle technology has increasingly shifted toward commercial and industrial applications, exemplified by an extensive presence of self-driving truck exhibits at CES 2023. Concepts from Waabi, Gatik and Paccar all focused on autonomous driving technology. Waabi exhibited a Peterbilt semi outfitted with the Waabi Driver – software, computing hardware and sensor suite that enables autonomous driving. While Gatik showcased a fully autonomous box truck designed for short-haul jobs.

Paccar, one of the largest manufacturers of medium and heavy-duty trucks, exhibited three vehicles including an electric Peterbilt Model 579EV and a Peterbilt autonomous demonstration truck featuring Aurora’s self-driving technology. These advancements and investments in autonomous vehicles within the trucking sector hint at the bright future of the industry.

Image: Peterbilt

Industry supplier ZF group also staked out a position at CES 2023 showcasing its innovative solutions for “clean sustainable mobility that is also comfortable, safe and affordable.” ZF introduced several advanced vehicle control systems including the upgraded ProAI onboard vehicle computer which was described as fifty percent more powerful than its earlier iteration and now the “most flexible scalable and powerful automotive-grade supercomputer on the market.” The multifunctional vehicle control system will provide a multi-domain computer in a light, compact package without sacrificing any power.

Even more is on the horizon (or windscreen)

Electric vehicle (EVs) design has made leaps and bounds again this year. Both automotive and tech giants were leaning in to add their own flair to the increasingly popular green alternative to petrol. Blurring the line between BMW and buddy the automobile giant introduced its concept car ‘i Vision Dee’. With numerous futuristic features, like an exterior made up of 240 customisable E Ink tiles, allowing you to change the exterior between 32 different colours at will, headlights that can produce facial expressions and smart AI that can carry a colloquial conversation with the driver, the real jaw dropping innovation was the Dee’s heads-up display (HUD). 

Image: Dezeen

If you hate faffing with touch screens for your playlist or relying on Google maps then look no further. The Dee’s HUD puts information right where it’s needed – directly in the driver's line of sight. Augmented reality (AR) display uses the full-width of the windscreen and includes five levels of immersion. Level 1 gives you the usual essentials — speedometer and some navigation information. Levels 2 through 4 increase the information on-screen mixing dashboard and entertainment system, while Level 5 can display a completely virtual environment that is certainly not meant for driving. At least not for when YOU drive and is instead intended for when the Dee drives you. 

BMW clearly aims to strengthen that personalised digital experience. The “Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience, illustrative of the suite of customisable and personable features intended to create a stronger bond between the driver and their car. While the colour changing and chatting might be some way off, BMW has confirmed the most useful feature, the HUD is coming to production cars including the Neue Klasse models from 2025 onwards. 

More sensors equals more safety

In a similar vein to BMW’s i Vision Dee, two Japanese corporate giants Honda and Sony showcased their new joint EV, the Afeela. The Afeela also aims to encourage emotional interactivity and unity between driver and car. The Sony x Honda Afeela aspires to revolutionise mobility – from the screen on the front bumper sharing information on the weather to its current state of charge – all in a classic car shape.

Image: CNET

Sony’s CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, explained the company’s mobility philosophy as prioritising transforming vehicles into “moving entertainment space[s].” To achieve this the Afeela will incorporate 45 different cameras and sensors both inside and outside the vehicle to ensure safety and increased security. Outside sensors will detect objects on and near the road, ensuring a smooth safe autonomous drive. The in-cabin sensors actively monitor the driver’s status in order to prevent accidents, and act if they occur. Afeela is built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis, a cloud-connected system for telematics, driver assistance and autonomy, enabling in-car processing to reach 800 trillion operations per second, meaning that the car will have Level 3 autonomy, effectively driving itself.

The Afeela will also intergrate Epics Games’ Unreal Engine, a 3D computer graphics games engine to help visualise entertainment, communication, and safety. Leaving the distinction between vehicle and entertainment system blurred. Honda and Sony aim to highlight, with the Afeela, how the automobile should become a continuum in our digital lives, keeping us safe and enabling us to interact simply with the digital world from our car seat.

Covetable gadgets 

Japanese start-up Loovic introduced a wearable audio neckband this year. The device rests around the wearer’s neck and provides audio and tactile directions to help you navigate without looking at your phone. AA Motoring highlights the danger of visual navigation from an external device which can function as yet another distraction threatening driver focus and safety. 

Image: Loovic

Loovic’s new device prototype works to provide clear and accurate directions while drivers, cyclists or walkers can keep their head up and eyes on the road. The Loovic neckband delivers directions through speakers as well as tactile feedback on the neck and shoulders. The device is still currently a prototype, with no scheduled release, but could revolutionise phone use in vehicles and reduce distraction on the roads.

Year on year CES exemplifies the best of innovation moving to provide electric, software-based and sustainability-focused technologies for consumers to use and benefit from. CES 2023 showcased clear efforts to improve industries and propel transport and technology toward a greener future, striving to make everyday life safer, more convenient, and more sustainable for all. By showcasing consumer products that link expectations, requirements, and outcome CES propels the drive toward thoughtful, unique innovation.