What other conference can boast the future of driving, travel, artificial intelligence and….toilet paper? The Consumer Electronics Show, of course! More commonly known as CES, the larger than life tech show is in full swing in Las Vegas this week and 360PR+ was on the ground with clients, our media friendlies and scouting the hottest trends. The numbers are staggering – not to mention the miles walked in between convention halls, expo center, hotel ballrooms and more: 175,000 attendees checking out 4,500 exhibitors that are expected to launch nearly 20,000 new transformative tech products. The takeaways:

Travel & Tourism

• This year’s show marks the first with a dedicated Travel & Tourism exhibit area and the first keynote by an airline, with Delta Airlines CEO unveiling the first “biometric terminal” that lets consumers check in, drop bags and board a flight using facial recognition, and a new app to help pilots avoid turbulence. Other noteworthy takeaways in the category include 3D-printed binoculars that shoot 4K video and photos, a full-sized tablet that folds to fit into your pocket, and a wearable translator for face-to-face bilingual conversations.   

Automotive

• We’ve all become accustomed to calling an Uber car or SUV but imagine calling an Uber plane? Uber and Hyundai announced – and unveiled the first concept – for Uber Air, a five-seat “flying taxi” that they expect to begin operating short distance rideshares within the next three years. Auto manufacturers were all showing connected vehicles with touch displays and app integration at the center of the car’s “cockpit” and Mercedes unveiled a concept car inspired by the sci-fi fantasy film Avatar, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Smaller, Lighter, Fastest Tech

• The era of 5G is making its way into phones, PCs, cars and more and USB-C is being adapted into power devices with small lighter chargers and hubs making it easier to charge multiple devices at once and eliminating the need to travel with cords for every device you own. TVs are always a draw at the show and this year was no different with 8K screens everyone. LG not only debuted the thinnest TVs imaginable but roll-up and roll-down screens that hide when they are not in use. 

The Smart Home

• Charmin stole the show with Rollbot, a cute bear-faced robot that delivers toilet paper when you run out, a V.I.Pee premium porta-potty that uses an Occulus Rift, and a sensor to let you know when the scent coming from the bathroom needs a warning label. The home exhibit area also include kitchen tech – pans that automatically record recipes as you cook, voice controlled faucets and a smart garbage disposal that composts your food scraps instead of grinding them. Other areas of the home were not left out with a new anti-snoring pillow promising quieter bedrooms and an app-controlled household fragrance system from Procter & Gamble. Even kitty will get more tech savvy in 2020 with Wifi enabled pet feeders, AI-powered Water Fountains and devices that monitor the health and diet of pets making headlines at the show.

Artificial Intelligence

• Alexa-connected devices are moving out of the home and into cars, bike lanes (with Alexa-enabled bike helmets) and your nearest ExxonMobil gas station which, via a new partnership between the two companies, will let customers pay for gas via voice. Samsung debuted “artificial humans” that can be assigned specific tasks that require human communication while Bosch demonstrated how they are using artificial intelligence to eliminate sun glare while driving.

All of this innovation made us hungry, so we decided to make one last stop and try Impossible Foods’ newest creation following the success of its’ plant-based burger – Impossible Pork – proving that you don’t have to be a consumer electronics maker to leverage CES as a forum for captivating media and consumer attention!