With a new year comes new technology, and 2022 has got off to an exciting start with the recently wrapped up CES event in Las Vegas. CES is a tech focused event with over 2100 companies committed to showcasing their new and exciting innovations within a whole host of various categories.

With many major brands pulling out of the event such as Amazon, Meta/Facebook, Microsoft, Lenovo, and more due to Covid-19, this presented an opportunity for other brands to claim some of the limelight and show off their latest and greatest projects for the upcoming year/years.

With the scope of CES being so large in terms of what forms of technology are on show, we’re here to focus on some of the biggest reveals and announcements within software development, AI, machine learning, sustainability, and robotics.

AI or Artificial intelligence has flourished into a ‘must-have’ technological advancement for tech companies in today’s world (“The global AI market is predicted to snowball in the next few years, reaching a $190.61 billion market value in 2025” source: SEMRush)

With Amazon Alexa, Google Home, self-driving cars, facial recognition in smartphones, navigation apps going to and from work, and even having new music being suggested to us based on what we’ve previously listened to on streaming apps, AI has undoubtedly worked it’s way into our day to day lives.

With the announcements made from this year’s CES event… it doesn’t look like AI is going anywhere, anytime soon. From voice AI and microwaves that can understand instructions and action just by speaking to them, to delivery robots for use within the retail industry and airports, AI is progressing at quite an accelerated pace.

With robotics and AI seemingly shaping the future of technology within certain industries, it comes as no surprise to see one of the leading tech giants to reveal their plans for robot assistants helping people carry out their daily chores and improve the overall efficiency and productivity of our daily lives.

The two robots spoken about at CES 2022 were given the names Samsung Bot i and Samsung Bot Handy. The Samsung Bot Handy is supposedly able to help you out with all of your day-to-day tasks whether that is ‘setting up an emergency video conference meeting’ or ‘setting out the table’.

Last year, Samsung had shown a robot with similar, less ‘advanced’ features where their display robot could only pick up one item at a time. But with Samsung’s new telepresence2 and manipulation3 technology, this problem is a thing of the past.

From Samsung’s official website, the developers behind the two robots described their newly implemented technology and the benefits that it brings to their user experience. “This enables the robot to recognize objects at home and skillfully pick them up. Whereas at last year’s CES, we showcased a technology that could pick up a single object based on learning, this year, we will introduce a scenario called “tableware handling”. This technology enables the robot to pick items up after recognizing multiple objects and analyzing the surrounding environment.”

Samsung official website: https://www.samsung.com/uk/explore/experiences/ces2022/

Orcam is a company that creates assistive devices for people who are visually impaired or have loss of hearing by helping them to identify products, voices, and objects through technology.

At CES 2022, they have continued their journey in developing such devices by announcing technological advances that they have made with their hearing aid products (Orcam Hear). Their latest innovation revolves around a hearing aid that uses visual cues to amplify certain sounds.

The company’s main breakout piece of technology seems to be their hearing aid product, however, they have a range of assistive devices that boast impressive features.

For example, Orcam Read is an assistive reading device which helps people with visual impairments or those who have difficulty reading in low-light conditions or even those with dyslexia. The device scans the document/page, etc. that you’re reading and plays the information back to you through a hearing device similar to an earphone.

Orcam’s latest technology uses a camera to feed visual representations of real-world movements and events to then decipher and deliberate whether to amplify a certain sound or tone it down. For example, if you are at a party and want to hear the person you are talking to, Orcam’s hearing aid will amplify the sound of the person talking and tone down the sound of the music playing at the party.

Read more about Orcam here: https://www.orcam.com/en/

One of the big players at CES 2022 in terms of announcements were tech giants Qualcomm.

From partnering with Microsoft to develop chips that will be used within smart glasses, 4k movie streaming and infotainment solutions within a moving vehicle, to discussing the importance of 5G and why we should be adopting it into our lives at a more accelerated pace this year.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon made a strong case for 5G and how it can benefit more than just the everyday mobile phone or IOT (Internet Of Things) user. A use case of a small business in a confined space being able to connect to ‘blazing-fast’ 5G speeds, connect and utilise cloud computing, stream content for virtual collaboration, and have access to all of these features, and speeds at home as well.

Of course, with anything internet related at the moment, you can’t escape the word ‘Metaverse’. The Metaverse is a digital landscape of virtual worlds which have been created to let users escape into the world of virtual reality without having to leave the comfort of their own home.

With 5G offering enhanced speed and connectivity capabilities, this kind of technology is something that the Metaverse needs in order to offer all of the mind-blowing features that Mark Zuckerberg has promised to deliver. In-cabin multimedia experiences such as exploring new virtual landscapes within a headset in the comfort of your own home needs to be able to work flawlessly for a seamless user experience.

5G offers a solution to poor latency and connectivity issues if it can be rolled out worldwide through internet providers such as AT&T. With more developments coming out around the Metaverse, 5G connectivity will inevitably become an essential part of everyday life… including your 9-5 working routine.

With these blazing fast speeds regardless of where you are in your home, new and existing technology such as hologram interviews and video conference meetings can be accessible to anyone and everyone with an internet connection if 5G becomes as prominent as it is believed to be.

Within the next year or two, there will be a large focus on virtual reality in the workplace thanks to Meta. Being able to sit in a virtual office that mimics your actual office at work, communicate with your co-workers, and feel as though you’re not missing out on a sense of community and togetherness even when you’re in the comfort of your own home.

AT&T has teamed with Qualcomm as their first partners in their new venture to offer ‘wireless fibre over 5G’. The two giants in tech are looking to use 5G as a core technology for both ‘backhaul and direct broadband access’ so that a 5G network is accessible where you need it.

The development of new smart home appliances isn’t slowing down either, with Eve, Cync, TP-Link, Eufy, and Sengled all showing off their new products to make your home safer and… easier to use.

There wasn’t much in the way of ground-breaking announcements or advancements within this category, however, with smart-tech being such a big player in the market these days it would be remiss to not include a section on what has been released within this market.

Eve will be releasing their Apple HomeKit friendly floodlight camera in April which will set you back around $250 (£185) and features infrared night vision, 157-degree view, and infrared motion detection up to 30 feet.

TP-LINK, the budget-friendly gadget provider has also entered the ring when it comes to smart home technology with their brand new line of gadgets for us to set up our homes with. 

The brand is called Tapo and they’re looking to offer smart home solutions at an affordable price point. This includes smart lights, plug, and switch. You can take a look at the entire product offering from TP-LINK/Tapo here.But one of the standout future releases within this category, or certainly one of the most innovative, was the smart door announcement from Masonite. Featuring automated power, lights, security camera, and lock, the first residential smart door is going to be brought to market in the, potentially, near future. However, there is no release date or price point as of yet, but Masonite, in collaboration with Ring and Yale did debut the new M-Pwr smart door at CES 2022.

With a lot of the big players deciding not to take part in this years’ CES, more companies with interesting technological advances in their respective fields have shared some of the limelight.

Samsung have announced a potentially groundbreaking advancement in their own development of their robots (Samsung Bot Handy and Samsung Bot I) designed to help around the house for those who may be suffering from disabilities or need assistance with tasks such as doing the washing up, laying out a table for dinner, carrying heavy objects/furniture, etc.

2022 and years to come will inevitably be heavily focused around utilising AI and making life ‘easier’ for users of technology, whether that’s robots to help you with daily chores, voice assisted microwaves, smart door technology, or floodlight cameras that help with home security.

If you’re looking for more technology insights and articles about recruitment, head over to our blog section on our website https://www.lucid-support.com

Written by Lucid Support