What a difference three years make! From in-person in 2020 to all virtual last year, and hybrid this year, our team always enjoys kicking off a new year by attending CES. Fresh off a trip from Las Vegas, Hatch Duo VP of Business Development, April Ly, will be sharing her CES 2022 experience via YouTube (stay tuned for our wrap-up video coming soon to our channel)! Despite being a hybrid event this year, it did not stop the rest of our team from tuning in from the comfort of their own homes.
The Metaverse & AR/VR Make Their Mark At CES 2022
While we continually beta-test our Meta Studio, we believe it’s essential to keep up with the metaverse and AR/VR technologies. Seeing what brands, both big and small, are testing for the metaverse will allow us to create the best possible experience for our prospective clients and team. CES is the perfect opportunity to see advancements in all facets of hardware and technology. Our team members who virtually participated this year witnessed various showcases of the metaverse that made their way to the main floor of CES.
Here are some exciting metaverse highlights our team stumbled upon this year:
Hyundai shared plans to expand to new realities with Metamobility, where robotics will act as a medium to connect the virtual and real worlds. They aim to take part in a future where the metaverse will affect changes in the real world through robotics. The company expects that the virtual reality world as we know it now will continuously expand throughout the years.
The idea behind Metamobility is that space, time, and distance will all become irrelevant. By connecting robots to the metaverse, we will move freely between both the real world and virtual reality. Going one step further from the immersive’ be there’ proxy experience that the metaverse provides, robots will become an extension of our own physical senses, allowing us to reshape and enrich our daily lives with Metamobility.
Chang Song, Hyundai Motor Group President
Samsung announced TVs that can display NFTs: the platform will allow creators to share their art, and in turn, let buyers preview an NFT before purchase or learn about NFT’s history and blockchain data.
Other companies shared their ideas to innovate virtual reality experiences as we currently know them. Along with various iterations of new lightweight AR/VR headsets (Qualcomm announced a partnership with Microsoft on processors to power lightweight headsets integrated with the Microsoft Mesh business metaverse), some brands are exploring new ways of body tracking and sensory accessories. For example, Panasonic subsidiary Shiftall introduced a body-tracking suit that helps bring legs into the metaverse. Right now, all that is being tracked or displayed in VR experiences are head/torso, so this would be an exciting addition, specifically for fitness applications. PebbleFeel introduced a body-worn accessory that recreates hot and cold to make VR feel like the real world.
Overall, many brands CES this year shared their plans to expand by creating a pathway into the metaverse and experimenting with virtual reality. Seeing the shift into the metaverse excites us, and we look forward to exploring new additions to the VR world and creating a community of our own with the Hatch Duo Meta Studio.
More Interesting Finds In Tech
Although the metaverse and AR/VR technologies made their way into the main stages of CES this year, we also saw exciting developments in robotics, wearables, and concept cars.
This year, most notable in CES headlines was BMW’s concept version of its iX electric SUV with color-changing paint. By relying on E Ink, users can personalize their car and shift colors between black, white, and gray with the push of a button. Sony also showcased its Vision-S (first debuted at CES 2020) predecessor, the Vision-S Electric SUV.
Whether increasing safety, delivering, or assisting with everyday activities, robotics are advancing at an increasing rate. The humanoid robot, Ameca, showed off 20 years of innovation through its realistic and human-like gestures and facial expressions. In addition, food-tech startup, Beyond Honeycomb, showcased an AI chef that can learn and reproduce gourmet dishes from renowned chefs from South Korea. Pudu Robotics debuted the four-in-one cleaning robot, Pudu Afra C1, which can autonomously clean spaces such as classrooms, offices, or hospitals. UBTech introduced its line of healthcare robots, which includes a self-driving mobility chair, a powered walk-assist autonomous robot, and a care delivery assistance robot.
Wearables continue to make their mark at CES, focusing on new user experiences. Linkface showcased DearBuds, a line of true wireless earbuds that disinfect and dehumidify your ears upon use. DearBuds aim to minimize ear infections by circulating 3 liters of air per minute to discharge excess humidity. Additionally, a series of LED lights and fans work together to effectively dry out any sweat or moisture in the ear canals. Startup company Movano, unveiled a new smart ring designed for women of all ages and can provide actionable health-tracking insights.
Smart-home technology had less presence compared to previous years, but we stumbled upon some great finds. Many products focused on COVID-safe user experiences, including sanitation or hands-free technology. For example, the UVCeed attaches to your smartphone and uses “powerful mercury-free LED UV light rays and sensors to scan and sanitize most surfaces. Daan Tech’s Bob the Mini Dishwasher, is the world’s smallest dishwasher with a UV-C sanitation option that kills 99% of bacteria with a waterless cycle. In other smart home tech news, Noveto revealed N1, a new immersive audio experience that beams sound into your air silently through the air. Using a single desktop device and built-in AI, the N1 mimics an invisible set of headphones and focuses audio on the user. Samsung also presented The Freestyle smart and portable projector, allowing users to point and play their favorite movies or stream TV shows on the wall.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to inspire emerging technology, we envision a future line of products focusing on safe accessibility and sustainability. Along with offering memorable user experiences, it becomes more about standing out: with products that offer almost the same services as others, how will companies continue to differentiate from one another? Especially now with the advancement of robotics and the addition of virtual reality experiences, it is prevalent now more than ever that companies need design to properly execute a marketable prototype and path for innovation.
Final Thoughts
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to inspire emerging technology, we envision a future line of products focusing on safe accessibility and sustainability. Along with offering memorable user experiences, it becomes more about standing out: with products that offer almost the same services as others, how will companies continue to differentiate from one another? Especially now with the advancement of robotics and the addition of virtual reality experiences, it is prevalent now more than ever that companies need design to properly execute a marketable prototype and path for innovation.
The Hatchery 