5 top Innovations from CES: From solar-powered cars to multi-dimensional horror movies

The CES tech show in Las Vegas covers 2 million sq ft, with 100,000 attendees and 3000 exhibitors. FOMO is likely, overwhelm inevitable. How do you pick out the signal from the noise?

Last week I joined the team curating official CES show tours, guiding groups of curious executives, founders and innovators through the best bits of this year’s event.Here are 5 things I noticed:

1. Healthcare goes human-centered

Whether it’s smart toilets or autonomous wheelchairs, companies like WHILL Inc., Vivoo, NuraLogix Corporation, MedWand, and Lotte Healthcare are making healthcare more sustainable, accessible, and even delightful.

2. Beyond electric

Dutch car company Lightyear showcased their new model, the Lightyear a solar powered vehicle that can go several months without a single charge. It's sleek, has a vegan leather interior... and is cheaper than a Tesla.

3. Screens may not be sexy, but they’re essential

Without display technologies, everything from holograms to TV shows fall flat. LG Electronics had a fully transparent TV and huge 8K OLED screens, while Hisense Group previewed an extraordinary floor-level home projector that worked perfectly just 6 inches from a wall.

4. Character connections

Canon USA partnered with movie director M Night Shyamalan to bring his ‘Knock at the Cabin’ project to life. Using 3D models generated from volumetric cameras, attendees could have a virtual video conversation with the movie's characters, and take in an action scene from four different character perspectives.

5. Integrated mobility

Perhaps my favourite thing of all was a glimpse of the future from Italian design firm Italdesign. Its multi-use pod runs up and down the side of a building like an exterior elevator. First it acts as a mobile extension of residents’ apartments for everything from TV viewing to a mobile dentist visit (yes, you read that correctly), before turning into a door-to-door transport vehicle complete with 360 screens.

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Most importantly, it’s a delight to spend time with curious minds - our tour participants plus the wonderful crew of guides and curators. In a digital world, shared experience still matters.

As for what’s next? I guess Las Vegas has the answer...