Five Trends to Watch at CES 2016 This Week
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APEX Insight: The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the Christmas Morning of the tech world, with some of the biggest and most innovative companies descending upon Las Vegas to show off their latest and greatest creations. CES 2015 saw 170,000 tech-industry and media professionals scouring over 2 million square feet of exhibition space to unearth those hidden gems. Here’s a look at the tech trends to come and what it holds for the passenger experience industry.
Rideables: Beyond Hoverboards
Okay, enough with hoverboards. They don’t really hover, and they certainly don’t fly. Many airlines banned hoverboards in 2015, much to the dismay of Russell Crowe (and other parents of disappointed kids). In fact, they’re also banned at CES venues.
However, rideables are taking other forms, as well as names that haven’t been lifted from Back to the Future. AirWheel’s self-balancing scooters are vying for a spot in your commute strategy, as is CycleBoard’s three-wheel scooter: this crowdfunded commuter’s design hearkens back to the old-school.
Sense-ables: Oculus Rift Coming Soon
Last year’s CES saw serpentine queues of eager virtual-reality fans who couldn’t (but had to) wait for a glimpse of Oculus Rift. This year, Oculus is back in the tech headlines: presales for Oculus Rift begin on January 6. Two games will be included, but first, make sure your computer has the muscle for the heavy lifting that VR requires: beefier specs will become a trend as well.
Eye-tracking technology, such as that from APEX member company Thales, has obvious applications for in-flight entertainment (think IFE displays that pause your movie as soon as your eyes move away form the screen!), but watch for its deployment for marketing tasks as well: surely you’ve seen Minority Report.
What about breath-related technology? Not mints, exactly, but… well, Mint. Breathometer’s crowdfunded wireless oral health monitor can be used to detect not only malignant coffee breath, but also dehydration. Since our own devices are integrating with IFEC more and more, something like Mint would be a useful feature for an ambient beverage-ordering system.
Printables: Build It Yourself
3-D printing is getting faster and more articulate. AIO Robotics is showing off the Zeus Plus, an integrated 3-D scanner and printer with its own all-in-one touchscreen interface. It looks like a combination of a pet kennel and a breadmaker, check it out in the video below.
Meanwhile, Flux, Delta’s 3-D printer is futuristically minimalist. No longer just for prototypes, durable and heat-resistant printed objects are now being spun into existence. The airline industry is already experimenting with 3D-printed cabin elements, taking its cues from the biological world. For example, Airbus has cut its cabin partition weight in half by 3-D-printing it based on bone-growth patterns.
Chargeables: Who Cares if You Forgot the Cord?
No longer shall your carry-on bag contain a tangled, hideous king rat of cables (best if you didn’t Google that one). Companies such as Tylt are introducing slimmer and faster wireless charging devices than ever before. Wireless charging is heating up, but only figuratively thanks to incremental improvements. APEX member company Astronics is at the forefront of this, partnering with SmartTray International to deliver – you guessed it – a wireless-charging tray table.
Audibles: The Ears Have It
Headphones are not played out, not by a long shot. Decibullz has introduced a bit of dental technology to earphone design: hot-water-moldable earpieces for a bespoke fit. You’ll note how their key image touts their competence against ambient aircraft noise.
Altec Lansing doesn’t always come up with the sexiest designs, but they’re really good at making stuff you can actually use. Case in point: the Freedom True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. Chunky and rectangular, yes; but they won’t end up in the Lost and Found.
Some of these tech breakthroughs are tailor-made for the in-flight world; NFC luggage locks, for example. Others must take a more circuitous route before becoming part of your quotidian travel experience. As ever, the fun lies in seeing which ones we encounter first as we board a flight.
For more on CES, read our coverage from last year’s event.