CES 2018Trends & Insights

Consumer Electronics Show Las Vegas, Nevada

Eva Lutz, Michael Hammond

JANUARY 2018

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ContentsHey Google! Tell me about CES! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CES overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Design overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Realities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Eureka Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

HyperCustomization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Smart city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Final thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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Hey Google! Tell me about CES!This year, Eva Lutz, General Manager of the San Francisco office, and Michael Hammond, Design Concepts’ new Director of Industrial Design, were lucky enough to attend CES 2018 . The show started off with a bang with over an inch of rain causing flash flooding and a two-hour power outage on the second day . But nothing could keep the throngs of Tech Devotees from the massive event, which was broken into three mega-venues:

▪ Tech East: Audio, automotive, electronics, gaming, video, wireless devices, wireless services, digital imaging and photography or anything “i” that comes to market

▪ Tech West: Emerging technology, fitness and healthcare, trackers and anything IoT

▪ Tech South: Conference sessions, networking events, exhibits and meeting rooms

CES is an impressive and physically exhausting event . In fact, it’s the largest event held in Las Vegas every year . But be assured the logistical nightmare will soon be over when rather than waiting in endless lines for an Uber or shuttle bus, we will merely hop in our autonomous helicopter and air-taxi from venue to venue . Beyond the sheer scale of the event, what’s truly remarkable is the volume of innovative new ideas presented, each intent on improving our lives with new technology … with some impressive hits and some head-scratching misses .

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A few stats that show the magnitude of CES . If you have never been to CES, it’s hard to express just how BIG it is . We were not wearing any devices with a pedometer, but it’s safe to say we walked well over ten miles over the course of three days . If you are planning on attending next year, bring your favorite walking shoes .

CES by the numbers

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CES overview

Today’s CES is evolving... . . .and we saw inspiring new things:

▪ Razer’s Project Linda, an Android laptop/phone hybrid that won 20 Best of CES show honors (top image).

▪ Toyota’s e-Palette with an autonomous delivery vehicle brought home the Best of CES 2018 (middle image).

▪ Nissan’s vision of future of mind-controlled driving, using their Brain-to-Vehicle (B2V) technology (bottom image) – Headband sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) monitor and anticipate the intended movements of the driver and then execute them milliseconds faster than a driver can . As a parent who has coached two teen drivers, “mind-controlled driving” is a frightening prospect .

AI steals the showDriverless cars and many of the “coolest” things we saw were all leveraging the real darling of CES 2018, AI . With the help of AI, there was smart, voice-enabled everything at CES this year—the splash of Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa is continuing to ripple across every new device . While we are about to see a war of the voice assistants, voice recognition and AI are still finding their legs in connecting devices and revolutionizing our lives . Maybe some things are better left “dumb .” Ultimately, consumers will have their say .

By Eva Lutz

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AI and the big dogs—Amazon, Google and IBM—were ever-present and just about every concept we saw was using AI or talking about it in some way . But we continued to see a host of heritage brands like Carrier and Kohler leveraging AI and establishing themselves as relevant players in the new era of the connected home . With Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple Home always listening and command center apps coordinating, monitoring and reporting, if your company’s major appliance or environmental product doesn’t tap into today’s domestic or commercial “technology hub,” you may soon be left behind . Even fast food brands were present and demonstrating themselves as relevant players at CES . We observed that Pizza Hut, a part of Yum Brands, seems to be on the short list of launch partners when it comes to the world of AI commerce and autonomous delivery services .

Without a doubt, 2018 is going to be another year of massive technological change . While CES is still a show about consumer gadgets, several of the big players (Panasonic, Honda, Samsung) opted to show their own vison of the future without bringing “real” products to the table . Similarly, the continued absence of Microsoft and Apple left a particular void–yet their presence was felt throughout the entire show . You know you’ve made it as a brand when you can affect the show without being in it .

CES overview

You know you’ve made it as a brand when you can affect the show

without being in it.

(Top) A view from IBM’s Watson AI Booth…AI in lights (Middle) Pizza Hut’s AI app (Bottom) Zwave booth

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VR progresses and AR gets its moment

With virtual reality (VR) firmly entrenched and represented by technology companies across all spectrums, the big news was focused on optimized performance and design . The new stand-alone systems make VR available to everyone, everywhere (no cameras and green room required) . Beyond stand-alone VR systems and a plethora of elegantly designed headsets, the lack of BIG technology leaps left room for the other reality—augmented .

CES overview

Augmented reality (AR) was the subject of much excitement . AR companies are pushing the window on establishing the technology that will define user experience for the near term . The consumer-targeted headset from Realmax isn’t pretty but it does deliver almost 100 degrees of viewing angle, which is comparable with an HTC Vive . Realistically, AR is poised to outpace VR because it enables mobile-based experiences (new realities on phones from Ghana to Gary) that immerse and connect users in amazing ways .

(Top) 5G Virtual Reality at Intel (Middle) Pico Interactive’s Eagle Headset (Right)

The view inside the HTC Vive

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WearablesIn just two short years, fitness wearables, 3D printing and drones have taken a back seat at CES . In wearable fitness trackers, there was little news other than form factor changes and minute incremental tweaks, such as a patch that can be sewn into your clothing and used while swimming . Wearables have gone from helping users gain healthy habits to training them to stop their compulsive behaviors . From smoking cessation to nail biting, there is a wearable designed to help you . New startup, Habitaware presented Keen, a smart bracelet designed to make users aware of unwanted compulsive gestures such as nail biting, hair pulling and skin picking .

Of course, it is always hard to know what really cool new tech is under development as the most transformational technology is not on the floor, but rather is reviewed in private rooms to invitation-only audiences .

Nevertheless, some of the technology shown this year won’t have a realized impact for a few more years—quantum computers, VR in the surgical bay and beaming electricity—to name a few . Over 180,000 people saw these technologies at CES for the first time . To all the doubters, we say that, above all, CES is still very relevant .

CES overview

To all the doubters, we say that, above all, CES is still very relevant.

Quiet booths like Fossil’s show where watches and wearables once dominated, the excitement has waned

Kohler was new to CES, demonstrating Kohler

Konnect . Other brands you wouldn’t expect

have actually been coming for years, their

products evolving .

CES overview: More brands getting smart(er)

Continuing from last year, more toys

centered around teaching kids to code .

The push to reduce screen time was

also apparent .

CES overview: A kid’s life = coding, robots and AR

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Form, Material, Finish Trends: Copper is the new black

If you’re launching a new product in the next month or two and you’ve chosen copper as an accent color, you’ve missed the window . About 3,000 other manufactures have already gone in that direction . Audio products were in love with copper this year and while tastefully executed in nearly all cases, you start to see the trend all too quickly and the brands start to blur together .

In general, metallic finishes were hot with varying shades of color and sheen . We saw more natural materials combined with sleek metal or painted metal finishes . Wood, leather and cork touchpoints help to humanize the technology—with ‘organic’ material details complementing (and sometimes contrasting with) the metal and plastic finishes .

Appliance finishes echoed what we saw at the 2017 Housewares Show in Chicago, with a predominance of black stainless and subtle metal finishes . The influx of copper at CES 2018 was a flashback to the 2016 Housewares Show . Could it be that electronics are lagging other industries when it comes to color, material and finish (CMF)? If this is the case, I predict that 2019 will be the year of black stainless, wood, bronze and anodized iridescence . This trend is alluded to in the latest Apple iPhone media campaign .

Design overviewBy Michael Hammond

(right) Copper details seen in many audio products

For audio, fabric still reigns supreme .

Tasteful details, clean edges and the addition

of wood, cork, even concrete, were seen

throughout the show .

Design overview: Material details

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When it comes to determining which pop-color to incorporate into your next product, trend forecasters have dubbed millennial yellow as the replacement for millennial pink . The shade has already graced the catwalk, red carpet and media ads … so housewares and electronics are just months away . Fashion-forward manufactures may want to incorporate a trend shade in print or packaging design if their product lifespan is longer than two years . Ditto that approach for Pantone’s 2018 color of the year, Ultra Violet . Digital interfaces are an easy and adaptable way to ensure your product is always on trend .

Design overview

We really appreciated the step toward elegance and sophistication from the big brands down to small manufacturers . Simple geometric shapes were adorned with detailed textures that enhanced function or the appearance thereof . Screens remain invisible until lit from behind semi-opaque plastic—this allows for purity . There’s no need to disturb surfaces with a “bezel” anymore . We’ve seen this in automotive for the past few years, but now it has hit the mainstream .

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Design overview

Design matters more than everWhat was also impressive was the level of design sophistication and finish of products coming from no-name overseas vendors . Even at the Eureka Park, startups often had compelling industrial design . Good design is no longer a differentiator at CES—it is the cost of entry and only the earliest of startups or student entries are given a pass on “Bad Design Outcomes .”

It was refreshing to see that the bar has been raised . Design matters more than ever . Even an indie brand like Marley showed a masterful hand with their grown-up visual brand language (VBL) . Look how far they have come (see photos at right) .

The House of Marley has also carved out its own niche with a brand strategy delivering superior sound and sustainably crafted product . Brand transparency and purpose continues to be a differentiator for millennial consumers . As stated in a recent article in Forbes, “Millennials will only interact with brands that are open and transparent, stand for more than their bottom line, and address environmental and socioeconomic issues in the community . Those that don’t align with these values will be quickly replaced .”

Brands that just talk the talk will not survive the hypervigilance of the social media-savvy Millennials . If you are going to make sustainability claims, be assured these users will do the homework to prove it .

Simple and elegant in form, rich and complex

in detail . Examples in home audio, PC tech

and home appliances were consistent

throughout the show .

Design overview: Texture & finish

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Scenes from CES: Where impressive visual displays abound.

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Mobility

Here in my car...The future of transportation continues to evolve and the lines are being blurred between vehicle and robotics . It’s also inspiring to see big names in automotive exploring beyond their traditional products and business models .

As Zack Hicks, Chief Executive Officer and President of Toyota Connected, commented at CES, car manufactures are no longer just building vehicles without services to go with them . Toyota—among other manufacturers—is bringing together other service and product providers such as Amazon, Pizza Hut and Uber as partners for the autonomous ride . The e-Palette (shown right) was the symbol of Toyota’s $1 billion commitment to a future of autonomous vehicles . Their vision is a future of autonomous package delivery, food carts and mobile offices . Pizza Hut’s theory is that autonomous vehicles will actually create jobs and the delivery focus changes to hospitality rather than driving . Win, win .

Honda brought something completely different—autonomous, mechanical personal assistants . It showed four robots that were inspired by what they called 3E: empower, experience, empathy . It stresses the idea that robots and humans can work together, from personal mobility to having a companion that understands and responds to your emotions . Did we mention these were coming from Honda? The highlight was the 3E-D18 (note the 3E name) . It looks like an ATV and can be equipped with a platform that can be adapted to haul gear to difficult-to-reach places .

By Michael Hammond

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Mobility

Nvidia, ostensibly known for their graphics cards, has been pushing into autonomous AI . They brought their intriguing straight-from-a-videogame Roborace car . Built on Nvidia’s Pegasus AI, the newly upgraded 2018 car can make 320 trillion calculations per second, and they’re paving the way forward for driving AI both on and off the racetrack . No matter how smart the car, they will still need to prove racing is fun to watch without human heroes behind the wheel .

For cities to be more livable in an increasingly congested future, they’ll need sustainable and diverse mobility solutions . This means companies can no longer think about the “single vehicle .” Connected cars, along with the convergence of AI, are leading toward door-to-door mobility without ever having to sit in a traffic jam or hunt for a parking space . While that may still sound like a distant utopia, every vehicle manufacturer at CES is moving in that direction and that’s creating an enormous amount of momentum . Vehicular utopia is likely years, not decades away.

Ford’s urban oasis amongst a sea of new

automotive technology

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Toyota’s e-Palette concept is more than transportation; its a box on wheels that can be a mobile retail environment, a food cart and more.

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Nvidia’s concept race car with Drive PX: A scalable AI for autonomous driving. Amazingly cool in person, but what’s racing without the human hero?

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Honda ‘s 3-E (empower, experience, and empathy) concept was a unique combination of robots designed to be everyday-use mobility solutions.

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Realities

No big breakthroughs in VR, AR ... yet

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences could be found throughout the entire show as it has become a ubiquitous storytelling tool for new products and concepts .

While some new VR headsets appeared from Lenovo and Pico, it was the refined HTC Vive Pro with improved resolution that was stirring the most conversation .

While VR tech is getting better, the jaw-dropping breakthrough really wasn’t there . It seems everyone is in search of applications that really move the meter . Remember that this technology is still quite new and developers are still experimenting . Only now are we seeing VR combined with haptic feedback like these smart gloves and haptic chairs showcased at CES . This is leading VR closer to being totally immersive .

Something we found notable: Intel will be bringing 5G technology to mobile VR, as demonstrated by covering the Olympic winter games at Pyeongchang . You will see a livestream in full 360 with no time lag, Intel says . The potential for sharing VR experiences as a social medium has moved from glitchy to nearly seamless . According to Intel, 5G devices will start appearing in the mainstream in 2019 . Either way, VR and social media are headed toward a collision course . You’ll no longer have to be the voyeur via your friends’ Instagram posts—you can experience it with them in real time .

By Michael Hammond

(right) VR headsets combined with haptic feedback

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Realities

SimForHealth debuted at CES 2017 and is continuing to develop medical training via VR . The multi-user demo is impressive . Their aim is to deliver a collaborative approach to training over a large network of universities and hospitals . New students can learn by trial and error in a virtual environment where mistakes can be made without consequences to real patients .

The virtual tool is for educational use only so far . While there is still a long way to go before we see doctors or nurses clinically certified by VR, the tech has a truly meaningful application here with massive potential .

And what about AR? It’s even farther behind than VR . Microsoft’s Hololens was announced three years ago and Google Glass still can’t be said without snark . But AR is evolving and for now it’s staying on the screen rather than glasses .

With more powerful cell phones, AR is running more smoothly . With improved sense of space and object identification, it’s becoming less of a gimmick (Pokémon GO) and more of a useful tool .

(left) Medical training via VR (right) Intel’s Olympic VR experience

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Eureka Park

Finding innovation is a walk in the ParkEureka Park is aptly named—this is where over 900 startups from 42 countries come to share their ideas with the global consumer electronics community . To see them all in detail is a daunting task from the outset—the view from the start of the hall leads your eyes down a seemingly endless array of small booths . It’s the energy center of CES and it was teeming with people all three days that we visited . Being in the “basement” gives it that starting-in-the-garage vibe and everyone is eager to tell you about what they’ve come up with .

The Park is broken into sections by countries with domestic startups broken up by their relevant categories of smart/connected devices, healthcare, robotics and many more . This is where you’ll find some truly unique products that some of the big names upstairs have possibly overlooked . That said, it was hard to ignore the French this year—they had by far the largest presence .

The true magic of Eureka Park is not the unique ideas on their own . It’s a place where the global startup community can make countless connections out of which the “next big thing” could very well appear . But we won’t get too far ahead of ourselves . Highlights included a smart pill dispenser for seniors, an AI-powered device that identifies plants, a robot pet-entertainer that allows you to interact with your dog while at work, and a smart recycling bin that could sort materials and analyze waste .

By Michael Hammond

(right) Incision booth for medical VR training

Eureka Park: A global marketplace for ideas from insightful to just

weird, there was no shortage of interesting

things to see .

Eureka Park

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Wellness

Get connected to your sleepOnce again, Sleep, Relaxation and Stress Management was a big focus in Tech West . Why sleep? Research has reinforced that the role of sleep is paramount in every aspect of our health and wellness and most people aren’t getting enough of it . Sleeplessness is a global epidemic that’s exacerbated by stressful days and our addiction to the little blue screen’s 24-hour beacon .

CES 2017 multiple award-winner, Sleep Number, had another huge exhibit this year and offered attendees a respite of calm relaxation and perhaps even a cat nap or two . They have high hopes that their new 360 Smart Bed with SleepIQ technology will become the command center for your bedroom and your health and wellness .

Possible use cases for the hundreds of personal data measurements and 4 billion biometric data points collected by Sleep Number thus far include:

▪ Detecting sleep irregularities caused by the heart conditions related to sleep apnea

▪ Identifying epidemics such as the flu and alerting public health officials

▪ Working collaboratively with your healthcare provider to monitor personal health and wellness information, leading to faster treatments and enabling earlier at-home recovery .

By Eva Lutz & Michael Hammond

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Wellness

If a $3,000 bed is not in your budget, there were plenty of other players who promise to deliver hours of fruitful deep sleep at a fraction of the cost . We saw connected products ranging from sleep-inducing robot pillows to wearables and each had unique approaches to learning your sleep patterns . Naptime, an EEG monitoring (shown lower left) and feedback headset, offers to turn your brainwaves of dreams into melodies to share with your friends . The theory is that your brain’s personal melody lulls you to sleep faster .

Several technologies were focused on training users’ sleep behaviors for enriched sleep benefits . Referencing two university studies that demonstrated three-minute nap intervals during the first hour of sleep conditions you for better sleep, THIM claims to improve sleep by waking you up . They have developed a sensing ring and app that trains the user to sleep more effectively . Snore Circle, a smart headset, monitors sleep and sends vibrations to trigger the user to adjust his position and stop snoring (the tech equivalent of an elbow in the rib) .

One of the most compelling sleep enhancement gadgets was the Dreem headband by healthcare and electronics giant Phillips, which monitors brain activity and then uses sound “simulation” via haptics to keep you sleeping rather than waking your partner (shown lower right) .

Of course, if wearing a haptic headband, sleeping on a robot pillow or tracking every twitch, roll and snort is not for you—try leaving the phone on the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of warm milk and reading a book with actual paper pages . Cost $0 .00 .

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Health

Tech and Health: A symbiotic relationshipWhile CES is not a biotech or medical device conference, there were plenty of innovative healthcare products to be found . From consumer-facing wearables that track your heartrate to a plethora of products targeted at seniors and their caregivers that monitor and enrich every aspect of their lives, we saw products in every stage of the development process and from startups to major players .

Cardiomo, which is currently on the market, touts itself as the smallest wearable monitor that detects heart diseases at early stages . The wristband tracks heart and respiratory rate, activity, body posture and temperature . The app is targeted to both patient and caregivers, alerting them of imminent threats and sending emergency notifications if necessary . Lili smart uses a connected watch worn by a person with a loss of autonomy from conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, combined with sensors throughout the home, and an app dedicated to caregivers to detect behavior changes that be of concern . It enables the family to manage the day-to-day healthcare of their loved ones while encouraging special interpersonal interactions .

We saw products in every stage of the development process and from

startups to major players.

By Eva Lutz & Michael Hammond

Lili smart uses technolog to connect loved ones to care givers.

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Health

Wearables have leapt from patches to smart socks, shoes and fabrics . Of note was Willow, the first wearable breast pump that allows a nursing mother to pump continuously without having to remove any clothing or stop what she’s doing . The unit fits discretely in a bra and is controlled with a simple app . Diabetic smart socks from Siren tackle the problem of lower-limb blood circulation and numbness . Their sensing technology monitors for foot temperature 24/7, alerting the user of risk and possible injury . Early intervention has proven to greatly reduce amputations and extend patients’ lives .

In Eureka Park, Merck’s incubator had several products targeted at helping patients in developed and developing countries find healthcare providers and in-stock medications as well as protecting patients from fake medications . Check-ER is the first centralized system that provides real-time information on wait times in emergency rooms near their location . MedRX app provides patients and pharmacists with a web platform to access safe and affordable medicines online .

Veripad is a paper-based chemistry test supported by an app that detects counterfeit medicine . Several of these technologies are currently in use in Ghana and several other African countries . Fake medications are a growing problem in poor countries, where more than 10 percent of medicines are believed to be fake or substandard .

A range of products were designed to make life-changing differences including giving sight to the sightless and a new artificial lens that uses liquid crystal technology to offer perfect vision to every cataract patient . Aira enables the blind to access information on demand by combining AR and human interaction . The system includes a set of smart glasses and a network of certified agents to assist users . There were also camera-equipped glasses, OrCam MyEye 2 .0, (shown right) with face recognition and scanning technology that read the world (books, restaurant menus, signboards, phone screens, computer monitors and faces) and then relay this information back to the user . There were also a number of hearing aids showcased that could adapt to a user’s unique needs .

Health apps and AR assistive devices

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Monitoring

Global, local, personalAt CES, we found technologies that help us monitor, control and optimize our environments on a macro and micro level . Giants Bosch, LG and Haier all featured products focused on filling our homes with clean air . Startup Olfinity showcased a suite of products targeted at monitoring the indoor and outdoor air we breathe . They upped the ante with their monitor and purifier with essential oil-infused aromatherapy .

We can thank Flint, Michigan, for the increased interest in knowing exactly what is coming out of our faucets and there were plenty of products guaranteeing clean water . Eureka Park startup Lishtot offered an affordable IoT network of products that test drinking water in seconds . Their deluxe version tests tap, bottled and natural water . A CES award winner, Buoy, helps conserve water by managing household usage . It can even detect leaks and shut off the water supply automatically, preventing costly damage .

Appliance superstar LG had multiple smart air solutions that sense, clean and condition the air . Voice recognition allows users to control the interior temperature with a single word and smart sensing ensures that the appliances adjust airflow based on the proximity and number of people in the room . Controlling air quality on the macro level, Sensio Air is the world’s only patented smart air quality device that identifies allergens and pollutants in the exterior and interior air of our immediate surroundings . Using AI, it not only detects but also diagnosis potential allergies in individuals based on their symptoms .

By Eva Lutz

Smart solutions for cleaner water and clean air

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A healthier officeIn the workplace, desk sensing cubes from GreenMe, can monitor the environment at your desk, measuring light, sound and air quality . The system enables companies to analyze the environment and maximize environmental controls to foster higher productivity and employee satisfaction while decreasing the amount of sick leave . If a static cube isn’t dynamic enough, environmental robots can constantly monitor the workspace, checking on sound, noise and air quality . Air-sniffing robots were roaming the floor . If they could vacuum the floor, make coffee, order snacks, empty the trash cans and replace the TP, every office in America would have one in their ops budget for next year . Humanscale showcased ergonomic office furniture and made it smart with OfficeIQ . This sensor box provides customized prompts to encourage movement, better posture, optimal work station configuration . It also provides ergonomic reports for workers and employees .

Humanscale ergonomic-tracking office furniture (left) GreenMe desk sensing cube monitors your environment (right)

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HyperCustomization

Beauty and healthcare techA recurring theme found in the both the beauty and healthcare sectors is the concept of HyperCustomization/personalization . Designing your own shoes or formulating your own lipstick seems so 2013 . Data tracking, analytics and AI enable unprecedented and immediate product customization and personalized experiences for users delivered in the privacy of their own homes and yet sharable to the entire world .

HiMirror, (shown middle) a 2017 CES Innovation Award Honoree, came back with a smarter-than-ever 2018 version, HiMirror Plus—a smart mirror enabled by Alexa that plays music and shares content such as makeup and skincare advice, tutorials and product recommendations . It will even help you shop for new products and track how well your skincare regime is working . Its 100X camera and AI track the condition of your skin and shares all the gritty details behind every pore, wrinkle and under-eye bag it sees . It gives you a line-by-line or wrinkle-by-wrinkle report on how you’re aging . Even better, it can send these images to your smart phone so you can share all your beauty triumphs and failures on your social media feed .

Data-driven skincare came in wearable patches as well, with health and beauty giant Loreal revealing two UV sensor monitors (shown top), the smallest being a nail patch that will track your skin exposure for up to two weeks . A newcomer in Eureka Park, Romy Paris Skincare, (shown right) incorporated a smartphone-enabled scanner . With AI, this smart device can scan your skin and evaluate its unique needs and then create a custom skincare treatment in mere seconds based on your skin’s changing needs and external influencers (weather, pollution and UV) and internal stressors such as diet and exercise .

By Eva Lutz

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HyperCustomization

The ubiquitous smartphone-app-and-device approach weighed in as well with Neutrogena’s new Skin360 app and scanner . Working in tandem, the system accesses your skin’s overall health . It measures pore size, skin dryness and appearance . It then leverages this data to suggest products and personalized skincare regimes .

Talk of hypercustomization was found off the main floor as well . We took a break from the madness and headed to the Venetian to drop into the Digital Health Summit . Chris Van Hoof, director of wearable health solutions and imec fellow, shared several case studies with the standing-room-only crowd, elaborating on how personalization is moving past mere product to holistic experience design such as the NuCalm relaxation technology .

Today’s innovation teams are tackling the challenges of designing hypercustomized content that can deliver the right motivation for the specific user at the right moment in time . How can we adapt experiences to leverage how an individual prefers to learn (on a Sunday afternoon versus Monday morning) or create personas and coaching avatars that inspire the most behavior change (both after a stressful day at work and after a relaxing stroll with a friend)? The right approach shifts not only with the individual but also within each moment of that individual’s life . Clinical studies are underway to help researchers understand just how hypercustomized apps can impact patient outcomes .

Can these new technologies enable us to move from reactive to proactive or even predictive healthcare?

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Smart city

Our world—big and smallCES was filled with people trying to rethink what our world should be—smart cities, better crops, safer water and cleaner air . As we move to 5G, the additional bandwidth will accelerate the adoption of smart city technologies . New technologies combined with AI are being used to improve air quality or even change individual behaviors . For instance, Jinan, China is currently using facial recognition and public camera networks to name and shame jaywalkers . 2016 Smart City Challenge winner, Columbus, Ohio, is tapping into public and private funding (over $500 million in community commitments) to modernize the city’s infrastructure and transportation system .

And these cities are not alone—by 2025 the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) states that the smart city technology market will be worth over $88 .7 billion . Not all smart city technology is based on big government’s big data . My Safe Map uses social media and location sharing to let users have access to the best the world offers while also ensuring safety with multifunctional security features .

But smart cities go far beyond monitoring the physical infrastructure . Government and private sector leaders understand that what defines a place are the people who live and have lived there . “A city feels authentic after a generation or two of people have lived and worked there and made it their own,” said Rohit Aggarwala, head of urban systems at Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet . “And so, what we are committed to do is think about how could you initially build a place that is meant to be co-created by the people who live and work there .”

By Eva Lutz

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Smart city

There is a major shift in the world of the smart city, with emphasis shifting from sensor-specific to citizen-specific . What does the data we collect mean and how is it represented in the lives of our citizens? Much of this is about breaking down barriers that inhibit cooperation, minimizing bureaucracy and working collaboratively with the private sector . With Google sitting at the table, is there room for anyone else?

Visus LLC, a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded startup, has created a system that enables fast reading of the grid for collaborative analytics and visualization, enabling aerial images of massive regions to be stitched together seamlessly . Another startup, K&A Wireless LLC, is focused on clear skies ahead with an IoT-based mobile pollution monitoring system called Wi-Nox that’s targeted to transportation departments and municipalities . On a global scale, sensing robots will soon be sniffing the ocean floor trying to detect environmental changes .

From the city streets to the fields, we saw and heard it all at CES 2018 . Speakers continued to discuss the important role of drones that map and monitor the state of our watersheds and fields . Arable Labs Inc collects microclimate and crop growth data that can be leveraged to drive to predictions of harvest timing and yields . One can only begin to imagine how relevant data will impact everything from the shopping cart to the commodities trading floor .

Last year was one of extremes for many municipalities and their residents—hurricanes, floods and fires made it the most costly disaster-response year in US history . While technology can’t prevent these disasters, it can help governments rescue and protect citizens from their effects . SkyTruth was a lifeline for Houston after Hurricane Harvey . By leveraging technology such as GPS, satellite imagery and remote sensing, government, disaster personnel and citizens communicated updates on flooding and pollution .

Yamaha RMAX and YMR-01 Drones for agricultural use/ Monitoring cities at micro and macro scale

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Where do we go from here?After our third day of CES, we sat down and discussed what could possibly come next . Autonomous helicopters, VR, mind control—we saw it all .

In the CES-inspired near future, the autonomous Pizza Hut delivery vehicle is waiting at my door just as I pull into the driveway . Using mind control, I open the garage door where my robot dog is waiting to greet me . My refrigerator orders my milk . Amazon can open my front door and put the toilet paper under the sink . Oh wait, with my new smart toilet do I even need TP?

Today’s innovators are trying to solve big problems—saving lives, curing chronic illnesses and making the world, safer and cleaner for all of us—but they are also spending a lot of time and effort solving minimal first-world “problems” that have little impact on most people’s lives .

Today, we have the technology to track and monitor our lives throughout our entire lifespan, starting at pre-conception, post-conception (there was an

Today, we have the technology to track and monitor our lives

throughout our entire lifespan.

IoT babies were all the rage at CES

app tied with an MRI targeted at reducing the number of unnecessary and emergency C-sections) to birth . You can monitor your body’s every breath, track its every moment, even capture your baby’s world from their viewpoint so you can save those memories for them to review .

Final thoughtsBy Eva Lutz

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Final thoughts

I chatted with a friend and new parent about CES and all the incredible technology targeted at parents and young children . I asked, “So do you monitor/track your new baby? Did you see the Black Mirror episode?” “Arkangel,” (Season 4, Episode 2) was his response . Even those who are developing these new technologies are hesitant to incorporate them into their world . Concerns about privacy and the tension of realized benefits versus cost and ethics are still hampering adoption by many people .

It makes one wonder what is next . Will death be the last frontier in capturing our end and post-end moments for our loved ones to view? Will an autonomous hugging blanket ever be a replacement for a loved one’s embrace?

The question remains—if you track it, analyze it and control it, will they buy it? Answering that question is where design and strategy often comes to play . There are always a few surprises, but even at CES there were reminders that we still crave the analog in our lives—the sensation of real product in our hands, the unique smell when you open an old album sleeve and read the liner notes, the depth of “real” sound that only comes with a disc of plastic . Or the reality that reading and writing on real paper is profoundly satisfying to all of us . Face kisses from my smelly dog are better than the replica from a sparklingly clean robot dog . I am proud to be part of Design Concepts because understanding these tensions and keeping the human in human-centered design is what we practice every day .

“Arkangel,” an episode of the Black Mirror anthology in which a mom implants a tracking and monitoring chip into her child that leads to unintended consequences

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We design cool stuffDesign Concepts is a full-service product design and innovation consultancy with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and San Francisco . We design products, services and experiences that drive business success and improve people’s lives . Our process has been tested and refined through the completion of more than 2,700 projects for over 400 clients . Our research, design and engineering services deliver world-class strategies, physical products, digital products and services to our clients in the healthcare, commercial and consumer industries . Learn more at design-concepts .com

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2018 CES

Eva Lutz & Michael Hammond

Third Edition, January 2018

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