It might be a bit difficult to believe the fact that the Consumers Electronics Show, held in Las Vegas, was once dedicated only for commercially available household gadgets such as computers and stereo systems. The annual event has now fixated on the annual automotive calendar, expanding to include a broader range of technology including cars and in-car technologies.
Car manufacturers now regularly have stands at the CES, showcasing their latest advancements in safety technologies, infotainment systems, autonomous driving, battery packs and electric powertrains. This year's event kicked off today and will go on till January 12. Here are the key players and what can be expected from them in the coming days.
Audi
The German manufacturer plans to unveil its future plans for in-car entertainment, complemented by its latest gesture, touch and voice-controlled infotainment system. The new “mobile movie theatre” allows the occupants to enjoy film and television program via mobile streaming services.
Byton
Chinese electric car startup Byton is poised to unveil the latest version of its M-Byte SUV's interior. We have learnt that the main feature of this latest concept is a vast, 48-inch widescreen “Shared Experience Display” (SED) infotainment system that extends throughout the dash.
Reports suggest that the system is capable of recognising the voices of its users as well as identify the seat in which they are sitting. All this is possible with the help of the company's machine learning system known as “Byton Life' which can sync with the driver's smartphone.
Hyundai
Hyundai's part supplier Hyundai MOBIS is all set to unveil two of its concepts at the CES including a concept car interior introducing several new technologies that will be focused on driver convenience along with autonomous driving, and a go-anywhere robotic concept called the “CRADLE”.
The CRADLE concept is an electric robotic car that features extended legs and wheels. According to the Koran manufacturer, this allows the vehicle to cover rough terrains that would otherwise be inaccessible to conventional vehicles. This could prove a wise application in natural disaster zones as well as mountain rescue situations.
Kia
We can expect a range of driver convenience that will be out of Kia's bag of surprises this year. We, however, are clear about just one of its concepts that will be showcased at the expo. The Real-Time Emotion Adaptive Driving System (R.E.A.D) will be capable of adjusting a car's interior lighting and climate according to the driver's emotional state, using a range of sensors and artificial intelligence.
The tech is developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and will be placed inside a car-shaped display called the “Space of Emotive Driving” at the exhibition. The company will also offer a 15-minute tour of the display throughout the expo.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes is all set to unveil three new cars at the CES. First up is the CLA fastback saloon, which will borrow a plethora of features from the newest generation A-Class. Apart from that, the German auto-giant is also expected to show its Vision URBANETIC concept which is an all-electric vehicle hinting Mercedes' future plans for mobility.
Additionally, the company is also set to roll out the EQC which was first showcased at the 2018 Paris Motor Show with a power output of 396hp and 450km of range.
