What's on my Radar for CES 2024
The largest consumer electronics show in North America kicks off tomorrow. I'll be on the ground covering the latest innovations and how they'll impact the future of fashion, beauty, and beyond.
Each year, the tech industry descends upon Las Vegas for CES, the largest technology show in North America. Between the bright lights of the Vegas strip and blinking booths competing for attendee attention, it can be hard to know where to focus. Thankfully, I’m on the hunt specifically for innovations that will impact fashion, beauty, retail, and consumer experiences. Here’s what I’m expecting from this year’s show:
AI Everywhere
The buzzword of 2024 will continue to be AI, and at CES, I expect it to be everywhere. From AI that can inspect circuit boards to AI that can plan and cook your meals, there will be no shortage of companies looking to cash in on the hype.
When it comes to fashion, I’m especially interested in this collaboration between French fashion brand The Kooples and AI developer IMKI. Together, they’re launching a capsule collection created using artificial intelligence. According to their press release:
Augmented Creative AI is a tailor-made tool designed to empower brand heritage and design. The technology accelerates the creative process, allowing brands to multiply their creative capacities while simultaneously reducing production costs. By safeguarding brand DNA, IMKI's AI enables designers to build on their heritage.
Generative AI has been both an exciting opportunity and existential threat for fashion designers, so it’s interesting to see a company embrace it head-on. I’ll be visiting their booth to see what plans they have for the future of fashion and AI.
Smart Mirrors
Last time I attended CES smart mirrors were absolutely everywhere. This year they’re back with added capabilities and….well, questionable applications. Take, for example, the NuraLogix Anura MagicMirror, which leverages AI and optical technology to assess facial blood flow patterns. The mirror claims with just a 30-second pose, it can accurately assess blood pressure and diabetes risk.
I’ll also be visiting the Perfect Corp demo room to learn more about their beautifying technologies. In 2019, I went viral on Twitter and made the front page of Reddit demonstrating the company’s augmented reality hair colour try-on tech. This year, Perfect Corp is showcasing its accessory try-on as well as other “beautifying solutions.”
Smart Glasses
Twenty twenty-three was a big year for smart glasses with the teasing of Apple’s Vision Pro. This year at CES, I expect to see a number of startups vying for attention for versions of their smart glasses. Take, for instance Cellid’s slim and light XR glasses, which boasts the industry's broadest field of view, or Vusix’s Ultralite AR Smart Glasses Platform, which received honourable mention at CES Innovation Awards.
Given Apple’s focus on enterprise and creating a device you wear while stationary, there’s a big opportunity for a smart glasses player to emerge who sets the standard for everyday wear. And that player will need both form and function.
Wearables for Accessibility
Just a few short years ago, wearables were all the rage. While they’ve never left the show floor at CES, this year they seem to have an accessibility angle. Take, for example, a pair of gloves that stops hand tremors in Parkinson's patients:
The GyroGlove uses a gyroscope which spins against the wearer’s movements to minimize tremors. Then there’s the Lexilens smart eyewear by Abeye, a pair of glasses for those with dyslexia. Lexilens includes small electronics that control the active lenses in a way that suppresses the “internal crowding” in the visual cortex, which causes reading disorders. Once activated, the lenses instantaneously improve reading fluency and comprehension for those with dyslexia.
OCUTRX will be showcasing its new mixed reality headset that will restore vision for patients with Advanced Macular Degeneration. The headset also has applications in manufacturing, surgery, enterprise tech and more.
How to Follow Along
I’m excited as ever to be walking the show floor at CES this year. Be sure to following along on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, where I’ll be posting stories and summaries.
That's so exciting!!! Looking forward to the updates 👍