Replacing The 'C' In CES With Cars: An Overview

If you had stumbled onto any news outlet in the past week – whether traditional, social media or with our newsletters – there’s no denying that the annual International Consumer Electronics Show, or CES 2017, had captured the attention of the world in a variety of different ways. Notably in the past few years, the event has become one to spotlight advances in connected and autonomous cars, as well as pushing the boundaries with electric vehicles.

Now that the event has concluded – taking place from Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas – let’s look at some of the events that captured the attention of the automotive world, from the OE and aftermarket sides alike:

Autoliv showcased many of its safety equipment products, including the zForce Steering Wheel, “Learning Intelligent Vehicle” or LIV and more vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems, as well as signed the final agreement for a joint venture named Zenuity with Volvo Cars, aiming to develop software for autonomous driving, that was announced in the fall of 2016.
Clarion Corp. introduced the “Full Digital Sound” audio system, which was awarded as one of the CES 2017 Innovation Award honorees. The in-car audio system maintains a digital audio signal from the source to the speaker voice coils, which results in “pristine sounding audio with zero loss in quality and no added noise from analog connections,” according to the company.
Continental brought several new innovations to the table, including in-vehicle biometrics, a new cloud terminal that is integrated into the head unit and new possibilities with a 3-D display surface. The company also showcased its 3-D Flash LiDAR and its Assisted & Automated Driving Control Unit.
Delphi has teamed up with Ford and AT&T to produce vehicle-to-anything (V2X) communications. According to the companies, Delphi will develop the on-board V2X module; AT&T will develop the software for the platform and will provide the wireless connectivity; and Ford will provide the in-car integration.
DENSO partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to bring a “next generation” persuasive electric vehicle (PEV), which the companies say will “provide a glimpse into the future possibilities of autonomous transportation using today’s technology.” The company also had VIVE, its virtual reality experience game, on the showfloor to showcase V2X technology and manufacturing.
Ford and Volkswagen have both teamed up with Amazon to bring Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based smart service, to their cars. Ford also is allowing consumers to access their vehicles from their homes.
Honda introduced an automated electric commuter concept vehicle called NeuV, which is equipped with artificial intelligence and can “create new possibilities for human interaction and new value for customers,” according to the company.
ZF announced it is working with NVIDIA to develop artificial intelligence systems for automated and autonomous driving systems. The first system announced was the ZF ProAI.
BMW actively took a look toward the future, as the company brought the BMW i Inside Future concept to the showfloor, equipped with HoloActive Touch technology (an evolution of its Gesture Control system, the company says).
Navya introduced the Navya Arma, a new electric autonomous shuttle that is powered completely through AI. It was demonstrated in Las Vegas during the show on a special closed course, and currently is being implemented on the roads of the University of Michigan’s Mcity.
NVIDIA partnered with Mercedes for an artificial intelligence-powered car. Mercedes also had an all-electric SUV, called the EQ, on the show floor, which was unveiled in September 2016.
NXP Semiconductor, with Delphi and start-up Savari, use NXP’s RoadLINK to show “car of the future,” mapping the area around it with its sensors.
Valeo introduced the XtraVue, a new camera system designed to navigate blind spots. It works by connecting the car in front and giving additional views to see if it’s safe to pass, increasing safety.
FCA, with help from Adient, debuted the Chrysler Portal, an electric minivan concept with various new features aimed at the millennial with a family. We covered the design more in-depth here.
Gentex announced a new biometric mirror, camera-integrated exterior mirror and CMW full display mirror.
Audi and Nvidia announced plans to have a self-driving car on the road by 2020 with “Level 4” capability, or not needing a human being to supervise it on normal driving situations.
Nissan unveiled its electric car, Leaf, which will include Nissan’s ProPilot autonomous driving technology, enabling single lane autonomous driving on the highway. The company also is using technology from NASA’s Mars Rover to move self-driving vehicle fleets.
Microsoft has partnered with both BMW and Nissan to integrate Cortana, the tech company’s digital assistant, into some vehicles.
Faraday Future introduced the FF91, which was one of the highlights of the show. With a claimed acceleration of 0-60mph in 2.39 seconds, it would be the fastest-acceleration electric car. On top of that, the future car is able to park itself, which the company demonstrated, and has an extremely high energy-density battery.
Hyundai showcased a prototype, called the Ioniq vehicle, on the streets of Las Vegas.
Schaeffler announced a partnership with IBM to help in data analysis from sensors.
Toyota unveiled a concept car called Concept-i. It was aided by an artificial intelligence assistant named Yui, which is capable of reading human emotions and “learning” about the driver and assisting in safety.