CES XNUMX was not a disaster. It was strange, slightly dissociative (as if your head floated a few inches from your body) but not unpleasant (as if your head floated above your body).
We've all been there, and while only a fraction of the normal number of attendees and exhibitors were in person, the event was always full of crazy new products, dumb and awesome ideas, and even star power. .
And there was the Metaverse.
In my unscientific estimate, "The Metavers" was mentioned two thousand times during the slightly abbreviated 4-day event.
This is how the robots will be our digital twins.
This is how we will exercise.
This is how we will stay healthy.
This is how we will pay.
This is how we left to immerse ourselves in other worlds.
To be fair, the Metaverse story at CES wasn't even that compelling, but the drive to make that unreality a reality in our consumer electronics lives was widespread.
battle of buzzwords
Metaverse competed for the most talked about tech pole position with NFT, but unlike that elusive crypto nonsense, Metaverse is an old idea that many companies at CES have been toying with for years, but not by that name.
Sony made its compelling reasoning for the Metaverse without even saying the words. Its upcoming eye-tracking PS VR XNUMX and PSVR XNUMX Sense controllers could lead to one of the most immersive Metaverse experiences out there.
Hyundai's (and Microsoft Azure's) term Digital Twin offered perhaps the most compelling Metaverse view of all of CES XNUMX. Instead of interacting with others on a virtual planet, use Microsoft's Azure Cloud and its knowledge of connected systems and a Boston Dynamics' (now owned by Hyundai) to be your physicist in space. Maybe the bot is working on inventory or helping you fix a system remotely, or maybe it's "" on the real floor at the next CES.
FOMO gadget
CES and its parent company (the nonprofit CTA) were not immune from their disputed resolution to host a major in-person event in Las Vegas, Nevada, throughout a pandemic. Personally, I felt sorry for them. Much planning and care went into this year's event. They thought they had any and all proper health protocols in place, but they couldn't prepare (truly, none of) for Omicron's push.
Along with many other people, I chose to stay home, but I suffered from severe FOMO due to devices, essays, and robots that I couldn't see in person.
Now imagine if I had been able to connect to a Boston Dynamics Remote Spot robot, a robot with knowledge of showroom layout and armed with a high-resolution camera, microphones and speakers. He could walk remotely into the living room. And since Spot is a robot with a certain autonomy, it can avoid others, obstacles and continue forward when there is no one to talk to or nothing to see. He could essentially take the tour and let me know when there is something interesting to see.
This is a phase 1 of the metaverse that could continue.
Still, the success of this partially digital CES proves a point I made a few weeks ago: CES doesn't have to be in person. The streaming opening statements were interesting and engaging. I don't know if I would have been more moved by Sony introducing Spider-Man star Tom Holland if he had been there in person.
The conference sessions I attended virtually were interesting (Pete Buttigieg made a strong case for a down-to-earth, tech-driven future of transportation). What was missing from one part of the virtual engagement was a connection with other participants.
CES has a decent mobile app that attempts to promote virtual and in-person engagement, but this year seemed like a bust.
The Metaverse could help by putting keynotes on the digital stage and, with participants wearing VR headsets, virtually moving through the audience.
Of course, this will not be possible (or recommended for sessions lasting more than fifteen minutes) until we have considerably lighter headphones and more immersive anatomical clothing that can help us feel the full experience of THOSE.
The Metaverse doesn't happen right away, or really anytime soon, but it's at the core of an idea that could save CES for generations to come.