In the 1989 movie Back to the Future II, the lead character Marty McFly, played by Michael J Fox, rode on a hoverboard (flying board) as he tried to evade some small-time gangsters. The chase ended when the bad guys crashed into the clock tower. Ever since the concept was introduced in the movie, people have been waiting for the cool gadget to make its way into the market. In the movie, McFly travelled from 1985 to 2015.
Well, at the just-concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas, hoverboards were quite the talking point, although not the flying ones. In his opening keynote address, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich demonstrated a hoverboard built by Segway, the company that makes electric scooters for mall cops. It turns out the device isn’t just a fancy hoverboard, it’s also a robot butler. Talk about two-in-one hoverboard.
In another development, a Chinese company also showcased yet another hoverboard, but later landed in hot water for alleged copyright infringement. This just goes to show that there is no short cut to innovation!
Over the years, CES events have had their share of thrills and spills, of gadgets and devices that made it, and those which bombed. In the past week, images of cool gadgets and devices — from health-focused wearables and drones, to 3D printers and augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets — filled up the tech pages of the print and online media. CES 2016 proved yet again that sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity and innovation.
There were quite purposeful gadgets at the show. One of the hottest devices was undoubtedly those tiny devices called drones. Drones displayed at the show are higher tech than ever before, which goes to prove the constant quest for improvement and perfection by inventors. Some drones are no bigger than a large paper clip. There were also models with virtual reality capabilities that allow users to control the direction of their drone with just a turn of the head.
Drones might be most commonly associated with security and public safety missions — but they’re also helping with everything from distance learning to scientific research, and more. We should be hearing more about the drones in the coming months, as the products move from concept to full commercialisation.
There were some quirky but still functional devices. An example was the new hybrid alarm clock which wakes you up, not with a sound, but smell! Now, how about that? And there is also the smart shower head that can track your water consumption via Bluetooth technology and guide you to set limits on your usage. That is sure a smart way to save on your water bill! The list of quirky devices goes on.
Given the stiff competition, some of these products will make it to the top, some may not. But what is more important is that the spirit of creativity and innovation was alive and well at CES 2016. In fact, creativity and innovation have been the driving force behind the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, sparked by the invention of the microprocessor in 1971, the introduction of the personal computer (PC) in 1981 and the commercialisation of the Internet in 1994.
Another clear trend of CES and other international tech shows over the years is the domination of start-ups and renowned companies from the US, Europe and Asian economies like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. These are the tech powerhouses of the world, which blend an innovative culture and entrepreneurial spirit to produce some of the most creative and innovative companies. Companies like Intel, Microsoft and Google are already well known for their focus on research and development.
So do Asian tech giants, such as Samsung and Sony, which have been investing heavily on creative manpower to bring some of the best consumer products into the market. The result is for all to see, these companies have dominated the tech scene for the last decade or so, with their range of consumer electronics products.
Events such as CES are seen as the catalyst for creativity and innovation in the consumer electronics segment. One of the fastest growing areas at the show is the start-up arena where hundreds of young companies from around the world showcased their products hoping to find new partners and capture the attention of industry media. If they succeed, they will move on to bigger things.
For companies that fail this time, it’s not the end of the world. With a strong innovative culture and a will to succeed, they should come back stronger and more prepared next year. And who knows, they might hit the jackpot with a product that can soar above their competitors.
A flying car, perhaps?
The writer is editor of BOTs, the weekly tech section in Life&Times. Trained in Maths, he has since traded his problem-solving skills with writing about how tech has helped to transform the world for the better.