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CES 2022. Tech driving change in vehicles

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Stephen ScourfieldThe West Australian
Vinstar at Consumer Electronics Show 2022 in Las Vegas.
Camera IconVinstar at Consumer Electronics Show 2022 in Las Vegas. Credit: Supplied

Togg, Edison, Vinstar, Fisker, ELMS, Indi EV. You’re forgiven for not having heard of any of them.

But there they were, with their cars, at the Consumer Electronics Show, CES 2022, staged by the Consumer Technology Association at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

If you hadn’t noticed, the world is changing. Has changed.

The old order of car manufacturing is being shaken up and added to, as tech has become the driving force.

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Phone connectivity, adaptive cruise control, collision prevention and lane guidance dominate the driving experience these days. Everything is edging towards self-driving cars.

Electric vehicles seem to dominate new car releases.

There were more familiar names like Microsoft, Sony and Bosch at the show — but not necessarily thought of so much in a car context.

Denso had a vehicle, though it’s better known as a parts provider.

This electronics show looked more like a classic motor show.

In car manufacturers, the big guns were Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, with its stunning Vision EQ, which looks like a comic book racer.

BMW has previously used the show to launch its iDrive technology — intelligent road sensing aimed at improving safety.

This year, the German manufacturer showed off its BMW iX M60 Sports Activity Vehicle. Perhaps even more eye catching at the show, it also revealed a technology that changes the exterior colour of a car at the single touch of a button.

General Motors showed off its Chevrolet Silverado EV (which we have already featured in West Wheels) as well as the electric GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Celestiq and Cadillac Lyriq.

And Hyundai unveiled its vision for pioneering the use of robotics.

HYUNDAI’S METAVERSE VISION

Hyundai has used CES 2022 to reveal its pathway to using robotics in both the real world and metaverse.

Under the theme Expanding Human Reach, Hyundai Motor’s presentations reflected how the company’s robotics business will drive a complete shift in future mobility — beyond traditional means of transportation.

Robotics is an essential part of Hyundai Motor’s transformation plan, having bought robot specialist company Boston Dynamics.

A spokesperson says: “The company sees robotics and mobility as complementary in that one accelerates development of the other, and vice versa.

“Together, they form a synergistic combination that will add value to the business and drive progress for humanity, starting with a robotics-based Mobility of Things (MoT) ecosystem.”

And what does that mean for us in the future?

Under the company’s concept of Metamobility, robots will act as a medium between the real and virtual worlds.

The spokesperson explains: “The company envisions that the distinctions between future mobilities will be blurred through the further development of robotics technology, such as AI and autonomous driving. Diverse mobilities, including automobiles and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) will also serve as smart devices for access to the metaverse platform.”

Euisun Chung, the Hyundai group’s executive chair, went further: “At Hyundai, we are harnessing the power of robotics to achieve great things. We envision future mobility solutions made possible by advanced robotics.”

What does all this mean? Using VR, a car that connects to virtual spaces could be transformed into an entertainment space, a meeting room for work or a 3-D video game platform.

And Hyundai also talked about robotics and digital twin technology — giving people a digital twin of their home in the metaverse, while they are away from their physical home. The digital twin could “feed and hug a pet in Korea through the use of an avatar robot”.

+ As well, Hyundai Motor also exhibited the MobED (Mobile Eccentric Droid) small mobility platform. It uses the Plug and Drive Robotic (DnL) module, an eccentric wheel mechanism combining the drive, steering and braking systems in one structure.

With DnL mounted on each wheel, MobED can lift the platform up and down, so the body can stay level as MobED traverses uneven terrain or low barriers such as steps or speed bumps.

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