i3 | January 18, 2023

Metaverse, Mobility and Sustainability

CES® returns to Las Vegas in January, and the show will once again feature the latest innovations that will shape 2023 and beyond. Three long-term trends that will shape the future technology landscape —metaverse, mobility and sustainability — will be highlighted by several exhibitors at CES. Here’s what to watch.

Foundations of the Metaverse

The metaverse emerged as one of the most buzzworthy topics on the CES 2022 show floor. As part of the broader evolution of the next generation of the internet — or simply, Web3 — the metaverse encompasses shared, immersive virtual experiences. Nascent metaverse technologies on display at CES 2023 offer a window to the future of digital collaboration and the massive transformations now underway, which will enable persistent, decentralized, interoperable digital content.

As gaming, and the software engines powering the gaming industry, continue to construct elaborate virtual and shared worlds, today’s metaverse attracts greater numbers of inhabitants.

One metaverse pioneer, Microsoft, will return to the CES 2023 show floor, where attendees will see the company’s latest advancements in immersive gaming on the Xbox platform, on display as part CES’s Gaming/Metaverse/XR exhibits.

Beyond gaming, several hardware exhibitors at CES will show off the latest technologies enabling deeper immersion, particularly through sight and sound, which remain critical components of perception within digital environments. Vermont-based OVR Technology will highlight olfactory VR technology that will allow users to smell the metaverse. Potential applications in emergency medical training add another layer of sensation within the rapidly growing metaverse.

Physical sensation will also play a key role in immersion for enterprise and consumer applications, driven through haptics technology, or “force-feedback technology that leverages a person’s sense of touch by applying vibrations and/or motion to the user’s fingertips,” according to Gartner. Owo and bHaptics will return to CES to exhibit haptics technology in the form of vests, gloves and other accessories that allow users to touch the metaverse.

Advanced and Electric Mobility

CES stands as one of the largest auto shows in the world, and at CES 2023 advanced mobility and electric vehicle technologies will prominently demonstrate the future of getting around.

Several leading innovators in self-driving sensors and vehicle technologies will present their products in Las Vegas, including Luminar Technologies and Aeva, which will exhibit advancements in lidar technology, a critical underpinning for consumer and enterprise applications of self-driving vehicle technologies. The Indy Autonomous Challenge will show an exhilarating side of smart mobility through autonomous race cars, viewable on the CES show floor and at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Electric vehicles will also share a large presence at the show, where Stellantis will debut its concept all-electric Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck.

Electric vehicle technology will extend beyond land as a set of exhibitors present EV innovation across both air and sea: Ryse Aero Technologies will show the company’s latest generation electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) vehicle, while Candela’s electric boats will help launch a new Marine Technology exhibit space at CES 2023.

Horizontal Tech Theme: Sustainability

Many innovations on display at CES 2023 join burgeoning efforts

to build technology solutions that address the most pressing global challenges. CES’s partnership with The World Academy of Art and Science to support United Nations efforts to advance human security around the world offers another example of technology’s role in advancing the greater good. Sustainability also has emerged as a significant trend at CES, as global focus on environmentally conscious products extends horizontally across a variety of technology areas. Notably, Siemens will present Nemo’s Garden, a startup focused on underwater crop cultivation, in the CES 2023 exhibit space. Siemens will also show its Xcelerator portfolio of software and services, helping to scale agtech innovations from Nemo’s Garden to tackle growing environmental and food security challenges.

Sustainability’s role in spurring innovation in areas such as power generation will be visible through exhibitors like NexGen Power Systems and Jackery, which plan to show the latest in compact power modules and solar generators.

Ultimately, advancements in metaverse, mobility and sustainability technologies will fundamentally transform the future technology landscape for consumers and enterprises alike.