From fantasy to the foreseeable future: how intelligent, intuitive and immersive technology is taking over

There’s no denying that the science fiction fodder of the 20^th century is quickly becoming the reality of the 21^st century. It’s almost as if technology innovators today are looking to the world of fantasy for inspiration: after all, if it’s what people dreamed up back then, isn’t it what people want now?

Not everything from the world of popular fantasy is going to be a hit in the modern world, of course: just look at the short-lived hoverboard craze, which gained mass enthusiasm in theory, only to fall flat in execution. Other science fiction-inspired innovations, however, are proving to be more successful and viable in the real world – hinting toward a future in which technology becomes as omnipresent as oxygen.

This was never more evident than at CES 2016, the annual consumer electronics and technology tradeshow held earlier this month in Las Vegas. While CES has long been at the epicenter of global technology innovation, this year’s show – which sprawled across 2.47 million square feet of exhibition space – seemed to fuse sci-fi nostalgia with the promise of a technologically intuitive future. Here are some of the underlying themes and major breakthroughs that dominated the event:

Robots, Drones and Automobiles

The next generation of drones and automobiles made waves at CES, with highlights including the reveal of the highly anticipated concept car by Faraday Future, the FFZERO1 – a battery-powered automobile that incorporates smartphone connectivity, with a mobile dock located directly inside the steering wheel. Likewise, Chinese company EHang debuted the EHang 184, a single-passenger drone that hints toward an exciting new method of personal transport. Passenger-free drones also saw new developments, with Parrot’s fixed-wing Parrot Disco Drone eschewing the popular drone designs of the day in favor of a clean, lightweight, and highly functional aesthetic.

Meanwhile, innovators in the field of robotics really stepped up their game, with consumer-centric bots being designed to achieve countless functions. Flower Robotics’ Patin Robot, for example, acts as a personal butler, doing everything from cleaning the air to making coffee; LG’s HOM-BOT Turbo+ not only vacuums and cleans the home, but can act as a security device, detecting movement around the house and sending photos to the homeowner’s smartphone; and the Segway Robot operates as both a mode of transport and a butler.

View to the Future: Screens and Displays

Display technology has been making enormous leaps over the past several years, with the proliferation of OLED screens and the introduction of the game-changing high dynamic range (HDR) technology. These technologies continued to grab mass attention at CES 2016: LG Electronics’ stunning 77-inch 4K OLED TV was one of the tradeshow’s Innovation Award winners, with judges praising it as an outstanding feat of modern engineering and design. In fact, LG proved to be a show-stealing presence in the field of display technology, particularly with the debut of its 18-inch Rollable OLED Display – a stunning, paper-thin screen that can be rolled up, much like a newspaper. Although this display is still in the prototype stage, it points to a future of screen technology that seemed to be pure fantasy only a few years ago.

The Smart Tech Takeover

The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing, and smart technology is being integrated into absolutely everything – from homes to apparel, to medical technology. At CES 2016, smart technology was a truly pervasive presence, with highlights including products like the Kwikset Premis Smart Door Lock, which can be activated using a key, PIN code, or one’s smartphone. The Withing Thermo smart thermometer also proved to be a hit: with 16 infrared sensors, the device can capture up to 4,000 temperature readings in only two seconds, transmitting the information to the user’s smartphone via Wi-Fi.

Wearable smart technology also took new shapes this year, with fitness-tracking headbands that measure vital signs, and smart shoes that automatically adjust to better fit the wearer’s feet – and can even provide heat on cold days.

And of course, the potential for smart technology in the home continues to expand, with new developments in the field of smart appliances, including intuitive refrigerators, washing machines, light fixtures and vacuum cleaners. But while also of these products may be incredible as stand-alone appliances and devices, the true ingenuity on display at CES 2016 was the way in which these products can be integrated together. LG, for example, debuted its SmartThinQ™ Hub, a gateway device that connects all smart-enabled devices around the home into one easy-to-operate platform. With a 3.5-inch color LCD display, the SmartThinQ™ Hub can be easily synced up to the user’s smartphone, allowing for a homeowner to manage their entire home remotely and with ease.

With many of these products slated to hit the market this year, it seems that the future we’ve all been dreaming of has finally arrived.