CES 2019 Takeaways for Architects

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) closed last week, showcasing the best in what tech has to offer for the year ahead and into the future. With the continual growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the infusion of technology into other spaces, including automobiles and smart cities, the trends that come out of CES are playing a larger role within an architect’s domain.

This year was no exception with new items coming out in smart cities, vehicle technology, resilience, artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital health, and more. As an advocate for architects expanding the value that they bring through their practice, I am less interested in technology that commoditizes our current offerings and more interested in areas where architects should be building partnerships and forging new business relationships.

Transportation

Over the past few years, automobiles and their manufacturers continue to grow their visual presence. With the growth of autonomous cars, this year’s auto portion of the CES show is starting to upstage some of the larger auto shows. A large part of this is the shift to technology integration within their vehicles and what that means to car ownership going into the future. Automakers, including Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen, and Ford have been referring to themselves as “mobility service” companies rather than car makers.

One partnership that got a lot of attention was a collaboration between Uber in Ford, and their proposed flying taxi service that they hope will go live in less than five years. Another large category was self-driving cars that are completely hands-free, changing the interior spaces of tomorrow’s cars into a mobile office.

Sustainable and Resilient Innovations

In addition to energy saving solutions, sustainability and resiliency are growing categories in CES offering real problem-solving solutions that can help seniors stay in their homes longer, prevent damage, or even optimize entire apartment buildings. The one-year demonstration house, The Align Project, is challenging ideas on how we live in the US combining tiny house living with smart home technology that ultimately focuses on revamping cities, the supporting energy infrastructure, mobile solutions as families grow and change over time, finances relative to the cost of a home, and more.

In addition to providing lighting, the Domalys Aladin Smart Lamp integrates its motion sensors with Wi-Fi connectivity to alert family members of unusual activity in a room including falls. It was one of many technologies that offer passive observation of activities within a home, giving a greater sense of mind to those watching over a growing elderly population.

The Zome kit creates the ability operate apartment buildings like a microgrid. Rather than installing a gateway in every single unit, you install their gateway in a central location in the building. Their kit then balances power usage with comfort and efficiency and can control smart thermostats, power switches for major mechanical equipment, and appliances.

In addition to the products, some of the live stream sessions are available via video on the CES website. The following are taken specifically from the first ever resilience track and apply to changes and innovation within the built environment:

Cities and Tech: Fostering Partnerships to Build Resilience

Crisis Prevention – Water Shortages

Emergency Preparedness

Other panels that may be of interest:

Cities Flirt with Blockchain

Smart Cities, Public Safety and Disaster Preparedness/Recovery

What’s Next for Transportation in the Smart City?

Funding, Financing and the Economics of Smart Cities

It Takes a Village: Building Smart Communities

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Be sure to check out the CES website for more insights into products as well as additional panels.