CES 2017 Opens With Next-Generation Innovation

CES 2017 officially opened its doors on January 5, celebrating the show's 50th anniversary with a recording-breaking exhibit floor spanning more than 2.6 million net square feet. More than 3,800 companies will launch innovative products this week at CES, including an unprecedented 600 startups in Eureka Park. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), CES 2017 runs through Sunday, January 8, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"What an incredible way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of CES - with the largest show floor in our history showcasing the next generation of innovation that will revolutionize our world. The products and services unveiled at CES 2017 will touch nearly every single global industry. From the latest in virtual reality, smart home, self-driving vehicles, robotics, wearables, health and fitness tech and more, CES 2017 is unveiling the future of the connected experience and what it means for consumers around the world," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA.

The event saw NVIDIA Founder & CEO Jen-Hsun Huang at the keynote stage, where he made multiple announcements based on the company's developing advanced graphics processors and artificial intelligence. Mass Effect: Andromeda, a video game made by BioWare, was previewed by NVIDIA along with GeForce NOW, a streaming service that turns any PC into a powerful gaming PC from the cloud. Huang also unveiled a new version of the Shield TV -- now just called Shield -- which will support 4K HDR for both games and movies making it the world's first 4K HDR entertainment platform.

To support Shield's Artificial Intelligence (AI), Huang introduced NVIDIA SPOT, a plug-in device that understands natural language and complex patterns to help build a user's AI experience. Huang also announced an AI car supercomputer called Xavier used in NVIDIA's own self-driving car BB8 and a new capability on the NVIDIA AI car computer called AI Co-Pilot, which provides drivers with road alerts and recognizes facial expressions and voice recognition to improve drivers' experience.

Huang further announced an expanded partnership with Audi to develop artificial intelligence for a new generation of self-driving cars, with plans to have vehicles on the road by 2020. He also provided details on partnerships with mapping companies HERE and ZENRIN; and two of the world's largest automotive suppliers, ZF and Bosch.

At a Nielsen Storytellers session, Nielsen's Executive Vice President & Global Retail Practice Leader Louise Keely discussed new technologies for advertising for consumer-facing companies. In this 'period of great disruption' in the consumer path to purchase, companies must change measurement tools and methods.

The event also saw ShowStoppers LaunchIt, the Official Pitch Event at CES, built around the entrepreneurial companies. Twelve startups pitched their products. First prize was awarded to Nonda, makers of a family of connected, app-enabled devices for the vehicle. Kino-mo, developer of high tech smart holographic displays, took second place. Third place was awarded to In&Motion, creator of a smart wearable that aims to reduce the risk of serious injury due to falls.