2010 Consumer Electronic Show

Feb 1, 2010 12:00 PM
Davis, Sam, PET

It's hard to believe that 1947 signaled the beginning of the modern electronics era, when Bardain, Brattain, and Shockley invented the first transistor at Bell Labs. Who back then would have envisioned that more than 330 companies and more than 2,500 exhibitors would unveil their latest electronic technology innovations at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that took place in Las Vegas, NV January 7-10. To the satisfaction of the Bell Labs inventors of yesteryear, all the exhibitors in 2010 share a common thread — they all depend on transistors for their present and future success.

CES spotlight areas covered a variety of technology categories, including high-performance audio, home theater/home systems, digital imaging, wireless world, in-vehicle technology, a gaming showcase with the latest gaming hardware and software, a pavilion, featuring all things iPod^®, iPhone^® and Mac^®, and the latest green technologies such as advances in green building, alternative energy technologies, and smart grid technologies.

This CES also featured 20 market-specific TechZones highlighting the latest trends and emerging markets including:

Top executives from the biggest names in technology and business took the stage at the event to offer keynote addresses about the industry. Additionally, this year's CES featured more than 250 sessions and 800 expert speakers as part of the conference program, which covered a range of topics from social media to safe driving to technology policy.

• E-Books

• Robotics

• 3D TV

• Lifestyle

• Gadgets

• Digital health

• Mobile DTV

• Netbooks

• Home Plug

• Zigbee

• Safe Driver electronics

CES ROBOTICS TECH ZONE

The CES Robotics TechZone showcased cutting-edge robotics, with daily demonstrations and booth presentations.

Kokoro Company Ltd. featured its I-Fairy Receptionist robot (Fig. 1), in which the “I” in I-Fairy stands for “Intelligent”, “Information”, and “Icon”, and the robot's futuristic design based on the image of a lovely fairy. The I-Fairy is an information robot designed as a communication tool to interact with humans in a friendly manner.

The robot has a sensor to detect human visitors, which will automatically start audio guidance. Targeted for museums, institutions, and amusement parks, users can program the robot's voice on a PC with voice synthesis software, which generates movements such as nods or gestures to express a “conversational rhythm” between the robot and the audience. The robot has an optional voice recognition system for either English or Japanese, and it can also interact with video equipment.

PLEO is a baby robot dinosaur, or artificial life form, with lifelike movements and realistic emotions. Fig. 2 shows the robot and Fig. 3 shows an internal view.

Gamma Two, a Denver-based robotics development company, specializes in autonomous mobile robots using a proprietary ‘Cybernetic Brain’ (a computer-based analog representation of a biological brain). This gives the robots the ability to work in natural environments such as home and office, rather than tightly controlled environments such as factories.

Basil for BSL (Basic Service Level) robots (Fig. 4) provide general mobility assistance around the home or office. While they are not equipped with manipulators, they provide a stable flat surface that can be used to transport everyday items from one room to another.

Gamma Two also produces a Wheelchair Level Mobility Aid (WLMA) robot that provides assistance to individuals in wheelchairs. Positioned at a comfortable working height, the WLMA robots offer all the functionality of the BSL series robots, but at a height that is designed for a seated person.

Like all robots with a Cybernetic Brain, it can also perform tasks such as reminding a person to take their pills, or about an upcoming appointment. These robots will search for the person if they are not in the same room as the robot.

Forager (Fig. 5) is targeted for disaster searching/cleanup, area reforestation, and construction. Forager is an Omni-chassis autonomous robotic vehicle (ARV) from c-Link Systems, Inc.

The Omni-chassis creates the ability to build upon a drive-unified chassis, different end-usage systems. The Forager contains a locomotion system, a power plant, and all the control electronics. The chassis itself is constructed of aircraft aluminum. Locomotion is achieved by six individually-controlled drives for brushless dc motors.

The electronics system comprises a multi-processor core block, which includes all the sensors for autonomous motion — a drive locomotion system, guidance system, payload control system/interface, and communications. The systems are based on Freescale Semiconductor's Tower system, which reduce overall cost and improved integration.

E-BOOK TECH ZONE

Texas Instruments (TI) has partnered with E Ink, using the company's Vizplex^® electronic paper display (EPD) to produce an evaluation module for an e-Book design. The Vizplex EPD has charged white-and-black-pigment particles suspended in a fluid that is encased in a microcapsule. With the application of a voltage across the microcapsule and depending on the polarity, either the white or the black particles can be made to rise to the top of the microcapsule. Looking at the capsule from above will show a white or black dot. Several million of these microcapsules make up an EPD, combinations of white and black dots produce text and picture rendering.

Through the agreement between TI and E Ink, eBook manufacturers have access to the world's first PMIC for E Ink's EPDs. Additionally, TI uses a software-based EPD display controller for its OMAP3 processor to drive E Ink's EPDs, which reduces the total silicon footprint and provides savings on overall hardware cost.

E Ink Vizplex^® displays enable ultra-low-power, thin, sunlight-readable portable devices that are easy on the eyes, even in ambient light. The TPS65180 integrated PMIC gives product designers a power-efficient, high-performance, small 7- × 7-mm footprint that meets all the power requirements of 5-, 6- 9.7-, or 11-in. E Ink Vizplex^® EPDs. TI's comprehensive hardware and software solution includes an OMAP3621 processor and WiLink 6.0 single-chip WLAN and Bluetooth solution, combined with TI audio, power management, and other analog technologies, including the TPS65180.

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