Spotting evidence for Fjord Trends at the world’s largest consumer technology show

1. Fjord Trends
@ CES 2019
Spotting evidence for Fjord Trends at the world’s
largest consumer technology show

2. Introduction
In December, we launched Trends, our 12th annual report on the
themes we expect to affect business, technology and design in
the year ahead. CES, which takes place just after the New Year
every year, invariably shows evidence of the trends in the
consumer technology space. This year, there were numerous
points of proof for our mobility trend, Ahead of the Curb, and the
digital transformation of retail highlighted in Space Odyssey. We
also saw pops of evidence for The Last Straw?, our environmental
trend, as well as Data Minimalism and The Inclusivity Paradox.
To view the full 2019 trends report, visit trends.fjordnet.com

3. Fjord 2019 Trend: Ahead of the curb
New ideas, inside and out
As car makers look at the prospect of driverless vehicles, more attention is being given to the body design
and passenger experience – and space is being afforded to allow for more entertaining experiences. This
year’s designs borrowed less from traditional living spaces and instead created new multi-faceted
collaborative spaces. Many makers are exploring the need for more displays and fewer windows.
Left to right: concepts from Kia (left and top), Panasonic and Mercedes.

4. Fjord 2019 Trend: Ahead of the curb
Auto assistance
Autonomous vehicles aim to not only get you to your destination, but also help decide on your
destination – based not on your travel patterns, but by sensing your physical and mental state.
Kia (top) and Panasonic (bottom) were just two vendors looking at advancing the interpreting
camera data to determine emotional and health states.

5. Fjord 2019 Trend: Ahead of the curb
Plug-n-play AV
Several vendors were investigating the viability of autonomous mobility bases to
enable a wide variety of scenarios – from transport of people and cargo to retail.
AEV (top left) and Yamaha (bottom and top right) had two of the examples of the more
prevalent base-model.

6. Fjord 2019 Trends: Ahead of the curb and Space odyssey
Last mile stretch
An area of broad investigation for innovation is “the last mile” for product and
service delivery. From small autonomous pods, to heavy-lifting unmanned
helicopters, to refrigerated lockers and specialized vending.
Left to right: Yamaha with the unmanned helicopter drone, Omnic and Panasonic feature climate-
controlled lockers, Wilkinson Baking Company presented a baking-bread-vending-machine,
Panasonic mobile farmer’s market, parcel delivery from SnackBot and trolleybot.

7. Fjord 2019 Trend: Ahead of the curb
My mobility
There were dozens of vendors offering takes on electric scooters,
bikes, guided platforms and modernized wheel chairs.
Clockwise from top-left: Personal mobility solutions from Yamaha,
Jetson, Jetson, Panasonic, Riptide, and Relync.

8. Fjord 2019 Trend: Space odyssey
Evolution of self-serve
Providing new streamlined experiences for the virtual self-check-out included more intelligent
scanners, mobile scanners, camera product selection detection and weight-sensing product
displays were seen around the show.
Left to right: In-cart checkout from A, weight-sensing product bins from Suning, large-display
self checkout from C, camera-checkout from Horizon and tray camera from Yi Tunnel.

9. Fjord 2019 Trend: Space odyssey
Engage my senses
Retailers are exploring the power of AR in visualizing home improvements, furnishings,
fashion and beauty. There are several vendors working to further retail service robots
capabilities.
Left to right: Retail robots from Samsung and another vendor, multi-sensory display from includes
olfactory, visualizing the look with YouCam, and trying on outfits with Magic Runway from Suning.

10. 2019 Fjord Trend: The last straw?
Protect and defend
We did not see any vendors that promoted ecofriendly lifecycles (though we may have missed one,
it is a big show!). A few vendors hawked “eco-” products that were simply designed to stand-up to
the elements. Eco-aware vendors helped protect mother nature and defend the human body from
the tainted environment.
Left to right: Food trust with blockchain, from IBM, smart solar tree from a La French Tech startup, anti-pollution mask from
R-PUR, portable water contamination detector from Lishtot, and a protective beehive from CoCoon.

11. Fjord 2019 Trend: Data minimalism
Data value?
Product companies continue to push personal data collection and usage,
feeling out the consumer line for tradeoffs.
Left to right: Transparent mirror-display-with-camera monitors your brushing activity, smart shoe
storage tracks weather to know how to pamper your shoes, Lumen breath-based nutrition analyzer,
pillo – a face-recognition medicine dispenser and L’Oréal skin pH tracker.

12. Fjord 2019 Trends: Data minimalism and The inclusivity paradox
Now you see me
Increasingly, we are all being watched. Photographed, videoed and coded.
Left to right: More refined heat maps, LiDar with camera object recognition from
carnavi, multi—angle recognition for the puppy product and detailed points of physical
structure in real-time tracking.

13. Fjord 2019 Trend: Silence is gold and Space odyssey
Pull, not push
CES is certainly one of the noisiest events of the year for tech-
enthusiasts – the pre-show flurry of invites, mid-show announcements
and post-show-advertisements, and of course the senses-flooding
experience of the floor. Ozobot presented a single offering in a
minimalist museum-showcase-style presentation. This had the effect
of pulling in curious attendees, rather than putting a message on
blast.

14. Thank you