Consumer Electronics Show to Highlight Games and Motion

Digitization of spatial movements leads the wave of new consumer technologies

Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor -- Design News, January 8, 2009

From CES: Despite gloomy economic forecasts for 2009, expectations are still high at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. The Consumer Electronics Association, producer of the show, expects to pack more than 100,000 visitors and 2,700 exhibitors in 1.7 million sq ft of space.  

The 2009 version of the show, which officially opens on Thursday, January 8^th, promises to place a heavy emphasis on gaming and motion, as well as HDTV products and audio. "Gaming is driving everything," says Denis Labrecque, DSP marketing manager for Analog Devices, Inc. "It used to be that games were made about movies. Now, movies are being made about games."

Many consumer electronics experts say that the Nintendo Wii has permanently changed the consumer electronics landscape. A few decades ago, audio companies announced they were moving from analog to digital; a decade later, video moved to digital. Now, motion is being digitized.

"We're talking about no more buttons or fingers," Labrecque says. "Just gestures."

At the show, Hillcrest Labs will demonstrate a reference design for a product called Freespace that will incorporate motion into televisions and home theaters. The technology, which uses Analog Devices' MEMS sensors, would eliminate the need for television viewers to press buttons on their remote controls. Instead, remote controllers would take their direction from user motions. (See a video of Freespace.)

Similarly, Sixense will demonstrate a technology that combines RF and DSP technologies to enable multiple "gamers" to step in front of each other and have their motions recognized by an HDTV system.  (See video of the Sixense technology.)

As always, handheld technology will also draw CES crowds. Freescale Semiconductor will team with Pegatron Corp. to demonstrate a reference design that promises to cut as much as $100 off the price of so-called "netbooks," which are designed to more easily place Internet access in the hands of teen-agers.

Others at the show read like a Who's Who of the electronics industry, with such heavy-hitters as Microsoft Corp., Intel, Texas Instruments, Advanced Micro Devices, Sony, Sharp, Panasonic and others showing off the latest in consumer technology. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will take Bill Gates annual spot as the opening keynote speaker on Wednesday night, and a host of other big-name speakers, including Alan Mulally of Ford Motor Co., Dirk Meyer of AMD, and Intel chairman Craig Barrett will address CES's throngs.

This year's agenda will also include appearances from a host of celebrities, including former-NBA star Clyde Drexler, Indy race-car driver Sarah Fisher, basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton, Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, Chicago Cubs' shortstop Ryna Theriot, singer Stevie Wonder, and the cast of NBC's Today Show.