5 Key Pillars of Tomorrow’s Consumer Tech

Let’s explore the emerging trends that are poised to transport us into brand new realms of sensing

By Sebastien J. Jouvenaar and Makena Naegele

Curious to learn what might be around the corner in the world of consumer tech innovation? Last month, at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), we were witness to some of the ways that developers, designers and builders are responding to business and consumer demands. We can look forward to our realities being shaped by 3D without the need for glasses, interactive human holograms and immersion as we’ve never imagined.

In the weeks since CES, we’ve been noodling on what we saw. We have identified 10 trends which fit into five key pillars: engagement, analytics, sustainability, automation and immersion. So read on for our lowdown of the latest industry-shaping forces, plus examples of how they’re already playing out.

Makena testing out the latest VR consumer tech at CES.

Pillar 1: Engagement

From Static Screens to Next-Gen Experiences

• Trend #1: Hypnotic holographic. In a world overwhelmed with screen fatigue, 3D tech and holographics serve as a way to stand out and create high-quality engagements.
• Trend #2: Real-time responders. Today’s companies lose brand equity in seconds over ill-fitting brand representatives. AI and teleporting tech is providing companies with the real-time control and the improved customer experience they crave.

How are these trends playing out?

• Light-based technology from HYPERVSN is resulting in new holographic forms, including advertising campaigns, point-of-purchase displays and billboards.
• Digital interactive human holograms are being generated using AR tech. Holograms can enable real-time interactions with customers while simultaneously transmitting analytics back to the platform, courtesy of ARHT Media. It’s coming: the day when a human hologram will help you navigate a mall.
• Customized AI avatars are being developed from real people—using their real voices, physical appearances, movements and regional dialects. Deepbrain AI showcased their chatbot, promising a more humanizing experience. The talking head chatbot is dead.

Pillar 2: Analytics

From Surface-Level Statistics to Deep Insights

• Trend #3: Transformative tracking. Advanced AI SaaS solutions are enabling companies to be proactive in their operational approach, rather than react to security risks and customer cues.
• Trend #4: Information unlockers. The most valuable data is often the least visible. IoT sensors and AI-backed solutions are bringing light to new landmines of information.

How are these trends playing out?

• Audience intelligence platforms can provide actionable data and analytics for advertising strategies. By optimizing the targeting of online customers and opening up new revenue streams for influencers, Audigent can increase their clients’ competitive edge.
• An AI-powered skin analyzer, developed by Chowis, offers medical-grade results to anyone with a smartphone and provides a report with accuracy on par with that of a dermatologist. Say goodbye to the time and expense of a visit to the dermatologist.
• A smart wearable AI-powered stethoscope by AeviceMD can detect abnormal lung sounds in disorders like asthma and COPD—enabling medical care to be dispensed as soon as possible, saving lives.

Pillar 3: Sustainability

From Nice-to-Have to Must-Have

• Trend #5: Electric refresh. Electric cars are just one part of a broader electric wave as tractors, boats, and homes all transform to become more sustainably powered.
• Trend #6: Planet protectants. Companies can no longer be passive about their environmental impact, as new technologies are making it easier and more cost effective to take action than ever before. We’ll see a push by organizations to harness the power of AI to fulfill our need to urgently protect the planet.

How are these trends playing out?

• Electric vehicles like eco-friendly hydrofoil crafts from Navier are built to achieve long-range, zero emission operation without sacraficing on performance.
• Perovskite solar cells and inkjet coating technology combine to create a highly energy-efficient, lightweight charging device. Panasonic GREEN IMPACT is behind the 24-foot solar cell concept tree that generates renewable energy to power charging stations at its base.
• An award-winning blockchain technology solution by ClimateTrade helps offset carbon emissions by providing traceability and insight into emissions, helping organizations take corrective action.

Pillar 4: Automation

From Constrained Programming to Advanced Action

• Trend #7: Adaptive action. Advanced automation solutions are adapting and responding to new, complex variables in real-time on their own. Cameras, sensors and radar work together to enable automated formats, from digital health devices to new mobility modes.
• Trend #8: Remote mobilization. Consumers are relinquishing authority as IoT empowers autonomous objects to act without human proximity serving as a constraint.

How are these trends playing out?

• Exoskeleton technology wearable IoT devices can provide effective data-driven rehabilitation. By recognizing the wearer’s motion and adjusting the training intensity for patients with joint problems, the device from Exosystems supports users’ rapid recovery anytime, anywhere.
• VITESSE has developed smart, no-code digitization of manufacturing processes, helping to protect our planet by decentralizing production and redistributing supply chains.
• Pickup trucks can now autonomously follow its driver, using cameras and sensors to identify where the driver is headed. This innovation from RAM is a game changer for those who tote around tools for work or play.

Pillar 5: Immersive

From Augmented Environments to Virtualized Real-Life Sensations

• Trend #9: Touchless touchpoints. With haptic technology, consumers are enabling action without physical touch. Companies leveraging this new tech are able to promote greater hygiene and create increasingly natural user experiences.
• Trend #10: Reality infusions. The line between artificial and real is blurring with the addition of sound, smell, temperature and touch sensations into virtual environments.

How are these trends playing out?

• Mudra Band is a smart band for Apple watch that uses SNC (Surface Nerve Conductance) sensors to convert ionic electrical activity from the skin’s surface into electric voltage. Users of the band can easily enable action on a screen, using finger gestures rather than directly touching it.
• Wearable tech that can heat and cool users is bringing temperature control to the digital space. Pebble Feel enables users to feel temperature changes while exploring the metaverse.
• A native gaming haptic suit from BHaptics that offers a physical interface between the virtual world and a user’s skin, allowing gamers to step into virtual reality and see, hear and feel their experience.

Bringing the horizon to life

We’re undergoing profound transformations in the ways we live and work. Visionaries and innovators are elevating our experiences, maximizing our immersion, expanding our sensory input and applying technology to preserve our planet and a future for our children. The proliferation of transformational technologies on display at CES will impact us all and changes in the digital landscape affect our lives in every way; from mobility to healthcare.

frog works at the forefront of these historic changes, advising forward-looking organizations as they harness the power of new tech and unleash immersive, sensory experiences. At frog, we offer numerous solutions to help organizations crush their tech challenges, adapt to the changing needs of their business ecosystem and protect the asset most critical to their brand: competitive advantage. Get in touch with us today to learn more and find out how you can step into tomorrow.

Sebastien J. Jouvenaar, Executive Strategy Director, frog and Head of Applied Innovation Exchange, Capgemini Invent

Sebastien is a globally focused strategist and innovator that has worked on three different continents, successfully delivering 80+ projects for Fortune 500 C-suite executives and EVP/SVPs. With an MBA from Columbia Business School/London Business School, he combines an inherently curious and creative mind with the deep expertise and analytical rigor to create innovative, financially smart solutions.

Makena Naegele, Innovation Strategist, Applied Innovation Exchange, Capgemini Invent

Makena is an Innovation Strategist on the Applied Innovation Exchange (AIE) team where she helps execute exploratory workshops, strategy engagements and ventures collaborations to help clients leverage new technologies and exploit industry trends to achieve desired business outcomes. Prior to joining the AIE, she was a part of the Fahrenheit212 team (now frog), crafting gameboards of new products and services for clients to bring to market. Makena holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and data science from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and she’s passionate about all things emerging technology, specifically in the healthcare and automotive industries.