Five striking things about CES 2016 so far

CIARA O’BRIEN

1. It’s big. Very big.

Last year, the exhibition sprawled over two areas - Tech East and Tech West - mainly split between the Sands Expo Centre and the Venetian in one area and the Las Vegas Convention Centre and nearby hotels in the other. That was around 2.2 million net square feet of exhibition space. This year, CES has added Tech South, with the C Space area for advertisers and marketers.

That’s a lot of walking around (and shuttle buses, and taxis) if you plan to see everything.

That’s Las Vegas though: huge in general.

2. Hover boards are everywhere

This year’s must-have toy, the slightly misleadingly named hoverboard is here in many different guises. But essentially, they all do the same thing: take you around the show floor while you try to balance yourself on them. And this is where things get tricky.

To move, you have to lean forwards and backwards. That requires a little more skill than you’d think, especially if you’ve never set foot on one before. In the space of five minutes, I saw three people lose their balance and fall off the boards.

Of course if you’re smart (and skilled), you’ve already cottoned on to the fact that this is probably the quickest way to get around the behemoth that is CES. See above.

3. Car tech is getting bigger

Not the physical tech, but the number of companies that are coming to CES to show off the latest developments in their vehicles. A few years ago, Ford was the first carmaker to exhibit at CES. Now it's joined by General Motors, Toyota, Audi and others.

If you want to know about autonomous cars and in-car entertainment, you can find a lot to keep you occupied. Plus you occasionally get to drive one.

4. Robots will take over your home. And you probably won’t mind.

The connected home is something that has been talked about for the past few years, as companies try to figure out how they can make their products smarter to make life easier for consumers. Some you win, like Nest demonstrated with its connected safety monitors and thermostat. Some you lose, and while we won’t name names, they know who they are.

This year at CES, things are ramping up a gear. There are smart fridges that open when you approach – distinguishing between you and the dog though – and robots that fold your laundry. There’s a window washing robot, a floor cleaner and even a suitcase that will follow you around.

5. Just because you can connect it, it doesn’t mean you should

Or, for that matter, that it’s smart. There are plenty of examples of products at CES that make you wonder why they’re necessary. Take, for example, the bluetooth connected pregnancy test. Or a jacket that massages you while you move. And that’s before you even get near the sex toys that link up erotic books to provide a, er, more stimulating experience.