Events3 min read
Our impressions after CES 2022 in Las Vegas
The dust has settled after CES, and we’ve returned from Las Vegas to the office. It’s time for a brief summary of this exceptional event, where SIMLAB participated for the first time as an exhibitor.
It all began with the idea of creating an innovation zone, based on selected six startups belonging to the KNX Association (opens in a new tab). As a proud partner delivering the official KNX IoTech solution (opens in a new tab), we accepted the invitation from Jesus Arias (opens in a new tab), who has been with us since the beginning of our journey in the KNX structures, and is a driving force in the KNX IoT Startup Incubator (opens in a new tab) that has become home to some of the most innovative companies.
Paul Furtak (opens in a new tab), CEO of NETxAutomation Software GmbH (opens in a new tab) also flew to Vegas to showcase the capabilities of our product in conjunction with his BMS. In the key area for this event, home automation and smart home support, SIMLAB stood on two solid pillars – with the support of KNX and NETx, we felt like part of a larger family, sharing similar goals and speaking the language of best building automation practices.
In the business categories, we engaged in many inspiring discussions, gaining insights into the perspective on real estate digitization shaped by the American market. Leveraging the reality capture technology of our partner Matterport (opens in a new tab), we have been focused on the United States since the beginning of our operations, where this brand has the largest customer base. Therefore, attending CES was a natural continuation of our expansion in this part of the world.
The SIM-ON (opens in a new tab) application received significant interest from visitors to our booth. Product Owner Michał Szopa (opens in a new tab) explained the possibilities of our system’s communication with the KNX device environment through Wiser for KNX (opens in a new tab) logic controller by Schneider Electric (opens in a new tab) and integration with other standards through the NETx Automation (opens in a new tab) server. Our CEO, Marek Kozlak (opens in a new tab), joyfully presented other property management features and explained the significance of the spatial interface based on Matterport Digital Twins (opens in a new tab).
The scale of the event impressed us the most at CES. Considering the country where the trade show takes place, one could expect this, but the magnitude and size of the event exceeded our expectations. Of course, we knew it was a place where trends are set, and giants of new technologies unveil their solutions. However, to see all the innovations presented at CES, four days wouldn’t be enough.
Among the technological curiosities we managed to see, notable mentions include the debut of the Honda Saloon (opens in a new tab) concept car, Boston Dynamics’ Spot Arm (opens in a new tab) robot, and LG’s transparent screens (opens in a new tab). In the smart home sector, SAMSUNG proposed an interesting solution. A Jet Bot (opens in a new tab) vacuum cleaner that scans the room during operation, creating a model for the SmartThings application, was another example of using Digital Twins for the needs of property owners.
We thank the KNX Association for the opportunity to participate in CES. We felt a true family atmosphere among other startups entering the market with their incredible solutions. Thanks to Matterport for providing their latest Pro3 (opens in a new tab) Camera, which helped us showcase the Digital Twins acquisition technology necessary for creating the 3D environment of our application. And, of course, thanks for the support from Paul Furtak of NETx Automation, whose thousands of customers deserve a modern BMS supported by the Digital Twin interface of our application.
At this year’s CES, once again, we felt the potential of our work for the development of modern building automation and interoperability in the IoT area. It was also an invaluable time for even better integration before the upcoming main event in our trade show calendar – Light + Building 2024 (opens in a new tab) – where we will appear in collaboration with KNX, supporting their official booth showroom. See you in Frankfurt!
