Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motor gearing up for CES

Han Jong-hee, president of the visual display business at Samsung Electronics, poses next to an 8K QLED TV at a press event in Seoul, Nov. 7. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Korean firms to showcase cutting-edge tech at largest IT trade show

By Jun Ji-hye

Samsung, LG, and Hyundai Motor are gearing up to showcase their advanced information and communications technologies at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Jan. 8.

Other big-name corporate heavyweights, including SK Innovation, SK Telecom, SK hynix, web portal Naver and office software developer Hancom Group, will also set up exhibition booths at the CES, one of the world's largest electronics trade shows.

According to industry officials, about 200 Korean companies including small- and medium-sized enterprises and startups will participate in the upcoming event.

Samsung Electronics plans to install a large booth to display its 8K quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) televisions and other innovative home appliances, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).

Samsung's 8K QLED televisions are available in four ultra-large screen sizes _ 65, 75, 82 and 85 inches, offering four times more pixels than a 4K UHD TV and 16 times more pixels than a full HD TV.

The tech giant said its proprietary 8K AI Upscaling technology produces picture and sound quality to a level compatible with 8K regardless of the original source quality or format.

Another Korean tech giant LG Electronics is also planning to display its 8K organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV and smart kitchen appliances in addition to high-tech mobile devices.

The company said it will present the future of smart kitchens at CES 2019, displaying its “revolutionary” beer-making machine, the LG HomeBrew, as well as the InstaView ThinQ refrigerator and the QuadWash dishwasher.

Other kitchen appliances to be displayed include the smart built-in oven, featuring the EasyClean function that removes any food residue that might have splattered on the interior.

LG Electronics plans to display its smart built-in oven offering EasyClean function during the CES 2019. / Courtesy of LG Electronics

“Technology is making the kitchen more and more complicated, and our vision is to create an environment that is welcoming and stress-free so families can enjoy the optimal culinary experience without having to eat out or order in,” said Song Dae-hyun, president of the LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company.

With the firm working to nurture the robot business as one of its future growth engines, it will also display various robotic products equipped with smart technologies.

In August, during the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) Berlin, Europe's largest consumer electronics and appliance trade show, the Korean company showcased a wearable exoskeleton robot, called CLOi SuitBot, developed to help workers at construction sites and factories more easily lift and move heavy objects.

LG Electronics Chief Technology Officer Dr. I.P. Park will deliver a keynote speech on the opening day of the CES, outlining how AI will change people's lives.

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors will present their technologies in future vehicles such as self-driving cars and hydrogen-powered cars.

Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai's auto parts subsidiary, will set up a separate booth to showcase a windshield display technology that can be mounted on autonomous vehicles and is capable of playing movies.

The function can be controlled with hand gestures as the technology tracks the driver's eyes and finger motions to manipulate the display while in autonomous drive mode, according to the auto parts maker. A movie is played on a wraparound windshield encompassing the front seats.

SK Group plans to mobilize its main affiliates _ SK Innovation, SK Telecom and SK hynix _ to showcase its vehicle technologies under the theme of “Innovative Mobility by SK.”

SK hynix will display DRAM and NAND flash chips for cars, and introduce semiconductors that can be utilized in data analysis between cars and data centers.

Eyes are on whether SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will participate in the event, with some observers expecting him to do so to explore opportunities of enhancing global partnerships in the group's future businesses.

Search engine giant Naver will participate in CES 2019 for the first time. Naver and its R&D arm, Naver Labs, will present next-generation technologies including AI, self-driving and robotics.

Naver CEO Han Seong-sook and Naver Labs CEO Song Chang-hyun are expected to take part in the exhibition.

Hancom Group, which is aiming to be a future leader in the smart city area, will show relevant technologies and systems under the theme of “Hancom Uplift Your Tomorrow” during the IT trade show.

The company said it will double the size of its booth this time compared to the previous show to introduce its smart city control platform equipped with AI and voice recognition technology, which will help people more effectively and systematically manage a smart city.

An image of the Hancom Group's booth to be set up at the CES 2019 / Courtesy of Hancom Group

The company will also showcase its smart city integration platform, incorporating the firm's IoT, blockchain and control platforms. It said the integration platform is fully customizable to fit the characteristics of each city.

Hancom Group added it will unveil a home service robot, scheduled to be released officially in the first half of next year, in a bid to target the business-to-consumer market more actively.

The home service robot is capable of communicating with humans through its facial recognition system and offering functions for everyday life such as security.

“We will take the upcoming CES as an opportunity to take the advantageous position ahead of competitors in the rapidly growing global markets for smart cities and robots,” an official from Hancom Group said. “We will push for the two-tract strategies targeting local governments here and the overseas market at the same time. We will nurture the smart city business as our future growth engine.”

Besides large firms, small- and medium-sized companies will gather at the CES to show off their innovative technologies and ideas. The firms include water and air purifier maker Coway and a developer of home automation systems Commax.

Universities including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Seoul National University of Science and Technology and Hanyang University will also participate in the global IT trade show to unveil their research projects.