CES 2018 LG establishes 'OLED canyon' at CES
Models pose while promoting LG Electronics' organic light-emitting diode (OLED) canyon set up at the entrance of Las Vegas Convention Center, on the sidelines of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). / Courtesy of LG Electronics
By Lee Min-hyung
LAS VEGAS — LG Electronics has displayed what it calls the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) canyon at the world’s largest tech fair by connecting hundreds of 55-inch curved OLED displays.
The Seoul-based tech giant established a 28-meter-long road at the entrance of the Las Vegas Convention Center where the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 takes place. By connecting 246 OLED displays there, audiences can enjoy crystal-clear visual output produced by more than 2 billion self-lighting OLED pixels, the company said.
Under the theme of natural wonders with OLED, visitors to the OLED canyon can walk through canyons, waterfalls, glaciers and snowstorms.
LG Electronics is one of the main exhibitors at the annual tech tradeshow, drawing massive attention by showcasing its OLED displays in a different theme each year.
The OLED display is powered by its self-lighting pixels, removing the need for backlighting. This makes the next-generation display thinner in size and clearer in visual output. On top of that, its color distortion rarely occurs at different viewing angles, which makes the display the best fit for use in public spaces such as exhibitions, LG explained.
“We have used 156 convex OLED displays and 90 dented ones to build the OLED canyon, in our bid to promote the display’s technological edge — particularly in picture quality and design,” a company official said.
According to market researcher IHS, global sales figures for the OLED TVs last year topped 1.38 million, but the number is expected to surge to 10.4 million by 2023, due to the competitive edge over conventional LCDs.
Rise of AI
The CES has been all about hardware-driven innovation, but things have changed this year with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
The toughening competition in the conventional home appliance market has driven companies such as LG Electronics to add a string of new software features to their hardware.
For this year, LG has identified artificial intelligence as the key concept to represent its vision to become the world’s leading consumer electronics brand with expertise in the emerging software area.
The company has recently launched its ThinQ AI brand. The LG ThinQ booth takes a third of the firm’s exhibiting area at the show.
LG Electronics aims to leave a strong impression on global clients by showcasing a set of connected products for households.
“For instance, we have established voice-recognizing washing and drying machines and the Styler clothing care device in our laundry-themed booth,” the official said. “By showcasing how the smart devices collaborate with each other, visitors will be able to understand how our AI drive penetrates into daily life.”
In a kitchen, smart refrigerators and ovens can recommend foods considering the ingredients left in a user’s fridge, according to LG.
The company also plans to promote its three smart robots — which serves as a server, porter and shopping cart — at the LG ThinQ Zone during the four-day fair.