We’re techy, too! Deere, Tide maker at electronics show
LAS VEGAS — The companies founded by blacksmith John Deere and candle-and-soapmaking duo Procter & Gamble may not be the hip purveyors of new technology they were in 1837.
But they’re first-time exhibitors at this year’s CES gadget show, along with other unlikely newcomers such as missile-maker Raytheon, outdoorsy retailer The North Face and the 115-year-old motorcycling icon Harley-Davidson.
The four-day consumerelectronics show opens Tuesday with some 4,500 companies exhibiting products and services and more than 180,000 people expected to attend. It’s the place startups and established tech giants alike go to unveil everything from utilitarian apps to splashy devices.
So what are these legacy companies doing here?
“Every company today is a technology company,” said Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES.
Shapiro said many companies already send executives to Las Vegas each January to gauge trends, so it’s not surprising that they eventually unveil their own new technology, as well.
It’s also part of a more fundamental economic shift as consumers increasingly expect to buy not just goods and services, but a personal experience, which often skews digital, said Dipanjan Chatterjee, a brand analyst at Forrester Research.
“We’re still doing old-fashioned things: Ordering clothes, buying detergent, getting a cup of coffee, but there are new-fangled ways of doing it,” he said. “Brands have no choice but to play a role in this new technology space.”
That’s one reason Harley Davidson is using the show to announce the commercial launch of its first electric motorcycle, Live Wire. The motorcycle will have a cellular connection, as many cars do these days, so people can keep track of their motorcycle’s charge or check where they parked it through an app.
Consumer goods giant P&G, best known for Pampers diapers and Tide detergent, is showcasing heated razors, a toothbrush with artificial intelligence and a wand-like device that scans the skin and releases serum to cover up age spots and other discoloration.
P&G is also showing off an internet-connected scalp adviser: The Head & Shoulders branded device uses ultraviolet light and other techniques to uncover scalp issues and recommend products. The device is currently available only in Europe and Asia.
Raytheon is demonstrating the everyday applications of GPS anti-jam technology, which was originally designed to protect military forces.
John Deere has hauled in a 20-ton combine harvester aided by artificial intelligence. The combine has cameras with computer-vision technology to track the quality of grain coming into the machine so that its kernel-separating settings can be adjusted automatically.