Smart hardware Seven trends: AI let hardware smart vertically into the mainstream

At CES this year, in addition to the limelight of smart cars, another visible one is the smart hardware products.

If the 2014 CES show was more of a temptation for smart hardware, this year would be the "layout" of smart hardware. Under the "Tuyere" of hardware revival, both large manufacturers and start-up companies have introduced intelligent hardware products, or built intelligent hardware-related platform systems.

Over the past 2014 years, the major manufacturers in the field of intelligent hardware action. Google (micro-blog) to purchase 3.2 billion U.S. dollars smart home equipment company Nest;facebook 2 billion U.S. dollars to acquire virtual reality equipment business Oculus VR, Amazon launched the smart Stereo Echo, Apple released the first wearable smart watch Apple Watch. Domestic Tencent, Baidu-led bat giant, millet, 360, Jingdong and other companies in the field of intelligent hardware has been layout.

At CES this year, in the case of wearable equipment, Sony introduced Smartwatch 3, the Android Wear system, to launch its first smart wearable device-the smart bracelet with the e-ink screen.

A notable phenomenon is that about one-fourth of the exhibitors from CES this year are from China, and the smart hardware makers are particularly prominent. They are Rimini in areas such as smart homes, smart cars, drones, wearable medical equipment, virtual reality equipment, etc.

Credit Suisse Group analyst predicts that in the future years, the global smart hardware will usher in a blowout-type development, the market size is expected to reach 30.05 trillion U.S. dollars.

From CES this year, despite the existence of "false" of intelligent hardware products, the trend of introducing artificial intelligence into hardware to make hardware truly intelligent, as well as vertical fine differentiation, is a sure direction for future smart hardware products.

Trend one: Artificial intelligence to make equipment really "smart" up

At CES this year, Broadlink launched the third generation of intelligent sockets, electric eel audio and other new products. As a fast-growing start-up, Broadlink's strategy is to first introduce intelligent single products, such as intelligent sockets, to guide and educate the market, and then when the market needs to be slowly nurtured, consider building the entire intelligent home ecosystem.

At present, the challenge to hinder the development of smart home is how to realize interconnection, interworking and interaction between appliances and devices. To be truly intelligent, home appliances need to go through the following three stages:

The first stage is the networking, through the app to control the appliance equipment; The second stage is to automate the appliance by sensors Now to use a number of smart hardware products, users have to install a variety of app applications to do, it is not very convenient. In the future there will be more and more intelligent hardware manufacturers through a system platform for app two development and application.

For example, the Beijing-East launched the "Super App", is based on the Beijing-East Intelligent Cloud to the end consumer to provide a tool, users need only one app, you can connect to control all products to achieve interconnection and interoperability. Another example Broadlink end of docking appliance enterprises, the other end of the docking sensor manufacturers to achieve the interconnection between the two.

Broadlink founder Liu Zongji in the CES exhibition, said Tencent Technology interview, realized that the first two steps are not enough, now lack of a brain, so that appliances are really "smart" up. In his view, the third phase to be introduced into the artificial intelligence, through data mining, machine learning to achieve data interoperability, so that the device to understand the meaning of each other, sensors and home appliances in the same language coordinated operation.

Trend two: Big companies obsessed with building open systems platform

Apple, Samsung, Google, Baidu, Tencent, Beijing-east and other domestic and foreign giants have been their smart hardware system platform open to developers. For example, under the Samsung flag SmartThings at this year's CES exhibition unveiled a new generation of intelligent home open platform; Apple has also launched a smart home platform HomeKit to help software and hardware developers develop products that use a unified standard.

At last year's Global partners ' conference, Tencent announced its strategy to build an open platform for QQ and micro-credit hardware, and to promote the connection between intelligent hardware and offline services. Jingdong also launched the "jd+ program" last year to accelerate the innovation of intelligent hardware, the release of "smart cloud" to achieve data sharing and collaboration between equipment, and strive to build their own intelligent "ecological platform."

BAT as the representative of the Internet enterprises, are taking advantage of their own advantages, a group of vertical hardware entrepreneurs to settle into their own ecosystems in order to compete for intelligent hardware platform control.

Trend three: Mobile phone contract payment mode copy to smart hardware

2014, Google invested heavily in the acquisition of intelligent thermostat Nest. In November of that year, Nest chief executive Tony Fader announced a cooperation agreement with TEPCO Ireland. TEPCO Ireland signed a two-year power supply agreement with the user can be free to receive a nest intelligent temperature controller.

This model is somewhat similar to the iphone contract machine, where users are given free access to a consumer contract with a telecoms operator. As far as nest is concerned, it sells the product to the partner Tepco Ireland at a favorable price, and the latter sends the product to the customer. At present, there may be some obstacles in adopting the nest model in China, but in the future when the power grid is reformed to a certain node, this model is likely to become popular at home.

Trend four: The vertical subdivision field becomes the main battlefield of single goods

With the boom of intelligent hardware, the market competition is more intense, many intelligent hardware manufacturers try to take the differentiated road, pay attention to a vertical area, or aim at a segment of the market.

For example, 360 to enter the mother and child market, research and development of children's intelligent hardware products, in-depth excavation of children, women and other segments of the customer needs, and to develop corresponding strategies for the market segments.

Air purifier Market as well, internet manufacturers and traditional manufacturers have launched air purifier products, such as Haier's air box, Cheetah Leopard air purifier, millet Intelligent Air purifier, and specifically for women's beauty air purifier. Focusing on professional subdivisions or vertical segments helps to enhance core competencies.

Trend Five: Virtual reality equipment in large numbers

Last year, Google 500 million dollars to the "film reality" Technology Developers Magic Leap;facebook injected 2 billion U.S. dollars to acquire Oculus VR; Samsung launched virtual reality helmet Gear VR; Sony released virtual reality head-mounted display Project Morpheus, The giant to the virtual reality market outlook optimism, suddenly a stone stirred thousand layers of waves, triggered a global virtual reality entrepreneurial boom.

The day before CES opened this year, Panasonic released an interactive virtual mirror that automatically analyzes the user's skin type and its problems, and then advises users on how to better maintain the skin. At the same time, users can use smart phones to virtual trial eyeliner, eye shadow, this virtual mirror can help users preview their makeup effect.

At CES, in addition to Oculus VR launched virtual reality helmet prototype Crescent Bay, from China's ant-Technology with a number of fully compatible virtual reality helmet ANTVR headset, and the world's first collapsible virtual reality helmet "Machine Gourmands" debut conference, the product has attracted much attention, Attracts a lot of visitors to the experience. Ant Technology last December won a round of 10 million dollars in Sequoia capital financing.

Trend six: Wearable medical equipment shows an outbreak trend

The combination of wearable equipment and medical industry is undoubtedly a major trend in the future. Wearable equipment from the previous simple monitoring developed to the current continuous tracking monitoring, can collect user data, a comprehensive understanding of their health, and then through the large data platform targeted to provide personalized diagnosis and treatment solutions.

At this year's CES show, health tracking equipment company Fitbit launched two new products, respectively, Fitbit Charge HR bracelet and Fitbit Surge smart meter. Hand ring can monitor the heart rate of the user, the smart table in addition to the function of the hand ring, but also added GPs, can record the trajectory of running, there is a touch screen, you can view text messages.

Last year, the 25 million dollar a-round financing of millet technology nine health care also launched a new ihealth in the exhibition. Apple Watch, the company's first wearable product, is a major health and fashion concept, though not exhibiting. According to data from the media, China Mobile will be expected to break through tens of billions of dollars by the end of 2017.

Trend Seven: Geek plaything into mass consumer goods

The intelligent hardware products represented by UAV, with the decrease of hardware cost, gradually changed from geek plaything to consumer goods of the general public.

At CES this year, a number of unmanned aircraft exhibitors from China, including the recent High-profile Inspire 1 and Ghost unmanned aircraft, attracted a large number of domestic and foreign drone enthusiasts to onlookers.

According to the public data of Xinjiang, with the rise of the unmanned aerial vehicle market, the sales of Xinjiang in the last three years have increased 80 times times. Billion aviation technology also at the end of last year to GGV capital tens of millions of dollars in a round of financing.

Why are the drones so hot to the capital? The key is its broad business prospects. In particular, with the recent dramatic drop in production costs, drones have long since transitioned from a geek plaything to a truly practical smart hardware product.

(Responsible editor: Mengyishan)