Mathias Kretschmann
04.02.2025
The CES in Las Vegas is considered the most important technology trade fair in the world. This year, it was once again characterised by artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and robotics. For ES-Tec, the trade fair offered valuable insights and strategic starting points for future developments. But everyday life in Silicon Valley was also full of exciting impulses.
Autonomous driving: Waymo and Tesla on the test bench
In San Francisco, we were able to experience the latest advances in autonomous driving live. Waymo taxis navigate confidently through dense city traffic and master even challenging situations without human intervention. Tesla demonstrated the advanced development of driver assistance systems with its Full Self-Driving package, albeit with a sporty set-up. Nevertheless, our subjective judgement remains: Volkswagen Travel Assist continues to impress with its performance.
NVIDIA sets the pace at CES
The keynote speech by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang made it clear that the company is not only a driver of innovation in the AI sector, but is increasingly forming the basis for numerous technological developments. From autonomous driving to robotics and medical research - NVIDIA technologies are driving numerous industries. This opens up new opportunities for ES-Tec, particularly thanks to our existing connections in the DRIVE PILOT area.
AI: from hype to standard technology
While AI is often still perceived as a trend in Europe, it has long since arrived in practice in the USA. The AI development stages highlighted by NVIDIA emphasise the potential and breadth of application areas:
Perception AI - processing sensory impressions for assistance systems.
Generative AI - AI-supported content creation for texts, images and music.
Agentic AI - Autonomous systems for optimising work processes.
Physical AI - Combination of AI and robotics for physical applications.
These developments are also important for ES-Tec, especially in the automotive sector and automated processes. We have been working on AI topics since 2021 and are already using many of these approaches in our projects in order to be a pioneer.
Robotics: the next evolutionary stage of technology
CES made it clear that humanoid robots are on the verge of a breakthrough. Thanks to powerful AI and advanced sensor technology, they are increasingly being integrated into everyday applications. NVIDIA researcher Jim Fan predicted that the next generation will grow up with robots - whether as assistants in the home or in industrial environments.
Strategic prospects for ES-Tec
Our discussions with various OEMs, including Audi, Porsche, Mercedes and BMW, as well as our visits to NVIDIA, show: Technological development is progressing rapidly and ES-Tec has the opportunity to play a part in key future topics. Whether in the field of AI, autonomous driving or robotics - we are facing exciting challenges and opportunities. The course has been set for further growth.