Sony highlights its evolution as a “creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology” at CES 2020

Sony will exhibit at the CES 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada, held from January 7 (local time).

Sony seeks to deliver products, content, and services that resonate with people and affect a positive impact on society, based on its Purpose to “fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.” Sony President & CEO Kenichiro Yoshida spoke at the Sony press conference held ahead of the exhibition’s public opening, stating that “Creativity is a powerful driving force that moves Sony forward. When it is combined with our technology, it is unstoppable.” He then proceeded to introduce Sony’s latest offerings and new developments from our electronics and entertainment businesses.

Next to take the stage was Jim Ryan (President and CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment), who announced that PlayStation®4 has now cumulatively sold through more than 106 million1 units worldwide, and that PlayStation™Network had reached 103 million2 monthly active users. He then discussed the cutting-edge technology and features of PlayStation®5, slated to launch this holiday season, and unveiled the new logo design for the first time ever. “Our promise to the 100 million strong PlayStation® community is to offer the biggest and best in content, and to deliver unique experiences to gamers with unprecedented speed.”

In live sports production, Sony presented the recent achievement of a joint proof of concept trial with NBC Sports and Verizon at an American football game. David Mazza (CTO, NBC Sports), took the stage and noted the expectations for Sony’s technologies on media production for the broadcasts and wireless communication technology, which brings new possibilities to the live sports production workflow.

Furthermore, Yoshida stated that, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Mobile has been the mega-trend of the last decade. I believe the next mega-trend will be mobility,” as he unveiled a prototype vehicle incorporating imaging and sensing technologies that contribute to safer and more reliable autonomous driving, and an array of highly-advanced electronics technologies that together deliver an unprecedented in-car entertainment experience. He concluded his presentation by stating that in addition to striving to contribute to society, “Sony will continue to evolve as a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology.”

*1:Estimated figures based on SIE research as of 31 Dec 2019.
*2:Estimated figures based on SIE research in Dec 2019.
The full press conference can be streamed here.

Main Products and Prototypes Being Showcased

The Sony booth introduces a range of initiatives which harness the power of creativity and technology, under the theme of sustainable value creation that all of Sony’s diverse businesses strive to achieve as part of its corporate direction of “getting closer to people.” Exhibits range from technologies Sony is pursuing in order to get closer to creators and users by enabling them to deliver reality,' such as high resolution video and sound in three dimensional space, in addition toreal-time’ technologies that support every stage of the production process through to the viewing experience, as well as various combinations of these technologies.

Contributing to Society Through the Delivery of Safety and Reliability

Sony will demonstrate the contribution it intends to make to realize a highly advanced autonomous driving society, and the new emotional experiences it aims to deliver in the world of mobility.

Evolutions in Imaging and Sensing Technologies in the Realm of Mobility

“Safety Cocoon” represents a safe-zone concept in which supports vehicle safety in various daily driving situations by detecting 360 degrees around the vehicle, enabling early preparation to help evade risk. At the Sony booth, visitors can experience advancements in the Sony imaging and sensing technologies listed below, which support the realization of this concept. Through Sony’s imaging and sensing technologies, which are beyond the human eye, we aim to contribute to the achievement of safe, reliable, and comfortable mobility experiences.

*CMOS image sensors which achieve high sensitivity, high definition and high dynamic range while also suppressing LED flicker*3 to deliver accurate object recognition, even in situations where conventionally detection has been difficult.
* Solid State LiDAR which uses highly accurate distance measurement to gain a precise 3D grasp of real-life spaces.
* Sensor fusion technology which merges the capabilities of sensors of varied attributes to enable early and accurate recognition, even in challenging conditions such as fog, backlight and night-time driving.
* Time-of-Flight (ToF) in-cabin sensing solutions use distance measurement technology to detect and recognize people and objects inside the car. This information is used to provide an optimized infotainment system with intuitive interfaces such as gesture control and improve safety and comfort inside the vehicle.

New Mobility Proposals Pursuing Comfort and Entertainment

Sony’s efforts in the area of mobility – such as pursuing safety, reliability, comfort and entertainment – are being positioned as a new initiative, named “VISION-S.” The first prototype vehicle to result from “VISION-S” will be showcased at the Sony booth. This prototype incorporates Sony’s imaging and sensing technologies, as well as on-board software regulated using Sony’s AI, telecommunication and cloud technologies, in order to continuously update and evolve its features.
A total of 33 sensors including CMOS image sensors and ToF sensors are embedded within the vehicle, in order to detect and recognize people and objects inside and outside the car, and provide highly advanced driving support. Sony’s “360 Reality Audio” provides a deep and immersive audio experience through speakers built into each seat to encapsulate passengers in sound. The front seats face a panoramic screen on which rich and diverse content can be enjoyed through an intuitive user interface. Sony will continue to combine its advanced technologies to deliver greater safety and reliability, while also striving to inspire new emotion through revolutionary in-car entertainment experiences.