Digital Lifescapes

As a seasoned industry consultant with roots dating back to the early days of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks, I've witnessed firsthand the evolution of satellite technology and its transformative impact on global communications connectivity. Today, we stand on the cusp of another significant leap forward with the emergence of Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites. A recent market study by Juniper Research sheds light on this emerging technology and its potential to revolutionize various industries. VLEO Satellite Market Development VLEO satellites, operating at altitudes between 150 and 450 kilometers above the Earth's surface, represent a new frontier in satellite technology. These satellites offer unique advantages over their higher-orbiting counterparts, including enhanced imaging resolution, lower latency, and improved operational efficiency. As the demand for high-resolution Earth observation and faster communication speeds continues to grow, VLEO satellites are...

Some technology sector M&A activity is relatively immune to market disruptions. The robotics industry received significant investment in 2019, reaching $46 billion. A total of $17.8 billion went to acquisitions and a further $29 billion went into investments, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. Most of the funding was focused on autonomous passenger vehicles (APV’s), surgical robotics, and warehouse automation, with significant new growth for field robotics and drone services. Robotics Technology Market Development "Despite not having commercialized their technology, autonomous passenger vehicle developers like Waymo, Cruise, Zoox and company have continued to amass enormous funding from the corporate and VC world," said Rian Whitton, senior analyst at ABI Research . Surgical robots also received significant new funding, and have already been commercialized to a considerable extent, with Intuitive Surgical selling over 5,000 Da Vinci ro...

Car manufacturers are both excited and cautious about how new technology is reshaping their industry. As an example, innovative automotive applications for Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will redefine the vehicle driving and ownership experience, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. AR Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) will enable advanced autonomous vehicle operation by painting 3D navigation instructions onto road geometry, highlighting moving obstacles like crossing pedestrians, and enhancing driver awareness of autonomous operation. By 2025, ABI Research analysts predict that more than 15 million AR HUDs will ship -- with more than 11 million to be embedded solutions. However, there are numerous issues that must be resolved, in order for mainstream market development to blossom. Automotive Use Cases for AR/VR Technology "Automotive OEMs need to address technological challenges before AR HUDs hit the mainstream market," says Domin...

Mobile communication remains a dynamic market that is enabled by a number of wireless technologies that are still evolving. The interior of commercial vehicles and consumer automobiles is yet another emerging frontier for the Internet of Everything. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, connected automotive infotainment systems will exhibit a CAGR of 33.8 percent over the next five years, with a rapid expansion in connected navigation and in-car Wi-Fi driving growth. Developed regions, which accounted for over 60 percent of system shipments in 2014, will account for only 37.4 percent of shipments in 2020. According to the ABI assessment, just over half of all connected automotive infotainment systems shipping in 2020 will do so in the Asia-Pacific region. "This growth in connected infotainment is largely consumer driven, with OEMs and Tier One suppliers both recognizing the need to provide an integrated digital experience which is consistent and compatible ...

The forecast growth for IP Video adoption and consumption has been a hot topic of our commentary during 2009. Of course, you can anticipate my continued coverage of this significant storyline in 2010. For all those people who have yet to discover the abundance of video content online -- and particularly those who still doubt that watching streamed IP Video on a television screen is an enjoyable experience -- this insight may help. We launched the IP Video Curator project to explore this evolving landscape. Slowly but surely, it's becoming progressively easier to find the online video content that you crave, based upon your own personal (and perhaps eclectic) interests. Once you've found what you're looking for, you may experiment watching long-form content on a larger screen, such as a standard television in your home. If you already own one of the newer PCs, then you may have access to the single cable HDMI PC-to-TV connection solution. Otherwise, many of the portable la...

Augmented Reality (AR), the overlay of graphics onto a video stream or other real-time display, has existed for more than 15 years, with customized applications in industrial automation, theme parks, sports television, military displays, and online marketing. Recently, an entirely new mass market has opened up in mobile handsets, due to the availability of video cameras, processors, GPS data, compasses, and accelerometers on smartphone handset platforms. In particular, personal navigation applications for the Apple iPhone and Android platforms have seen strong early adoption, due to the intuitive nature of the real-time display. According to an ABI Research study, handheld platforms will transform the Augmented Reality ecosystem, with revenue growing from about $6 million in 2008 to more than $350 million in 2014. As advertisers learn to insert tags into navigation displays, mobile advertising revenue will grow slowly, representing a large portion of sectoral revenues in the 2013-2014...

Shipments of GPS-enabled mobile phones will hit a speed-bump in 2009, but will still manage to post year-to-year unit growth through the current economic downturn, according to a new technology, media and telecom  (TMT) market study by ABI Research. While global handset shipments are expected to drop by 4—5 percent in 2009, GPS-enabled phones will climb to 240 million units -- an increase of 6.4 percent over 2008. This surprising performance will be driven by the ongoing demand for feature-rich smartphones. Although slowing slightly in 2009, demand for smartphones, a group that includes the Apple iPhone 3G, RIM's BlackBerry devices, and Nokia N series phones among a growing list, will increase at an average annual unit shipment rate of 19 percent through 2014. During the period, GPS chipsets will continue to penetrate this segment -- nine of every ten smartphones will contain GPS ICs in 2014, compared with one in three in 2008. Falling component prices and increasing consu...