Intel aims to enhance user experience in sports, health, and creativity

Sports and gaming; health and wellness; and creativity will be three focus areas for Intel this year.

Speaking at the 2016 Intel Consumer Electronics Show (CES) keynote in Las Vegas, CEO Brian Krzanich announced over the next few months the brand will help deliver new technology in those areas to enhance the consumer experience.

"It's the technology that will enable the new experience -- that's the products that will be successful in the future," he said.

He went on to say that enhanced consumer experiences are already being enabled by the rise of the Internet of Things where the world is becoming smarter and more connected; an era where technologies have human-like senses and computers are becoming ultra-personal.

To further build on this trend, Krzanich said within the sports and gaming category, Intel will be collaborating with ESPN to showcase how Curie -- the wearable processor which the company announced last January and will begin shipping in the first quarter of this calendar year for less than $10 -- will be integrated into the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle and Men's Snowboard Big Air competitions at X Games Aspen 2016 on January 28.

The processor is expected to stream data about an athlete's movement in real-time so the information could be potentially used for training and to help enhance performance.

Intel is not only enhancing technology in reality, but also in the world of e-sports as part of a deal the chip manufacturer has signed with Replay Technologies. Under the partnership, Replay's freeD technology will use 6th Generation Intel Core processors to enable users to re-watch key moments of sporting events from nearly every angle: On broadcast, in the stadium, and in the home.

"At Intel we want to make sure every gamer can take advantage of full sensory opportunities gaming can offer," Krzanich said.

Intel has also signed a global partnership with Red Bull Media House that will see its Curie technology be integrated across a range of platforms from sports gear to TV broadcasts.

Krzanich also demonstrated the Yuneec Typhoon H with Intel RealSense technology, an out-of-the-box drone featuring collapsible propellers, retractable landing gear, 4K camera, and built-in display in the controller to enable collision-avoidance. It will be available 1H2016 at a recommended retail price of less than $2,000.

In the area of health and wellness, Intel has announced partnerships with Oakley and New Balance to focus on personalising active wear. For example, Intel and Oakley will launch in late 2016 the Radar Pace, a smart eyewear featuring a voice-activated, real-time coaching system that will rely on analytics to track a user's progress.

Meanwhile, New Balance CEO and president Robert DeMartini announced during the keynote the company will be using Intel's RealSense Technology to produce running shoes featuring customised 3D-printed midsoles. The retail performance running shoes are expected be initially launched in April in Boston, United States. DeMartini said the vision is to eventually see the shoes be available to printed in all New Balance retail stores and people's homes.

DeMartini also disclosed plans of developing a smart sport watch that will be available for the 2016 holiday season.

The introduction of such smart products from New Balance will fall under the company's newly-formed division, Digital Sport, which DeMartini said will focus on "understanding, motivating, and improving the lives of athletes through digital experiences".

In addition, Intel said it wants to change the way people think about work safety, and has worked with Daqri, an augmented reality developer, to develop a smart helmet that is installed with a 6th Generation Intel Core Processor and a RealSense camera. The smart helmet has already begun shipping to Daqri's tier one partners.

Krzanich also announced in the creativity space that Intel will be working with six-time Grammy award winner Lady Gaga as part of the company's multiyear partnership with The Recording Academy. Between Intel and The Recording Academy, they will launch the "Next Generation of Grammy Moments" program that is expected to "transform the music experience" when it launches during Grammy week in February 2016.

A partnership with fashion label Chromat has also been formed, which will see the founder Becca McCharen design clothes integrated with Intel's technology, such as a dress powered by Intel's Curie that responds to a wearer's adrenaline levels.

Further to this, Krzanich showed off a segway that transforms into a robot from Chinese company Xiaomi's Ninebot team. The robotic technology is an open platform that relies on Intel's RealSense ZR300 camera for navigation, and is powered by an Intel Atom processor. Krzanich said when the robot becomes available to developers in 2H16, he encourages them to "come up with cool new user applications". He believes the robot, in time, will be made commercially available.