From drones, cars and robots to jewelry, appliances and TVs, the new technology on display at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) promises to be smarter and friendlier than ever. The annual tech extravaganza will feature more than 3,600 exhibitors and is set to formally start on Wednesday in Las Vegas. It is likely to see innovation across a range of sectors, from health care to automobiles, connected homes, virtual reality and gaming. Televisions will play starring roles at the show as usual, with giants such as Samsung, Sony, LG and Vizio among contenders in a market rapidly shifting to ultra-high definition. Drones are also expected to make a splash at CES, where an Unmanned Systems Marketplace has doubled in size from a year earlier to cover 2,300 square meters. The drones on display at the show are expected to be more sophisticated with easy controls, and even applications that let them be operated using smartphones. Electronics makers are also building smart technology into all manner of devices, allowing them to adapt to how people use them, responding to voice or gesture, for example.The trend of once-dumb devices getting smarter will continue to include light bulbs, remote controls, thermostats and other devices in the home as well as wearables such as jewelry or clothing.

Apple does not officially attend CES, but smart household products tuned to the technology giant's HomeKit and controlled by iPhones were expected to be plentiful.

Samsung and Google-owned Nest were also expected to make moves to be at the center of smart homes, where the market is vexed by the lack of a single standard or system for devices to speak with each other.

Cars rolled out at CES may also showcase the potential for digital technologies enhancing consumer goods, according to NPD analyst Baker. A record 10 automakers will be showing at CES along with at least 115 automotive tech companies, according to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which organizes the show. CES will also boast a big section devoted to virtual reality, as product makers jump into the trend ahead of the expected releases in 2016 of headsets from Oculus, Sony and Valve. The premier consumer electronics show set a record last year with more than 176,000 people attending. At this year's CES, officially open from Jan. 6 to Jan. 9, organizers aim to cap attendance at that level with security ramped up in the wake of last month's attacks in California.