The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas began this morning, and techies from all around the world have flocked to the desert city to witness the unveiling of the most innovative new ideas around today. According to a report from the International Business Times, 2.4 million square feet of new gadgets will be displayed throughout four different floors, making this CES even bigger than last year’s.

The population of Las Vegas is expected to balloon from 630,000 to nearly 800,000 as people gather to see what the tech industry has to offer this year. Last year’s CES had a record 176,000 attendees, but organizers are trying to keep attendance between 150,000 and 170,000 this year to reduce strain on the city’s event infrastructure.

According to CES CEO Gary Shapiro, “We wanted to take some of the pressure off hotel room prices and air fares. We have not succeeded.”

Despite the massive demand for a ticket to the world’s largest tech industry trade show, many believe that the quality of the technology presented this year has surpassed that of previous years in its innovation. While bigger tech firms continue to unveil thinner televisions, sharper cameras, and smart refrigerators, smaller companies and startups have burst onto the scene with this year’s biggest new trend – putting sensors in just about everything.

According to Brett Sappington, an analyst for Parks Associates and 20-year CES attendee, “I think disruption across industries in tech has allowed smaller companies to play significant roles in the evolution of the industry.”

Big companies like Apple and Microsoft have eschewed the event this year, and makers of Android smartphones have opted to unveil their creations at different events, leaving more room for smaller firms to showcase their creativity. Chinese firms are making a push into U.S. markets, much the same way Japanese and Korean tech companies have in past decades.

Additionally, companies from all corners of the global economy are fascinated in the technology unveiled at the show, and some of the crossovers between firms has been quite surprising. Toyota, for example, announced that it recently hired Google’s robotics head to lead a new unit for researching artificial intelligence. The automaker hopes to redefine the process of building cars, seeking to use AI technology to improve the driving experience.

“It’s entirely possible that robots are going to become for today’s Toyota what the car industry was back when Toyota was making looms,” said Toyota exec Gill Pratt.

A press release from CES announcing all of the wonderful events and speakers this week can be found here.