Last year at CES, we saw Google set up a three-story Wonka factory of smart home devices. In a massive booth near the Las Vegas Convention Center, we saw the Google Assistant could work with everything from washing machines to miniature train sets. There was a giant, voice-controlled gumball machine full of giveaway devices and a big blue slide as well.

The company is said to go even bigger at this year’s show, which starts next week.

That’s because CES has become an important staging ground for the tech giant as it pushes devices to consumers that compete against the likes of Amazon, Apple and Samsung. In the next three years, Google’s hardware division — which includes its Google Home smart speakers, Nest thermostats and Chromecast streaming devices, could hit $20 billion in revenue.

Google has staked its future outside of its iconic search homepage. CEO Sundar Pichai has repeatedly said the company is going all out on artificial intelligence — specifically the Google Assistant, a digital helper similar to Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri.

Google still has a lot of catching up to do. Amazon’s Echo devices still dominate the world of smart speakers – 73 per cent of the market. Google’s Home devices come in second with 24 per cent, according to a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

It’s why CES is so important, providing the ideal venue for drumming up enthusiasm for its voice assistant. This year, Google is also expected to showcase devices made by third-party partners that have the Assistant built in.

Here’s how Google wants to make an even bigger splash at the CES this year: A Google spokesman said, the company’s presence at CES this year will be triple the size compared to last year.