Two intense days in Berlin, in the ancient but at the same time attractive ‘Station’ venue of more than 14,000 square meters, 5,000 companies and 80 exhibitors have shown with their host Bosch which is the right direction to follow in the connected world in which we are there, but it will explode in the next few years.
“Let’s not talk about the Internet of Things or the Internet of Things (IoT). If we want to be successful, we must convert the IoT into the IoP, or what is the same, the Internet of People or Internet of People ”. And to show its strengths, the sixth edition of Bosch Connect World (BCW) has taught from mobility solutions, household appliances, manufacturing or agriculture, all connected, to make these activities more comfortable, safe and efficient.
The challenge is clear, according to analysts, and enormous, since in 2050 70% of the population will live in cities ; energy use will increase by up to 30% by 2035; in 2030, the global average age will be 33.2 years, 4 more than now; and there will be new forms of mobility, changes in vehicle ownership, and new uses. We are going to talk about some of them, which are already underway or will be among us soon.
For connected mobility, the solution we discovered in Berlin is called ‘Convenience Charging’, by Bosch of course, which offers electric vehicle drivers precise predictions about autonomy, route planning taking into account the stops necessary to recharge, and a charge and easy payment.
With the new geo-positioning services, drivers are helped to make the most of their recharge time, making the stop an experience. Thus, drivers can, for example, use the reservation platform integrated in the route planning software to reserve a table in seconds at a restaurant close to the charging point. An exclusive feature is that the system can suggest appropriate restaurants, bars or cafes in the new destinations, according to the preferences previously saved by the driver. Convenience Charging also includes mobile charging services, allowing drivers to recharge their electric vehicle even if there is no charging point nearby. For this service, Bosch has partnered with providers such as the startup Chargery in Berlin, which offers a mobile recharging service that uses cargo bikes to bring electricity directly to where the car is.
For the direct communication of the vehicle to anything, which in technical jargon is called V2X, Bosch has developed and shown in the 2019 edition of BCW an intelligent connectivity unit capable of communicating using all transmission technologies based on Wi-Fi or on mobile networks. Equipped vehicles can communicate with each other, as well as with their surroundings, regardless of their brand or the country in which they are used. Bosch is cooperating with the Portuguese company Veniam to manage the complex task of managing data connections. The software constantly searches for the best transmission technology for each requirement and automatically switches between the available options. Thus, it maintains continuous and seamless connectivity to the vehicle , ensuring that cars can reliably alert each other to accidents, approaching a nearby traffic jam or the presence of ice on the road.
And when it comes to car security , the vulnerabilities of connected and automated vehicles are not just limited to the car. Attackers could potentially gain access to its data, or to cryptographic keys during its production. Or, cyberattacks could use connected vehicles to target back-end systems. Bosch’s proposal to solve this is “to combine IT security in manufacturing, integrated IT security, and enterprise IT security.” And to do this, it uses a solution from ESCRYPT, a Bosch subsidiary, which integrates security across the entire value chain, from manufacturing to connected vehicles, through connected back-end systems and mobility services.
To demonstrate the surprise of the Internet of People to the Internet of Things, ‘Vivatar’ is the best example. It is a digital guardian angel for people on the move, whether on foot or by car, ensuring that help arrives quickly when alerted. Vivatar detects traffic accidents and, in an emergency, calls for help automatically, whether you are driving on a secondary road in your own country or in Western Europe. This application can also be adapted to car models that are not equipped as standard with an eCall automatic emergency call system.
Also its leadership in the connected industry is shown by the German company in its home appliances division, which we also tested in Berlin. From washing machines and ovens to coffee machines or vacuum cleaners, connected with the Home Connect app, users have access to relevant information at any time and can not only turn appliances on and off, but also select programs, set timers or set them to economy mode of energy. Fitbit has joined this ecosystem, and with the Home Connect app for Fitbit the Versa and Ionic smartwatches can be used to monitor all compatible devices, in addition to turning on the connected coffee makers or preheating the oven from Fitbit’s own wearables.
Bosch also wants to be a leader in AI
And if we continue to talk about intelligence, in this case artificial, Bosch also wants to be a leader in the use of AI to improve manufacturing quality and productivity. ViPAS from Bosch is an artificial intelligence-based system for visual quality control . Equipped with a clamp arm, state-of-the-art camera technology and intelligent software, ViPAS inspects the most diverse types of components, ranging from bolts to pumps and common rail injectors. Also, it compares the recorded images with the stored information and classifies the parts as “OK” or “not OK” (defective). Thanks to deep learning, the system can be trained with sample images.
In this same artificial intelligence context, in this case for autonomous robots, the Bosch mobile robotics platform, which could be seen in Berlin at BCW, is an innovative software solution for developing and operating autonomous mobile robots in industrial applications. In a short period of time, robots can learn, for example, to orient themselves, to detect and navigate around obstacles, or to load and unload items such as pallets or boxes. Through the cloud, the operator can also see where the robot is and what work it is doing , and can assign new tasks to it. Potential areas of application include robotic cleaners, which autonomously clean large facilities such as train stations or airports, logistics robots for the transport of products within department stores or outdoor machinery for agricultural or construction uses.
Smart weed and milk
In the field of agriculture, connected as it could not be otherwise, we could see an application for the intelligent control of weeds. In farm fields, weeds compete with corn and wheat for sunlight, water, and nutrients. To combat these unwanted plants efficiently, herbicides are generally applied over large areas, covering both crops and fields in the process. BASF and Bosch have teamed up to further develop smart spray technology, which uses camera sensors to distinguish between crops and weeds. This will allow phytosanitary agents to attack only weeds and protect the environment.
One more solution, present at the Bosch Connect World, before closing this text: Deepfield Connect, to monitor milk. Why? The germs in the milk stored in tanks depends, to a great extent, on the temperature of the tanks. Deepfield Connect uses an app and a warning light installed on the tank to warn farmers if problems arise. Temperature sensors monitor the tank’s cooling, cleaning, and agitators systems. This data is transmitted, via the cloud, to a smartphone application, which provides farmers with an overview of all the key functions of the tank, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so that they can respond to time in case of failures and breakdowns.
On Friday I will tell you about Ottobock, a company that deserves a text for itself.
