Imagine having a personal assistant or guardian angel to help you with all areas of your life. Someone to tell you if you’ve left the oven on – even if you’re already driving in your car or working in the office. At Consumer Electronics Show CES 2017, Bosch shows that networked solutions have already turned that dream into a reality.
“Personalization is a growing trend in the world of networked technology, and we are driving that trend,” said Bosch board member Dr. Werner Struth during the company’s press conference at the 2017 CES Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. At the world’s largest consumer electronics trade show, the global technology and services provider focused on areas such as smart homes, smart cities, connected transportation and Industry 4.0″.
With the increasing personalization of products and services, networking technology is reaching new levels of development: “The world of networking is becoming an emotional world. Devices become smart assistants that make everyday life easier and safer – at home, in the city, in the car and at work.”. According to a recent survey, more than 60% of respondents confirm the need for smart assistants. “Bosch is shaping all areas of the networked world. We are well prepared to take the lead in personalization of network technology,” Struth said.
Dr. Werner Struth at a press conference
Very few industrial companies have comparable expertise in all three levels of the Internet of Things: Bosch has a wealth of experience in sensor technology, software and services, and has its own IoT cloud. That makes the company a one-stop supplier for the Internet of Things IoT . Data security will be critical. “Management is completely transparent to customers and end users, who decide for themselves how the data will be leveraged.”.
In addition, Bosch aims to connect absolutely all of its electronic devices to the network and offer a package of Internet services for each device. The customer is at the forefront here: “Grid technology must always give an edge,” Stroot emphasized. “It’s more important than ever to offer smart extras and services tailored to the individual needs and habits of the user,” Struth added. Personalizing devices and solutions through networked technology turns wishful thinking into reality.
The car becomes a personal assistant
By 2022, the global market for connected cars will grow at a rate of nearly 25% per year. In just a few years, cars will become an active part of the IoT and learn to communicate with other vehicles as well as smart homes. At the CES 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, Bosch is presenting a new concept car that shows how different areas of life will interact with each other in the future.
“The car will become the hub of information exchange between different areas,” Struth noted. The car’s personalized communication with the driver will also be expanded: New features will allow the car to communicate with the world around it, the smart home, and the repair shop. These features help to realize highly automated driving.
“Bosch is working hard to make transportation and smart services inseparable,” Struth said. – Connecting your car to a smart home or smart city via the cloud provides visible benefits, turning your car into a helper on four wheels.”.
The Bosch concept car incorporates a wide range of innovative technology: As soon as the driver sits down, facial recognition immediately adjusts the steering wheel, the mirrors, the temperature and the radio station to his preferences. The system is controlled via a tactile display and an innovative gesture control solution – both maintain a tactile response when in use.
Highly automated driving will save the average frequent driver in the U.S., Germany and China nearly 100 hours a year by 2025, according to a study commissioned by Bosch. In purely technical terms, network connectivity is made possible by communication management devices like the Bosch Central Gateway.
The Gateway is the node that connects all the domains for all data buses. ETAS and ESCRYPT, part of the Bosch Group, offer transmission and encryption solutions. They provide secure, cloud-based vehicle software updates throughout the life of the vehicle. If the vehicle interacts with the environment, safety updates should be performed on a regular basis.
Networked assistants take over additional functions in the home
You can rely on the Internet of Things in your own home too, with a whole host of smart aides to make your life easier and safer. Now, some devices even perform several functions at once: for example, a smoke detector also monitors air quality and can use a siren to scare away intruders.
The Bosch Smart Home System lets you control your connected home devices with a single app. Scenario manager makes the smart home even more intuitive. You no longer have to check before you leave to make sure you’ve remembered to turn off the stove, appliances or lights. It makes life safer and more convenient. You activate scenarios with a single touch, and the dispatcher performs routine tasks via the Bosch smart home app.
Devices that were designed as smart assistants from the beginning
Customizing our networking solutions doesn’t just mean customizing our technology and services to your individual needs: Bosch also develops devices that are designed from the outset as personal assistants that can even communicate with their users. One example is My Kitchen Elf, or simply Mikey. With this concept BSH Hausgerä te GmbH has entered the world of personal assistants. Mikey is controlled by the user’s voice. It listens to its owner, answers questions and helps with everyday household tasks.
World premiere: Bosch launches new home robot
The Mayfield Robotics startup is working on home robots with the support of Robert Bosch Start-up GmbH BOSP . The company specializes in developing home robots. At Consumer Electronics Show CES 2017, she is unveiling Kuri, the first production robot scheduled to hit the U.S. market in late 2017.
The robot is about 50 centimeters tall and is equipped with speakers, a microphone, a camera and several sensors. It can navigate around the room by memorizing the shortest routes. Kuri communicates with home occupants and responds differently to different people – parents, children or guests. For example, Kuri can turn on music or tell parents stuck in traffic that their kids are home from school.
Production assistants using networked technology
Assistants also play a significant role in networked manufacturing. For example, the APAS robot increases the flexibility and efficiency of processes. It takes on difficult, dangerous and monotonous tasks and knows how to cooperate with people.
With its new IoT Gateway, the company is opening up the benefits of connected industry to operators of older mechanisms. “Many machines are not yet connected to Industry 4.0″. Among other things, they do not have the necessary sensors, software or connection to the company’s IT systems – that is, the prerequisites for connecting production to the network are not met,” Struth explained. – In general terms, the market for retrofit solutions like the Bosch IoT Gateway can make billions.”.
IoT Gateway combines sensor technology, software and an IoT-enabled manufacturing control system. It allows you to monitor the status of mechanisms. According to Struth, the industry needs the networked equipment to ensure its long-term success. That’s exactly what the Bosch IoT Gateway offers – a fast and flexible solution.
Bosch’s view of the Internet of Things
“We believe that networking solutions are not just technology. It’s part of our lives. They increase mobility, image the cities of the future, make smart homes, connect industrial processes and increase health care efficiency. In all areas, Bosch strives for a world of networked technology. A world that opens up possibilities previously unimaginable. So let’s go beyond the usual creation of networked devices. Let’s build connections that deliver real benefits – around the world, online, inside the cloud. Let’s bring together founders and funders, dreamers and doers, parts and whole. Let’s connect the virtual with the physical and leave something significant to our descendants. Connectivity is easy.”.
How can Bosch’s focus on smart assistants in IoT customization enhance our lives and improve our day-to-day activities, especially in terms of convenience and efficiency?