With a focus on Sensors, Software and Services, Bosch innovates a sustainable, connected future
Good morning, everyone!
Thank you for choosing Bosch to start your media coverage at CES!
I hope everyone is having a good and productive morning.
As I started my day – perhaps like you – I…
- Checked my e-mail…
- Received a text from my daughter…Hi Dad… Hope u r well. Want to go skiing with friends Saturday.
Short on cash. Loan? Will pay u back. Promise.
Maybe you’ll hit it big in Vegas and write it off?:)
Good luck on the press conference. <3 - And as a result, did some online banking…
- Got an update on one of my family vehicles…
- Scanned some headline news…
- Checked my house to make sure that the doors were locked and the heat turned down.
Imagine… I did all of that “living” with just a few clicks on my smartphone. And, I would guess that most of you did something similar… as journalists – for you – being connected is a way of life.
It is amazing how connected living has revolutionized virtually everything we do. And, we are still in the infancy stage of fully understanding the real impact it will have on our lives.
While many people may not know it, Bosch is actively involved in advancing connected, smart, sustainable and secure living. In this regard, Bosch is not only strengthening its software competence, but also forming alliances with strategic partners. Bosch provides these three Ss in its connectivity business:
- Sensors…
- Software and…
- Service.
Ten years ago if I had polled this audience asking how many people had a smartphone – not just a mobile phone – only a few hands would likely have been raised. Today, to get a similar result, I would have to flip the question around and ask how many people don’t have a smartphone. A Nielson Survey conducted in the U.S. in 2013 showed that for the first time, the majority of mobile phone users in the U.S. – some 65 percent – owned a smart device.
Connected…
Smart…
Living… is transforming our lives. From homes to mobility, we are adding more comfort and convenience. And – if handled correctly – we are engineering in more safety and greater security. Being connected also grants us access to a tremendous amount of information. It allows us to be a member of many, many communities.
Years ago, community meant the street on which you lived… the town where you grew up… or the place you established roots as an adult. Today, community can still mean all of this, but add to that a virtual gathering that can include a group of people around the world with whom you have a common point of view… a problem to solve… or a lifestyle to which you aspire.
For this week at CES, we will become a community… one that we hope continues beyond this event. To help all of us at CES stay connected, the company Flybits – which our subsidiary Robert Bosch Venture Capital has invested in – has developed a show app – Bosch at CES.
The Bosch at CES app will keep you connected with all of the Bosch-related activities at CES – including speeches, demos and details of the Bosch exhibit and outdoor experience – as well as information about our many products. Staying connected at work, at home and at events like this is becoming a way of life for all of us.
How does Bosch fit into this fast-changing, connected environment?
The simple answer is this: Bosch monitors mega trends. We examine the world, identify consumer needs and seek to innovate solutions that make peoples’ lives better. That means all aspects of their life, including their home and their various modes of transportation.
As many of you know, Bosch is a large, multinational corporation with more than 280,000 associates.
Our products touch four main sectors:
Mobility Solutions…
Industrial Technology…
Consumer Goods and…
Energy and Building Technology.
We will focus on three of the four sectors today.
From oxygen sensors to ovens, you will find Bosch in many places… some of which may surprise you… and hopefully all of which will fascinate you!
We make innovative connections that bring real benefit to our customers.
We say our products are “Invented for life.”
Combining Invented for life with the power inherent in the Internet of Things, is fueling even more innovation in our company and placing more technology at the fingertips of consumers around the world.
Bosch has a laser beam focus on innovation in aspects like technology and services and considers the entire user experience. Being able to successfully innovate depends on hiring and retaining top talent who not only understand existing technology… but also can envision what’s next.
We count on individuals who have entrepreneurial thinking and can work as part of an integrated team. They take cutting-edge ideas and bring them to market. We spend a considerable amount of resources to help shape and prepare the workforce of the future. In so doing, society benefits and so do we.
Not many people know the full depth and breadth of the Bosch portfolio. Frankly, that is one of the reasons we come to CES. We want to help others understand our company. When people start to look at our portfolio, they begin to realize our company’s vision and know that Invented for life is more than a tagline. It guides our products… our people… and our principles.
We are excited to be here again at this great event.
This year the Bosch team is taking a truly international approach to the show. The booth will have products that have been introduced throughout the world. Today, as we have done in years past, we want to give you an overview of Bosch… and what we are showing at CES… and then we invite you to come to the booth… attend presentations being given by Bosch executives… and participate fully in the various demo events.
Bosch is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Smart Home Marketplace at the Sands Expo… and the Vehicle Intelligence Marketplace at the North Plaza near the Las Vegas Convention Center. A complete listing of all Bosch activities is in your reporter’s notebook.
I will cover many technologies today with the purpose of helping you understand Bosch – but please know there is much more to Bosch than what I will present today.
Now, let’s take a look at two areas of our lives on which connected living is having a tremendous influence:
Connected Home… and
Connected Mobility
It is amazing to imagine that the connectivity that we will hear so much about at CES can be attributed to small sensors like this.
All objects around us can be fitted with sensors and assigned their very own web address for exchanging data. Connectivity and sensors are the cornerstones of the Internet of Things. It is what makes connected living happen. Bosch is the world leader in creating micro-electro-mechanical sensors – or MEMS.
We provide sensors for a wide range of automotive and consumer electronics applications. More than 50 percent of the smartphones in the world are equipped with a Bosch sensor. So chances are that you have a Bosch sensor in your smartphone… in your home appliance… or in your vehicle.
Last year at CES, Bosch unveiled a world exclusive in environmental sensor technology – an integrated unit that combines sensors for pressure, humidity, and temperature in a single housing. Continuing the tradition, today Bosch is announcing the next step of environmental sensing – the BME680 Gas Sensor. This is the world’s first combo sensor – measuring humidity, pressure, temperature and gas,- in a 3 mm by 3 mm package. This sensor can be used in a myriad of ways… to
- Monitor and manage air quality in a room by opening and closing windows or managing air flow.
- It can monitor personal fitness and offer you recommendations to secure your personal well-being.
- It is key for home automation and environmental monitoring, as well as personal weather forecasts.
Bosch Sensortec is continuously developing innovative sensor solutions for wearables and the Internet of Things.
Achieving a green, sustainable life is important to many people, but often people are not certain where or how to begin. Bosch enables a net-zero energy consumption lifestyle. Bosch’s Thermotechnology division and Bosch PowerTec Division are teaming up to make this lifestyle readily attainable. Here’s how…
Bosch presents innovative solutions for decentralized energy systems. Smart connectivity can be implemented for electrical and thermal energy using a photovoltaic system combined with the latest in heat pump technology.
This solution allows users to consume the lion’s share of the electricity they themselves generate from solar power in their own homes – which dramatically reduces their electricity costs – while also powering the heat pump so it can extract heat from air, water, or the ground and convert it into energy that can be used for heat or hot water.
The Bosch system features an energy management system that knows when the heat pump requires electricity and – provided there has been enough sunshine – answers that need with solar power.
At the heart of the smart control system is the e.Control, which is connected to the household’s electric meter. It monitors power flows within the home, giving priority to home appliances currently in operation. Integrating Bosch Hybrid storage into this energy system boosts the degree to which a household can make use of self-generated electricity from the photovoltaic system. Even when the sky is overcast or after the sun sets, the storage system continues to provide the heat pump with a reliable supply of electricity.
We’re also presenting a WiFi-enabled Remote Room Controller with a touch screen and a corresponding app that allows users to control their heating systems via their smartphone.
From wherever they are – by using the free app – homeowners can take complete control of their heating and hot water. The app also provides valuable information on gas consumption.
As Bosch develops these various green, sustainable technologies, we also seek to collaborate to develop standards that will benefit the end consumer. For example, to further advance smart home technologies…
- Bosch…
- ABB and…
- Cisco…
plan to establish an international joint venture that will develop and operate an open software platform for smart homes. The companies also intend to establish a partner alliance that will be open to all manufacturers, developers and suppliers of products and services in the area of smart homes. The joint venture is subject to approval by antitrust authorities.
Now, let’s take a closer look inside the home… to the kitchen, which is likely the most utilized area in the house. Last fall in Europe, Bosch presented its first networked home appliances that can be controlled with an app.
Called Home Connect, this app acts as a control center for the family of Bosch-related brand appliances that have a WirelessLan communication module configured for the app. Consumers can use this app – which is built on an open platform – via their smartphone or tablet .And even if they are not at home, consumers can control appliances like the oven, the dishwasher or the refrigerator.
With Home Connect, users can take advantage of intelligent functionality… schedule appliances to match their daily routine; view refrigerator contents when not at home; obtain operating alerts, troubleshooting and remote diagnostics information; as well as monitor water and energy consumption.
Security Systems are becoming increasingly important in our globalized world; not only for companies and the public sector, but also for private users.
Bosch Security Systems is working around the globe to keep individual homes and large commercial venues safe and secure. For example, in Singapore, the Star shopping mall with more than 100 shops and restaurants is an architectural stand-out. It also features a comprehensive security solution created by Bosch. Security for this multifunctional building includes systems for video surveillance, public address and access control. The entire security system is managed through Bosch’s Building Integration System.
Bosch Security Systems already offers customers a broad portfolio of IP products. Our connected devices are becoming more and more intelligent. As a leading manufacturer of video systems, we are already very far advanced in this product field.
The B-Series Control Panels are a family of flexible control panels that include two models that meet the needs of a wide variety of facility configurations. The series is ideal for retail stores, banks, office buildings, government locations, schools and many other commercial and residential applications.
IP camera integration with the control panels allows users to verify if alarms indicate a true risk through video snapshots sent via e-mail or through live camera access from a smartphone. Text messages also notify users of events – in a variety of languages – and the Remote Security Control App for iOS and Android devices provides convenient monitoring and operating tools.
Later this month, Bosch will launch the Z-Wave Home Control Gateway. It will allow integrators to connect B-Series Control Panels from Bosch with Z-Wave devices – including lighting controls, door locks, temperature sensors, IP cameras and more – to provide their customers with home automation and remote monitoring capabilities.
For example, users can leave home and select “Away” on a smartphone app to automatically lock the doors, arm the security system, turn off interior lights and adjust the thermostat. Home control becomes effortless.
As we build smart, green, sustainable homes, Bosch Power Tools is playing a key role in providing professional contractors with high-quality, long-lasting, energy-efficient tools. Knowing that time is money for the professional, Bosch recently introduced the Power Ready Wireless Charging System. This system means that cordless tools will now always be ready to use.
Bosch is the world’s first supplier to enable the advantages of inductive energy transfer to be used with cordless tools. With the launch of its Power Ready Wireless Charging System, Bosch is opening up a new dimension in charging technology and providing new ways to make working with cordless tools efficient, cost saving and time saving.
The benefits are many. Professional trades people are mobile. Previously, they needed to build time in to recharge their power tool batteries.
Now batteries no longer need to be removed, and the tool can simply be parked in the charger – battery and all – in between tasks. We have changed downtime into productive charging time.
Also on display is the new Dremel 3D Idea Builder. It is the first 3D printer for everyone. It’s easy to use and comes with a suite of design tools and support. As the only UL Certified 3D printer on the market, it is the ideal choice for home use.
With the launch of the Dremel 3D Idea Builder, Dremel is bringing a new era of creativity and inspiration to a community of makers seeking to bring an endless array of ideas to life. It is perfect for prototyping.
Knowing the strength of our individual products, it only makes sense that we would bundle them to make sustainable, smart and secure homes and communities – more accessible. And that is just what several of our divisions are doing. In fact, three such communities are scheduled to launch in 2015 in the U.S. The end result will be that some 17,000 homes in Washington state, Texas and Colorado – will utilize a suite of smart, sustainable Bosch technologies from several divisions.
Finding unique and entrepreneurial ways to foster innovation is what Robert Bosch Venture Capital does best. It searches out some of the best and brightest entrepreneurial start-ups – or established companies – that need an infusion of capital to take them to the next level.
Here is an example:
Today, cable/telephone/internet providers are looking beyond their current four areas of focus, which are: telephone, cable TV, internet access and cell phone services – and are entering into a fifth area by offering smart home services like home security.
Bosch Security Systems and GreenPeak Technologies, a leading smart home radio frequency communications semiconductor company, have joined forces to serve operators with services like Home Security and Home Care.
Offering a complete end-to-end solution of home security – integrating GreenPeak RF technology with Bosch sensors and security services – enables the partners to offer a scalable system that ranges from delivering only a sensor to a complete cloud-based home security service solution. This partnership enables operators to deliver a cost-efficient, end-to-end service, with a shorter time to market.
Smart home services like remote control of doors, thermostats and lighting, all centrally monitored and controlled by the set-to-box/gateway, are very enticing for cable and service operators.
We’ve talked about connected home and keeping you safe. Now I’d like to talk about Connected Mobility and how Bosch keeps you safe and secure on the road.
Focusing on
- electrification…
- automation – albeit with a new twist – and…
- connectivity…
Bosch’s mobility sector has developed a comprehensive portfolio of technologies to meet drivers’ increasing needs for cleaner, safer, more efficient, and more comfortable driving experiences.
Besides improving the conventional powertrain, electrification will play an increasingly important role in the future of mobility. Our portfolio of electric solutions encompasses a broad spectrum from eBikes and e-scooters, through mild and plug-in hybrids, all the way to fully electric powertrains.
Also for electric vehicles, Bosch and BMW announced a DC fast charger last year. Smaller and more affordable than other available fast chargers, this DC fast charger can charge a BMW i3 battery to 80 percent… in just 30 minutes. It’s also compatible with some other electric vehicles.
And at the other end of the electromobility spectrum is the eBike, for which Bosch produces drive systems. With eBikes, electrical energy supports muscle power during pedaling. Bosch has become the market leader for eBike drive systems in Europe. We are excited to see them launch in the U.S.
Be sure to check out the eBike at the Vehicle Intelligence Marketplace where you can experience Bosch’s performance drive system.
At the Bosch booth, we will exhibit a new technology for eBike that will soon be introduced. Nyon is Bosch’s first all-in-one eBike cycle computer with an integrated navigation and fitness function. Equipped with comprehensive basic functions, Nyon can be adapted to the needs of the rider with a smartphone app and online portal. Its housing is waterproof and rugged, so it can be used in the rain and off-road. Twelve bike manufacturers will offer the Nyon in Europe for the 2015 model year.
The second area of focus for Bosch’s mobility sector is automation. For us, that translates into our vision for an injury-free, and, ultimately, accident-free future. That is one reason that Bosch invests in developing automated driving functions.
Bosch develops a variety of sensors that enable automated driving. For example, ultrasonic sensors and near-range cameras enable automated parking… radar sensors and mono and stereo-video cameras enable driver assistance systems.
Here at CES, Bosch will showcase one of its advanced safety and driver assistance systems: traffic jam assist.
By coupling radar and video technology, traffic jam assist controls longitudinal and lateral movements of the vehicle in congested traffic, returning control to the driver if necessary to change lanes or if obstacles are detected.
The third area of focus for Bosch’s mobility sector is connectivity.
Bosch is making cars an active part of the internet – and bringing drivers a range of benefits. By networking vehicles, Bosch is improving the comfort, safety and efficiency of tomorrow’s mobility.
At the same time, Bosch is bringing the fascination of the digital world onto the streets of the physical world. In this, the company is pursuing three strategic objectives.
- First, Bosch is making the internet an intuitive in-car experience.
- Second, Bosch is connecting cars to the internet and creating driver assistance functions with added value.
- And finally, Bosch is networking cars with traffic infrastructure.
In the future, we will see completely new functions emerge. For instance, in-car augmented reality will connect the virtual world with the physical world. Think of a soccer game on TV… augmented reality is what allows viewers to see the offside line blended in as if it were part of the field. The windshield will become the vehicle’s main display area, bringing all vehicle information as well as data on the surroundings into the driver’s field of vision. Connected mobility makes driving safer and offers greater comfort and convenience.
Bosch provides high-quality infotainment and navigation systems for connected content and services. As the world becomes increasingly more connected, consumers want their vehicle to be an extension of their lifestyle. Bosch’s mySPIN smartphone integration creates a device-to-vehicle link that provides users with the opportunity to continue using certain apps – both Apple and Android – through the vehicle’s central display. The apps are optimized for in-vehicle use, thus minimizing distraction.
The instrument cluster is another area where Bosch is making a technology leap and adding versatility to the vehicle. Our display-based instrument cluster, which was recently introduced in the BMW i8 and Audi TT, provides maximum flexibility for processing and displaying content with great clarity.
And that’s one of the keys to success for driver assistance and multimedia systems – the clarity with which they display information and their subsequent ease of use.
This is where human machine interface plays an important role. The driver must be able to understand and operate the systems intuitively, using, for example, natural voice input and head-up displays.
You’ll see one of Bosch’s head-up displays at our booth. In this combiner display, not only is information – like speed, navigation and warnings – presented directly in the driver’s field of vision, the image generated is combined with the scenery outside the vehicle so that the two images appear to merge with each other about two meters in front of the vehicle.
Instead of projecting the information on the windshield, it is projected onto a plastic screen that becomes literally invisible to the driver.
But connectivity is more than the interplay of different vehicle systems. It is also the connection of the vehicle to the cloud. As you can see, we are networking vehicles and supporting a large number of vehicle-relevant apps. However, in doing so, we must ensure that the high standard of security in the automotive electronics is maintained.
Using dual architectures, we create a strict separation between functions that are relevant for driving, such as driver assistance, and ones that are not, such as infotainment. In the future, a hardware security module will also safeguard the communication in each control unit.
At the booth, ESCRYPT will highlight software updates over the air. Secure over-the-air updates allow new business fields for automakers and Tier 1 suppliers. This new technology is fast and secure and guarantees the highest level of functional safety.
In addition to the Bosch technology on the vehicles you drive, Bosch is also working behind the scenes. In addition to the connected vehicle, we are also working on the connected repair shop.
Digital communication and data networking are playing an increasingly important role in repair shops. The repair shop of the future will be able to continuously monitor the status of customers’ vehicles and recommend a repair in advance. In addition, parts can be ordered and employees’ work time can be better organized. Once a customer arrives for a service appointment, Bosch’s flex inspect component automatically reads the fault memory and checks the battery, the tire inflation pressure and the chassis geometry.
To further assist automotive technicians, Bosch is developing augmented reality applications that provide computer-assisted information for technicians. At Bosch, we are developing applications that use augmented reality to show the technician three-dimensional work instructions, required tools and even training videos. As soon as the camera of a tablet scans a motor component, the contextual information is superimposed onto the physical object – exactly where it is needed. This eliminates time-consuming consultation of service manuals.
Augmented reality facilitates the repair process, improves the quality of the work and minimizes the effort.
So, ladies and gentlemen, I hope that you share Bosch’s excitement for the tremendous possibilities before us… as we continue to merge our Invented for life product portfolio with the fast-evolving Internet of Things. Integrating the physical and virtual worlds promises to enrich our lives, provide tremendous amounts of important information and allow us access to many communities, large and small.
Whether we realize it or not, our lives are being revolutionized by technology. The lifestyle to which we aspire is only a few clicks away.
Speaking of that, my daughter aspires to hit the ski slopes, so this is how I responded to her earlier text: “Check’s in the “mail.” 🙂 Dad”. For those of you who have teenagers, perhaps you can relate.