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12 Media
For safer roads: Bosch teams up with Microsoft to explore new frontiers with gen ...

28.02.2024

Press release

Automated mobility

For safer roads: Bosch teams up with Microsoft to explore new frontiers with gen ...

Stuttgart, Germany – It’s a scenario that no driver ever wants to see: a ball rolling out into the road. The chances are it will be followed immediately by a child in hot pursuit, oblivious to any traffic. But while human drivers can assess this situation using their contextual knowledge, today’s assisted and automated driving systems still have to learn how to do it. Bosch is pursuing the use of generative AI in terms to further improve automated driving functions. As part of this, Bosch and Microsoft are exploring opportunities to collaborate and leverage the power of generative AI. “Bosch is working on bringing a new dimension of AI applications into the vehicle,” said Dr. Stefan Hartung, chairman of the Bosch board of management, at this year’s Bosch Connected World (BCW) AIoT industry conference in Berlin. The expectation is that generative AI will enable vehicles to assess situations and react accordingly, and in this way keep road users even safer. Greater safety on the roads is also the wish of 60 percent of respondents to this year’s Bosch Tech Compass, a worldwide representative Bosch survey on the subjects of technology and AI. Bosch is working on bringing a new dimension of AI applications into the vehicle,...says Dr. Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management. Generative AI to make road traffic safer The two companies anticipate that a collaboration would take the performance of automated driving functions to the next level. They would like to see generative AI help enhance convenience in the vehicle and to provide greater safety for all road users. To achieve this, Bosch's comprehensive understanding of vehicles and automotive-specific AI expertise will be invaluable, as well as their access to vehicle sensor data to feed the generative AI. “In our unwavering commitment to safer roads, Microsoft is eager to explore collaboration opportunities with Bosch to pioneer the realm of generative AI,” said Uli Homann, Microsoft CVP and Distinguished Architect. Even today, when it comes to training systems for automated driving, AI quickly comes up against its limits. Today’s driver assistance systems can detect people, animals, objects, and vehicles, but in the near future generative AI could help determine whether a situation could potentially lead to an accident. Generative AI utilizes vast amounts of data to train systems for automated driving, enabling them to draw improved conclusions from this data. For example, it could deduce whether an object on the road ahead is a plastic bag or a damaged vehicle part. This information can be used either to communicate directly with the driver – such as by displaying a warning – or to initiate appropriate driving maneuvers, such as braking while switching on the hazard warning lights. Bosch and Microsoft have already partnered to develop a universal software platform for seamlessly connecting cars and the cloud, and are looking forward to work together to identify new opportunities to bring cutting-edge AI technology to their customers and the autonomous vehicle industry. Generative AI as a boost to innovation “Generative AI is a boost to innovation. It can transform industry in much the same way as the invention of the computer,” says Dr. Tanja Rueckert, member of the Bosch board of management and chief digital officer. The new 2024 Bosch Tech Compass shows this as well: 64 percent of respondents believe that AI is the technology with the greatest importance for the future. In comparison, only 41 percent of respondents were of the same opinion just one year ago. Generative AI is a boost to innovation. It can transform industry in much the same way as the invention of the computer,...says Dr. Tanja Rueckert, member of the Bosch board of management and chief digital officer. From manufacturing to everyday office work, generative AI is already being used in many areas at Bosch. In addition to Microsoft, the company is working with several partners, including AWS, Google, and Aleph Alpha. The Bosch Group’s venture capital unit, Bosch Ventures, invested in the AI company Aleph Alpha last year. Bosch also announced it would collaborate with the startup on finding new use cases both for Bosch associates and customers. “Bosch and Aleph Alpha want to learn from each other, benefit from each other’s know-how, and work together on cross-domain use cases,” Rueckert says. This partnership is now bearing its first fruits in North America: in collaboration with Aleph Alpha, Bosch is debuting AI-based speech recognition on behalf of a premium car manufacturer. In this solution, a chatbot understands and answers breakdown service calls with the help of natural language processing, which also recognizes dialects, accents, and moods. The call is taken directly, reducing the driver’s waiting time to a minimum. As many as 40 percent of calls can be processed and resolved automatically; for more complex queries, the bot transmits all relevant information to a service center agent who takes over the case immediately. From the AI search engine to manufacturing AI experts at Bosch are currently working on well over 120 specific applications that these new AI models open up for the company’s associates and customers. Such applications include the generation of software program code or powerful chatbots and voicebots to support technicians or interact with consumers. Another is AskBosch, the in-house AI-assisted search engine launched at the end of 2023. It offers faster natural-language access to a wide variety of data sources – sources scattered over the intranet, say. In addition to externally available data, AskBosch also includes internal data sources, so Bosch associates can research information specific to the company. Generative AI also ensures greater speed in manufacturing: in initial projects in two Bosch plants in Germany, generative AI creates synthetic images in order to develop and scale AI solutions for optical inspection and optimize existing AI models. Bosch expects that this will reduce the time needed for planning, launching, and ramping up AI applications from the current six-to-twelve months to just a few weeks. Following successful piloting, this service for generating synthetic data is to be offered to all Bosch locations. 2024 Bosch Tech Compass: setting the pace in the use of AI As AI is used in more and more areas of life, professional development is becoming increasingly important: 58 percent of respondents to the Bosch Tech Compass are convinced of this. This opinion is particularly prevalent in USA at 63 percent (Germany: 54 percent, China: 52 percent). Here, too, Bosch is setting the pace in the use of artificial intelligence and is getting its associates on board. In 2019, Bosch launched a training program, initially aimed at bringing 30,000 associates up to speed on the subject of AI. Up to now, some 28,000 associates have taken part in the program. Like the Bosch AI code of ethics, which sets ethical guidelines for dealing with artificial intelligence, this program has been supplemented with content about generative AI. For all the results of the 2024 Bosch Tech Compass, click here . About the survey: For the representative survey, people aged 18 and over in seven countries (Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, the U.K., and the U.S.) were polled online on behalf of Robert Bosch GmbH by the market researchers Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung mbH (GIM) in December 2023. In Germany, France, and the U.K., at least 1,000 people were polled per country; in Brazil, China, India, and the U.S., it was at least 2,000 people each. The random samples are representative of their respective countries in terms of region, gender, and age (Brazil, Germany, France, U.K., U.S.: 18 to 69 years / China, India: 18 to 59 years).

Automated mobility
GAIA-X 4 moveID project develops basis for secure mobile data exchange

08.09.2022

Press release

Business/economy

GAIA-X 4 moveID project develops basis for secure mobile data exchange

Stuttgart, Germany – Which parking garages currently have vacant charge spots available? Where are free parking spaces in the city center? And how can this information be digitally transmitted, and services billed, across providers? The answer to these and similar questions calls for secure data exchange between the vehicles and their environment. It is precisely this foundation that a research project consisting of universities, automotive suppliers, and system providers is now in the process of building, with Bosch leading the consortium. Over the next three years, the GAIA-X 4 moveID project is set to develop the necessary standards and technological concepts to enable the secure exchange of information between providers of mobility applications and their customers. The goal is to create decentralized digital vehicle identities. This is an important prerequisite for the mass use of electric vehicles, automated driving, and the establishment of connected cities. GAIA-X 4 moveID is supported to the tune of 14 million euros by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action – covering half of the project costs.Connectivity for digital services across the board “An integrated and transparent system architecture for the exchange of data on the road that incorporates different products and players simply isn’t available today. While it’s true that some companies out there already offer services, those services are tailored for specific applications, vehicles, or customer groups,” explains Peter Busch, project manager at the consortium leader Bosch. They often map the infrastructure, for example, but they rarely provide information about availability due to a lack of connectivity between the many independently operating service providers. “Open standards are needed so that users, for example, can find all available charging stations or pay for charging processes,” Busch says. It’s important to always ensure that the data is processed securely and that individual providers don’t exploit it solely for their own purposes. For Busch, this is the only way that the necessary user confidence can grow and a broad range of all available services, such as so-called deep parking (use of otherwise unavailable parking spaces), can be created. That is why the consortium is building on the European GAIA-X system, which defines the technological, economic, and legal framework for a secure and trustworthy data infrastructure. GAIA-X relies on decentralization and the interplay of different cloud providers under common guidelines. In this spirit, the GAIA-X 4 moveID project is using open source software for its developments and making them available to all providers for various business models. Vehicles are becoming marketplaces The standards that GAIA-X 4 moveID is pursuing will allow vehicles to securely and independently exchange information with other vehicles and their environment without an “intermediary.” The vehicles’ “infrastructure partners” include charge spots, barriers, traffic lights, and parking lots. The research project will use internationally recognized hardware and software to develop management and administrative services to facilitate the interaction and trade between different players. This will enable providers to connect a great many services, such as news, entertainment, and navigation, with the car’s system, especially in automated driving. The market for services related to connected parking alone is estimated to be worth ten billion euros annually worldwide. What’s more, the ability to navigate directly to a vacant parking space significantly reduces congestion and emissions. After all, today, about a third of downtown urban traffic is people looking for parking spaces. The availability of information is also a crucial factor for the success of electromobility. It is estimated that about half of newly registered cars in Europe will be electric by 2030. “Their drivers need to know that they’ll be able to find a charge spot quickly whenever they need one. And that requires connected systems,” Busch says. Extensive data exchange as a basis for automated driving The mass use of automated vehicles is conceivable only if cars are able to quickly and reliably communicate with their environment. The data exchange this requires will enable climate-friendly traffic control based on the volume of traffic at any given moment. This will allow cities to regulate incoming traffic to particular areas in real time, thus preventing congestion. However, this method, known as zoning, requires that vehicles be able to immediately recognize changing conditions and to reroute accordingly. Zoning is being demonstrated with test vehicles – for the first time across borders – in the Germany-France-Luxembourg (Merzig/Saarbrücken) test area as part of the GAIA-X 4 moveID project. The cars receive dynamic information regarding their approach to defined zones.The project partners: Robert Bosch GmbH Materna Information & Communications SE Denso Automotive Deutschland GmbH Continental Automotive Technlogies GmbH WOBCOM GmbH ecsec GmbH HTW Saar (University of Applied Sciences) Atos Information Technology GmbH Chainstep GmbH Peaq Technology GmbH Zeppelin Universität gGmbH (Zeppelin University) Datarella GmbH 51nodes GmbH Bigchain DB GmbH Fetch.ai Research & Development GmbH ITK Engineering GmbH Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (German Aerospace Center) Airbus Defence and Space GmbH Delta Dao AG

Business/economy
Accurate indoor localization can save thousands of lives – enabled by pressure s ...

22.04.2020

Press release

Internet of Things

Accurate indoor localization can save thousands of lives – enabled by pressure s ...

Bosch Sensortec announces the BMP390 , a barometric pressure sensor that delivers unmatched accuracy for altitude tracking in smartphones as well as wearable and hearable devices. The new sensor can measure height changes below 10 centimeters thanks to the improved resolution, and is 50 percent more accurate than its predecessor. The use of Bosch Sensortec’s latest BMP390 pressure sensor in smartphones, enables a high precision localization service that ultimately has the potential to save thousands of lives....Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec Accurate altitude detection helps to localize people indoors, where GPS signals are not available. The addition of the vertical-specific position to existing horizontal information enables first responders to determine the floor level of smartphone users who trigger an emergency call. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that the additional vertical information has the potential to save up to 10,000 lives per year just in the USA alone 1 . "The use of Bosch Sensortec’s latest BMP390 pressure sensor in smartphones, enables a high precision localization service that ultimately has the potential to save thousands of lives," said Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. Enabling enhanced emergency calls According to a recent report by the FCC , wireless providers in the US will soon be required to meet an increasingly stringent series of location accuracy benchmarks in accordance with a timetable, including providing the caller’s dispatchable location. The order adopts a z-axis location accuracy metric of ±3 meters relative to the handset for 80 percent of indoor wireless 9-1-1 calls starting in 2021. Emergency applications such as the enhanced 911 (E911) system in the US could also be implemented in other regions like Europe or Asia, to further improve people’s safety and peace of mind. Bosch and NextNav LLC, a 3D geolocation service provider, have collaborated on component specifications and system performance resulting in consistent, high accuracy z-axis capabilities indoors. This is accomplished by applying barometric pressure sensors in the phone, like the Bosch BMP390, and combining them with NextNav’s Metropolitan Beacon System (MBS) z-axis service to determine three-dimensional location and positioning. Accurate indoor and outdoor navigation and improved fitness tracking Not limited to emergency applications, the sensor also enables improved indoor navigation in general, for example in combination with the Position Tracking Smart Sensor BHI160BP . These navigation solutions compensate for traditional localization technologies such as GPS that do not work efficiently in shielded environments. This will help users to save time and avoid the hassle of getting lost, for example when searching for their car in an underground garage. Furthermore, the new BMP390 supports enhanced GPS applications for outdoor navigation and calorie expenditure estimation tasks. The use of advanced barometric pressure sensing can determine whether a user is walking up or down an incline, stairs or lifting weights during a fitness training session. This helps to increase the precision of calorie tracking by up to 15 percent 2 . Thanks to the improved accuracy of altitude measurements, fitness trackers are able to show exactly how far a user has run, walked or cycled. Accurate, stable and compact The BMP390 provides a typical relative accuracy of ±0.03 hPa, which is superior to any other comparable product on the market today. Typical absolute accuracy is ±0.5 hPa. The excellent accuracy is the result of significant improvements in temperature stability, drift behavior and noise. The sensor offers high temperature stability across its entire operating temperature and pressure range of 0 to 65 °C and 700 to 1100 hPa respectively, with an average temperature coefficient offset (TCO) of just ±0.6 Pa/K. Noise is also low, at only 0.9 Pa typical, an improvement of 25 percent relative to the predecessor BMP380. The device also provides high long-term stability, and low short- and long-term drift. Its small size, measuring only 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm x 0.75 mm, makes the new sensor easy to integrate into portable devices. Power consumption is kept low at 3.2 μA at 1 Hz (typical) to maximize battery life on portable devices. Availability The BMP390 is available for high-volume smartphone, wearable and hearable manufacturers. Footnotes 1 FCC Fact Sheet 2 Energy Expenditure Estimation with Smartphone Body Sensors

Internet of Things
Bosch puts 5G machines in pole position

26.11.2019

Press release

Business/economy

Bosch puts 5G machines in pole position

Stuttgart, Germany – 5G is coming. The new communications standard accelerates the internet of things and boosts Industry 4.0. Control systems and sensors of the kind built into facilities, machinery, and logistics chains stand to gain from this fast, reliable real-time wireless data transfer. Preparing machines for state-of-the-art communication involves making them 5G-capable. Now Bosch has the solution: Bosch Rexroth’s new ctrlX AUTOMATION control technology comes with 5G built in and can connect a wide range of industrial devices with the new communications standard. ctrlX AUTOMATION will be showcased at the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg.Bosch opens the door to a new industrial age 5G is set to turbocharge manufacturing. Our new 5G-capable automation platform lays the groundwork and opens the door to a new industrial age,...says Rolf Najork, the member of the Bosch board of management responsible for industrial technology. 5G is the first communications standard designed to enable connectivity for people as well as for the internet of things. The new standard has impressive characteristics: it is up to 20 times faster than 4G, transfers data virtually instantaneously with a latency of one millisecond, and is up to 99.9999 percent reliable – making the receipt of a “digital shipment” as certain as with transmission through a wire. "5G is a revolution and an important building block for the factory of the future", Najork says. Engineers and designers now face the challenges of integrating 5G into their machines and products. Bosch is introducing the solution that meets their needs: the new automation platform’s hardware can be fitted with a 5G module. The operating system and software for ctrlX AUTOMATION are 5G-capable from the outset and support rapid commissioning. Retrofit solutions are also available for adding the new technology to existing machinery. Bosch Rexroth’s new automation platform is scheduled to have its market launch in 2020. 5G will be a competitive factor for connected industry Experts estimate that there will be up to 70 billion connected devices worldwide by 2025. Many of them will be in manufacturing, meaning that 5G will become a competitive factor. The new communications standard will enable applications that require high-power, extremely reliable wireless connections to be integrated securely and efficiently into manufacturing facilities. These include mobile robotics, autonomous transport vehicles, and human-machine interactions. For instance, workers wearing augmented reality glasses can access additional information in their field of vision, optimizing how they monitor and maintain machinery. Combining tasks in the virtual world with those in the real world calls for real-time data flows. And that’s what 5G promises. "This new form of communication eclipses everything we’ve had until now. 5G is the first wireless protocol to truly meet the needs of the manufacturing industry", Najork says. Bosch takes on leadership role in Industry 4.0 and 5G Bosch is developing the factory of the future. In this endeavor, the company is relying on Industry 4.0 . The company first tests and validates products in-house before they are available on the market. Bosch is taking this approach with 5G, too. The company presented its first 5G-capable autonomous transport system, ActiveShuttle , at the Hannover Messe. To support the further development of its factories, Bosch has applied to the German Federal Network Agency for 5G licenses with which to set up local campus networks. Moreover, Bosch has taken on the chair of the global 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) with the aim of shaping the new mobile standard so that it meets the needs of the manufacturing industry from the outset.

Business/economy
Software from Bosch Connected Industry boosts productivity in production

25.11.2019

Press release

Industry 4.0

Software from Bosch Connected Industry boosts productivity in production

Stuttgart / Nuremberg, Germany – Intelligent software reduces complexity, simplifies processes; the factory of the future is unthinkable without this tool. Bosch Connected Industry is now presenting a solution at the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg that makes production and logistics even more transparent, efficient and productive. The Nexeed Industrial Application System makes data available in a compatible and standardized form and provides information at a glance. NEXEED is the brain of the intelligent factory, in which every employee knows what has to be done when and where,...null says Sven Hamann, Senior Vice President of Bosch Connected Industry. Using open interfaces, the Bosch software can also be easily integrated into common industrial platforms and existing infrastructures. "NEXEED breathes new life into old systems and makes them fit for Industry 4.0," says Hamann. This makes it easier to implement this intelligent form of production and ensures manageable investments. To this end, Bosch Connected Industry uses solutions that successfully optimize production in Bosch plants all over the world.Nexeed Industrial Application System for connected manufacturing With the Nexeed Industrial Application System, Bosch relies on interoperability: "All components of the system speak the same language and work together optimally. NEXEED forms the basis for a fully connected, transparent production process," explains Hamann. The basic functionalities make work easier for users and administrators through simple operation, clear master data management and individually defined access rights. The applications enable, for example, live monitoring of production processes or central management of IIoT devices such as routers, machine controls and sensors. "With our solutions no one has to update the devices individually with the USB stick anymore. This enables us to consistently close security gaps in the factory," explains Hamann. If required, the system can be expanded with additional applications or subject-specific packages. Significant increase in productivity through intelligent software By connecting NEXEED with the new automation platform ctrlX AUTOMATION from Bosch Rexroth, production efficiency can be significantly increased: "Industry 4.0 solutions from Bosch provide a productivity boost. With the new automation platform, we are improving the overall equipment effectiveness of machines by up to ten percent. In conjunction with NEXEED, another ten percent can be added," says Hamann. Bosch software makes a decisive contribution to higher availability, better performance, and higher quality. It enables access to production-relevant information in real time, for example on the status of production or the whereabouts of individual components. In the event of malfunctions, employees can react more quickly or avoid them completely thanks to preventive maintenance. Strong demand for software and services for Industry 4.0 Since its establishment in 2018, Bosch Connected Industry has expanded its business considerably: NEXEED is already used successfully by around 100 international customers, including BMW, Sick and Trumpf. Users benefit from the experience of the Bosch plants and warehouses: all NEXEED solutions are developed, tested and evaluated there, before Bosch offers them to external customers. More than 100 Bosch factories now use solutions from the NEXEED portfolio. Bosch Connected Industry at SPS: November 26-28, 2019, booth 450, hall 7

Industry 4.0
Bosch applies for local 5G licenses

21.11.2019

Press release

Industry 4.0

Bosch applies for local 5G licenses

Stuttgart, Germany – Bosch believes 5G local area networks are the way forward. The company has applied for 5G operating licenses for selected German locations. “As an IoT company, Bosch began researching into 5G early. The new communications standard is a key to automated and connected driving, and an essential element of the factory of the future,” says Dr. Michael Bolle, the Bosch Group CDO and CTO. Following licensing by the regulatory authorities, Bosch intends to set up these local 5G networks in collaboration with selected partners over the course of 2020 in order to better exploit the potential of Industry 4.0. Over the next few months, 5G trials will be conducted at Bosch plants and at its research campus in Renningen, in preparation for rollout in the company’s manufacturing operations.5G campus networks for Bosch plants The Bundesnetzagentur – the regulatory authority responsible for frequency allocation in Germany – recently changed its policy and now allows companies to obtain licenses for their private use. This will enable Bosch to set up its own 5G networks and thereby improve its competitiveness. "Private campus networks offer a maximum of security and independence. 5G speeds up industrial manufacturing processes. By establishing local 5G networks, we will be able to take a significant leap forward in our ambitions to create the factory of the future", says Rolf Najork, the Bosch management board member responsible for industrial technology. Bosch has initially applied for 5G operating licenses for the lead plant for Industry 4.0 in Stuttgart-Feuerbach and the research campus in Renningen . “The pioneering work done by these selected locations will ultimately benefit the entire Bosch manufacturing network, with its roughly 270 plants worldwide,” Bolle says. 5G will play a central role in the factory of the future “In our vision of the factory of the future, the only fixed elements are floors, walls, and ceilings. Everything else is movable and can be reconfigured at will,” Najork says. Examples include mobile robots, autonomous transportation vehicles, and new assistance systems such as data glasses, which provide associates with optimum support. An important requirement for such flexible systems is a powerful wireless infrastructure enabling efficient communication between human operators, machines, and other equipment. “This calls for a reliable, secure, and high-speed data transmission system with short response times – all of which is possible with 5G,” says Andreas Müller, who works for Bosch as a researcher and is the chairman of the international 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA). The advantage of 5G is that it not only provides a means of efficiently connecting mobile devices and wireless sensors, but also provides the basis for entirely new system concepts. For instance, 5G enables a mobile robot to be controlled in real time using data stored in a local manufacturing cloud. This reduces costs, increases flexibility, and simplifies maintenance. It also optimizes operation of the machines. “If you walk into a factory today, you’ll see that almost every machine has an operating console with an emergency off switch. Someone has to press that button to bring the machine to a standstill. With 5G, the operator doesn’t need to be near the machine: an emergency stop and other functions can be executed using a mobile device. This makes the operator’s work easier, and also helps save costs,” Müller says. 5G improves security in production Local 5G networks virtually eliminate dependence on third-party providers. By setting up and operating their own wireless networks, manufacturers can configure them to meet the often highly demanding requirements of industrial communication applications. This solution also gives them full control over relevant security concerns. For instance, if the public network is overloaded, local 5G networks permit factory operations to continue without losing control of the system. “Campus networks allow us to decide for ourselves what architecture and security features best suit our needs, and what equipment we will use to implement them. And we know who has access to specific components and data,” Müller says. This reduces business risks and preserves data sovereignty. Dedicated interfaces are used for connections to the internet and other public networks, and are continuously monitored. Germany takes the lead in 5G For the first time, the introduction of the new 5G standard gives companies in Germany the opportunity to set up and operate their own cellular local area networks. The German regulatory authorities have set aside the frequency band from 3,700 to 3,800 MHz for this purpose. Frequencies will be allocated according to demand, with preference given to Industry 4.0 or agricultural and forestry applications. Licenses will be granted for an initial period of ten years. The fee for each license is the sum of a basic EUR 1,000 fee, the allocated bandwidth (from at least 10 to a maximum of 100 megahertz), the number of years for which it is allocated, and the surface area (in square kilometers) to which the allocation applies (with a distinction being made between built-up areas and transport routes and other areas).

Industry 4.0
CES 2019: Bosch extends its position as a leading IoT company

07.01.2019

Press release

Smart Home

CES 2019: Bosch extends its position as a leading IoT company

Las Vegas, NV – More and more, the internet of things (IoT) is changing our world. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Bosch is showing what it is already capable of today. From a concept for a shuttle vehicle that makes a new kind of mobility tangible, to fridges with connectivity that give advice on food storage, to smart lawn mowers that learn by doing – the spectrum of solutions Bosch is presenting at the world’s largest consumer electronics show is huge. “Bosch recognized the huge opportunities of the IoT early on. We have been actively shaping the connected world for nearly ten years now,” says the Bosch board of management member Dr. Markus Heyn. “Today, we are a leading IoT company. Step by step, we have extended our software and IT expertise.” Using its own IoT cloud, the company has already carried out more than 270 projects in field such as mobility, smart homes, smart cities, and agriculture. The number of sensors and devices connected over the Bosch IoT Suite has risen nearly 40 percent since last year, and now stands at 8.5 million.One of the keys to further growth and new business opportunities on the internet of things is artificial intelligence (AI). This is also a field in which Bosch is playing a decisive part in driving developments. “We will best be able to unlock the potential of the IoT if we combine it with AI, and take our IoT and AI activities forward in parallel,” Heyn says. In his view, the relationship between the two fields is complementary: “The IoT needs intelligence. The use of connected things to gather data can be a decisive boost for the development of AI. It is only through AI that connected things become intelligent and learn to draw their own conclusions. Above all, we aim to achieve concrete improvements in people’s real, everyday lives – things such as more time, more security, more efficiency, and more convenience.” Here, Heyn cites the example of video-based fire detection: by using intelligent image analysis, security cameras are able to identify fires within a few seconds, even before the system’s sensors detect heat and smoke. In this way, fires can be detected considerably earlier than with conventional fire or smoke alarm systems. This saves valuable minutes in which lives can be saved.A second key to success on the path to the IoT age is partnerships. Here, Bosch is opting for a mix of traditional and new players. The alliance recently agreed with the Canadian platform provider Mojio has already resulted in the first integrated IoT platform for connected vehicles: in the event of an accident, a special Bosch algorithm can identify where and when the accident happened, and how severe it is. Via the Mojio cloud, the data are transmitted without any delay to the Bosch emergency service center, which automatically sends an emergency call to local rescue services. At the same time, a message is sent to a predetermined list of recipients, either as a text message or via the Mojio app. “Together with Mojio, we are connecting vehicles directly with the cloud. This means rescue services can get to the scene of an accident even faster than before,” says Mike Mansuetti, the president of Bosch North America. From the middle of next year, the IoT emergency solution will be available for nearly a million drivers in North America and Europe. IoT on the roads: Bosch presents connected mobility of the future With the concept shuttle vehicle it developed in-house, Bosch is celebrating a world first at CES. In this vehicle, the company is its presenting solutions for the automation, connectivity, and electrification of vehicles, and is giving visitors the chance to experience at first hand a new kind of mobility: driverless shuttles, which will soon be a feature on the streets of the world’s cities. “This will pay into our vision of mobility that is as emissions-free, accident-free, and stress-free as possible,” Heyn says. For shuttle-based mobility such as this, Bosch will be supplying not only components and systems, but also a complete range of mobility services, such as reservation, sharing, and connectivity platforms, as well as parking and recharging services. Bosch believes that such connected services are essential for the shuttle-based mobility of the future. The forecast market volume for these services is also high: while it was 47 billion euros in 2017, it is estimated that it will be as much as 140 billion euros by 2022 (source: PwC). Bosch also wants to have a share in this, and aims for significant double-digit growth with the solutions it offers. For Heyn, there is no doubt: “In the future, every vehicle on the road will make use of Bosch digital services. We will consolidate them into a smart, seamlessly connected ecosystem.”One of the final obstacles for putting shuttle-based mobility into practice is the automation of vehicles in complex urban environments. Here, Bosch believes partnerships are the answer: In the second half of this year, San José in California’s Silicon Valley is set to become the pilot city for testing a fully automated, driverless ridesharing service provided by Bosch and Daimler. The three parties have already signed a letter of intent to this effect. With their development alliance, Bosch and Daimler want to improve urban traffic flows, enhance road safety, and provide an important building block for the traffic of the future. Their aim is to develop a driving system for fully automated driverless driving (SAE level 4/5) that is ready for production by the beginning of the next decade. IoT in the home: connected appliances make home owners’ lives noticeably easier It’s not just on the roads that connected products and services that make user’s lives easier are in demand. “We’re working on the idea of a connected home, and on appliances that think autonomously and understand what users want,” Heyn says. At CES, for example, the company is presenting a new function for web-enabled fridges that can recognize types of food and provide recommendations on storage. The interior camera automatically recognizes some 60 kinds of fruits and vegetables and suggests the ideal place to store them by means of an app. As a result, food is stored in the best possible way, stays fresh for longer, and doesn’t have to be thrown away so often. Another new development is the PAI projector, which can project a virtual user interface onto a kitchen counter top. An integrated 3D sensor captures any hand movements, allowing touch-screen operation of the interface. In this way, users can conveniently call up recipes online and make phone calls over the internet while they are cooking and baking. Designed especially for the kitchen environment, PAI does not have to be used with as much care as a smartphone or tablet. Even with sticky fingers, the projector can still be controlled perfectly. PAI is set to debut in China in February 2019, to be followed by market launch in the United States. Bosch is also presenting the Indego S+, its new robot lawn mower with internet connectivity, at CES. It is one of the first robot lawn mowers in the market to offer voice control by Amazon Alexa. It is also the only robot lawn mower that can use weather forecasts on the web to automatically decide when best to mow the lawn again. Bosch is using artificial intelligence to improve the way its robot lawn mower recognizes obstacles on the lawn by evaluating data such as motor flow, acceleration, motor speed, and direction. “We are using AI to make lawn care even easier and more convenient. Our vision is an Indego that adapts to its garden in order to mow the lawn perfectly every time,” Heyn says. IoT #LikeABosch: Bosch launches digital IoT campaign Bosch is also using CES 2019 to premiere its new IoT image campaign. The main plank of the campaign is a hip-hop video clip featuring a protagonist who is a savvy IoT user. Bosch is entering new territory with its “Like a Bosch” campaign; the decidedly different approach and tone marks a new departure for the company, which was founded in 1886.This PR move capitalizes on a rash of “like a boss” videos and memes that have gone viral on the internet, attracting tens of millions of clicks. These videos feature everyday people who stage bizarre stunts or find their way out of predicaments with technical finesse. The IoT image campaign changes a few letters in order to put a fresh spin on this internet phenomenon. The protagonist in the Bosch video is a young man who is always on top of things, thanks to connected solutions from Bosch. Smartphone in hand, he operates his car, lawn mower, or coffee machine in a cool, smart, and confident way – he’s in charge of things “like a Bosch.”

Smart Home
Bosch lets CES 2019 visitors experience tomorrow’s shuttle mobility

04.01.2019

Press release

Connected mobility

Bosch lets CES 2019 visitors experience tomorrow’s shuttle mobility

Las Vegas – Driverless, electric, and seamlessly connected: shuttles will soon be a common sight on our city streets. Bosch provides components and systems for automating, connecting, and electrifying the shuttles. And it also provides a smart ecosystem of mobility services, including booking, sharing, and networking platforms, parking and battery charging services, and software solutions for managing and maintaining the vehicles, as well as infotainment during the journey. “In the future, every vehicle on the road will make use of Bosch digital services,” says Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Bosch is presenting its solutions for this area of transportation with a concept shuttle that lets visitors experience its full range of services.

Connected mobility
Bosch Thermotechnology on growth path

10.07.2018

Press release

Business/economy

Bosch Thermotechnology on growth path

Wetzlar – In 2017, Bosch Thermotechnology achieved revenue growth of four percent in nominal terms and six percent in exchange rate adjusted terms, pushing up total revenues to a record level of EUR 3.4 billion. Bosch Thermotechnology continued to grow also in the first half of 2018, when sales revenues were up on the prior year period by three and six percent in nominal and exchange rate adjusted terms, respectively. “In spite of the difficult environment, Bosch Thermotechnology delivered an excellent performance in the past 18 months,” said Uwe Glock, President of Bosch Thermotechnology. “Raw material and transport costs have increased noticeably and we had to cope with adverse exchange rate effects. Although the currency depreciation, especially of the Turkish lira and the pound sterling, cost us a double-digit million amount, we were able to generate the highest revenues in the history of our company in 2017,” said Glock.In product terms, growth was driven primarily by heat pumps and wall-hung devices; in market terms, the rise in revenues is primarily the result of strong sales in Europe. Bosch Thermotechnology recorded a sharp increase in revenues primarily in Germany, the main market, and in Turkey as well as in nearly all Central and Eastern European markets. In spite of Brexit and its adverse currency effects, Bosch Thermotechnology grew strongly in the important UK market, where revenues climbed eight percent in local currency in the first half of 2018. “Our high and continuous investments in the expansion of innovative future technologies are clearly paying off. In 2017, our R&D budget amounted to EUR 172 million, which was more than twice as much as ten years ago,” said Glock. More than 415,000 connectable products sold to date make Bosch Thermotechnology the leading provider of smart heating solutions for greatly enhanced comfort, energy efficiency, operational safety and service quality. The all-new product generation launched in 2015 under the name of “DNA”, which has caused quite a stir in the industry, has been very well accepted by the market. The devices are characterised by connectability, a modular structure, easy servicing and a distinctive design. The series is meanwhile available in some 30 countries worldwide. “It has strengthened our position as the world market leader for residential buildings and set new standards for the heating technology industry,” Glock emphasised. Well positioned for the three mega trends in times of the energy transition Over the past ten years, Bosch Thermotechnology has evolved from a product supplier to an international supplier of complete systems in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning) market. “On the way to the thermotechnology of the future, Bosch Thermotechnology will continue to rely on the three business segments ‘heating systems and energy management for residential buildings’, ‘domestic hot water heating’ and ‘commercial and industrial heating and airconditioning systems’. “In the times of the energy transition, it is our objective to become a digital climate and energy company including service operations and we aim for revenue growth of at least five percent per year,” Uwe Glock said to explain the ambitious objectives the company has set itself for the future. In the long term, the three megatrend “Ds” of the heating technology industry – decarbonisation, digitisation and decentralisation (increased local electricity generation) – will be the biggest challenges to make Bosch Thermotechnology fit and sound for the future. “It is therefore important to understand that now is the time to push ahead with the expansion of electric systems such as heat pumps in combination with controlled room ventilation or electric hot water solutions. Other items that rank high on our agenda for the coming years include complete system solutions for new residential buildings, the project business in the commercial and industrial segment and the entry into new business areas such as air purification”, said Uwe Glock. Already today, Bosch Thermotechnology has a large number of products in its portfolio which innovatively implement the three mega trends mentioned above for heating contractors and customers. Stationary battery storage systems make electricity supply more flexible The market for stationary high-performance battery storage systems continues to grow dynamically as efficient battery systems stabilise renewable energy sources and compensate for the time lag between power generation and power demand. Bosch Thermotechnology offers electricity storage systems in output ranges for smaller industrial businesses up to power plants. The Bosch battery storage systems feature a sophisticated cooling system which causes low operating costs and prevents premature ageing of the batteries. An example of such a large storage system can be found on the Bosch Thermotechnology site in Wernau. The 12-metre-long container is equipped with 432 battery modules which can supply forty households of four with an annual power consumption of 3,500 kWh each with electricity for one week. The system is connected to the public power grid and is charged and discharged in line with supply and demand in the electricity market. “We are convinced that our battery storage systems will become economically viable, as they are more efficient and faster than other solutions,” said Uwe Glock. Smart connection with the decentralised energy manager from Bosch Presented at the SHK trade fair in Essen in March, the new energy manager from Bosch assists smart-home residents in becoming energy-independent. More and more homeowners choose a solution comprising a heat pump and a photovoltaic system. The energy manager software intelligently combines the two units, thus facilitating the use of internally generated energy and efficient heat generation. The energy manager is integrated into the Bosch Smart Home – the app allows users to keep all data under control and to easily integrate their household appliances. Smart-home residents stand to save up to 80 percent of their electricity costs thanks to efficient digital control and renewable solar energy in combination with a battery storage system. Digital service tools assist heating contractors “Digital solutions are the key to success when it comes to shaping the future of the heating industry. In the foreseeable future, we will generate a large part of our revenues with connected solutions. We aim to be a strong partner to heating contractors to support them on their way into the connected world, so that they can focus on their core business and offer end customers the best possible service,” said Uwe Glock. In April 2018, the company launched a new digital solution in the form of the EasyContact app, which allows heating contractors to directly contact the Bosch Thermotechnology experts via phone. After only three clicks, they will quickly and easily be put through to the desired department. More functions will be added in the course of the year. It will be possible for the heating contractor, for instance, to use the app to send error reports directly to Customer Service, so that the technical consultant can come up with a solution even more quickly than before. EasyContact is integrated into the digital EasyService Toolbox, which means that all digital tools relating to the servicing and commissioning of the heating systems are combined in a single app. The benefits: better control, less time input, greater customer satisfaction.

Business/economy
Germany, high-tech hub: Semiconductors pave the way for better quality of life.

25.06.2018

Presentations

Business/economy

Germany, high-tech hub: Semiconductors pave the way for better quality of life.

Check against delivery.Ladies and gentlemen, It’s been only roughly a year since we jointly announced the decision to build a new plant for 300 mm wafers. Now here we are, following a complex planning process, laying the foundation stone for Bosch’s chip factory of the future. With it, we are laying the foundation for improving people’s quality of life, the foundation for more safety on the road – and the foundation for a technology crucial to the internet of things and the mobility of the future. Semiconductors are a core component of all electrical systems. Semiconductors are also turning data into a coveted raw material of the future – none of the cars made today would be able to drive without them. They enable automated and efficient driving, and provide the best passenger protection – such as when they are called on to deploy airbags. With the areas of application for semiconductors becoming larger and larger, we are expanding our manufacturing capacity. As a location, we have opted for Germany. With this plant, we are entering into 300 mm wafer production for the first time, in a drive to achieve further significant economies of scale and to bolster our competitiveness. We see Dresden, the capital of Saxony, as a driver of microelectronics in Europe – and thus as the first choice worldwide for our billion-euro investment. I firmly believe high-tech is something Germany does well. By working closely with semiconductor companies, researchers, and universities, we aim to strengthen both our innovative strength and the competitiveness of this high-tech industry – in Germany and throughout Europe. Ladies and gentlemen, every day in our wafer fab, we will use highly automated manufacturing processes to create the future in the shape of semiconductors. But we will be doing more than that: we’ll also be creating prospects for the future in the shape of highly attractive jobs. Our high-tech factory will employ up to 700 people. We are looking for creative minds – people who can bring their expertise to bear on the construction of this state-of-the-art Bosch wafer fab. We are counting heavily on finding specialists here in the region as well as international specialists and experts. Our new construction project is also the biggest single investment in Bosch history. We are putting roughly one billion euros into our new location, and are pleased that the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy plans to support its construction and commissioning. And in addition to the federal government, the state of Saxony and the city of Dresden have also pledged their support. So at this point, I wish to express my thanks to you, Minister Altmaier, and you, Minister-President Kretschmer. It is also thanks to you and your predecessors that things have moved so fast, and we find ourselves here today, ready to lay the symbolic foundation stone together – for better quality of life, for the semiconductor industry in Dresden, and for the competitiveness of Germany as a high-tech location.

Business/economy
Bosch lays foundation stone for factory of the future

25.06.2018

Press release

Business/economy

Bosch lays foundation stone for factory of the future

Stuttgart and Dresden, Germany – The foundation stone laid today in Dresden is a key milestone in the construction of the Bosch Group’s state-of-the-art wafer fab. Construction is scheduled to be completed in late 2019, when installation of the production machinery will start. “Today we are laying the foundation stone for the wafer fab of the future, and with it the foundation for improving people’s quality of life and their safety on the road,” said Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, at the formal ceremony in Dresden. “Semiconductors are the key technology for the internet of things and the mobility of the future. When installed in cars’ control units, for example, they enable automated, efficient driving and the best possible passenger protection.” In his address, Peter Altmaier, the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, underlined the central importance of this Bosch investment: “We are today taking an important step toward securing the future competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location. The research community in Germany and Europe is an excellent one, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. In the field of microelectronics, we also need engineering skills and know-how, and especially industrial-scale manufacture and application, in Germany and Europe. Today’s ceremony is an important step on this route.” As a supplier of technology and services, Bosch is investing roughly one billion euros in its new location in the Saxony state capital. The first associates are due to start work in the new plant in early 2020. Today we are laying the foundation stone for the wafer fab of the future, and with it the foundation for improving people’s quality of life and their safety on the road....Dr. Dirk Hoheisel After Reutlingen, the Dresden plant is the Bosch Group’s second wafer fab in Germany. With it, the company aims to expand its manufacturing capacity, and thus to boost its competitive edge in global markets. Semiconductors are finding their way into more and more applications relating to the internet of things and mobility solutions. According to the market research company Gartner, semiconductor sales around the world rose by some 22 percent in 2017 alone. Otto Graf, who will manage the new plant, said: “Construction is proceeding right on schedule. “During the construction phase, we will move some 7,500 truckloads of earth, lay about 80 kilometers of piping and ductwork, and mix more than 65,000 cubic meters of concrete – 8,000 concrete mixers-worth.” Following a rollout phase, pilot manufacturing operations are expected to start at the end of 2021. The plot of land – measuring some 100,000 square meters, or roughly 14 soccer fields – will also be home to a nearly 72,000 square-meter multistory building housing offices and production space. Up to 700 associates will be involved in the highly automated chip manufacturing process, working to plan, manage, and monitor production. This also includes modifying the production processes and evaluating the data from Dresden in Bosch’s global manufacturing network. Saxony as a business location: driving Europe’s microelectronics industry “Bosch’s decision is an important milestone. The construction of the new wafer fab here in Dresden will create many other attractive jobs, strengthen Saxony’s reputation as a location for technology and business, and is good for Germany and Europe as well. This project will play a decisive part in securing a leading role for European industry as a whole in the technologies of the future,” said Michael Kretschmer, the Minister-President of the state of Saxony. “This investment in such a major project is a sign of confidence in Saxony, in its people, in the research and industrial network that has become established here, and in its innovativeness.” In its search for a new location, Bosch considered several cities around the world. In Hoheisel’s words, “Dresden is an excellent microelectronics cluster.” He added that the city’s infrastructure is excellent: everything is easily accessible, and the transportation connections are good. The cluster also includes automotive suppliers and service providers, as well as universities offering technological expertise. As Hoheisel pointed out: “We want to work closely with semiconductor companies and universities to increase semiconductor technology’s competitive edge – not only in Germany, but across Europe.” We are today taking an important step toward securing the future competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location....Peter Altmaier, the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Semiconductors: key technology for the internet of things Manufacturing semiconductor chips always starts with a silicon disc, or wafer. The bigger the wafer’s diameter, the more chips that can be made per manufacturing cycle. This is one reason why the new Bosch factory will focus on the production of 300 mm wafers: Compared with conventional 150 and 200 mm wafer fabs, 300 mm wafer technology offers greater economies of scale. Semiconductors are extremely small integrated circuits with structures measured in fractions of a micrometer. Manufacturing them requires a highly automated and complex process consisting of several hundred individual steps over several weeks. It takes place in clean-room conditions, as even the tiniest particles in the ambient air can damage the delicate circuits. Connected manufacturing: 22 metric tons of data a day for higher quality Wafer production is one of the forerunners of connected manufacturing. The Dresden plant is expected to generate production data equivalent to 500 text pages per second – written out on paper, that would be more than 42 million pages a day, weighing 22 metric tons. This is why artificial intelligence will play a special part in chip manufacturing in the factory: the highly automated production facilities analyze their own data in order to optimize their processes. As a result, the quality of the chips rises while production costs go down. Furthermore, planning and process engineers can access this production data at any time to accelerate the development of new wafer products or minimize tolerances early on in the manufacturing process. “We need creative minds for our connected and automated manufacturing operations – particularly experts in wafer technology, like process engineers, mathematicians, or software developers,” Graf said. Many new associates have already been hired for the Dresden plant, he added, and there has been no drop in the number of applications. Leading semiconductor manufacturer with 45 years of experience For more than 45 years, Bosch has been making semiconductor chips in various forms, above all as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). At its wafer fab in Reutlingen, Germany, Bosch currently manufactures ASICs, power semiconductors, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Bosch ASICs have been used in vehicles since 1970. They are customized to individual applications, and essential for functions such as engine management or airbag deployment. In 2016, every car rolling off the production lines worldwide had on average more than nine Bosch chips on board.

Business/economy

25.06.2018

Factsheet

Business/economy

Laying the foundation stone for 300 mm wafer fab in Dresden

General information Total investment approx. 1 billion euros Site approx. 100,000 m2 (about 14 soccer fields) Total floor space approx. 72,000 m² of production area and office space Construction timeline Groundbreaking in spring 2018 installation of machinery mid-/end 2019 pilot production to start at end of 2021 Associates in the completed plant Up to 700 Qualified professionals needed Experts from the semiconductor industry, such as process, production, and maintenance engineers, mathematicians, software engineers, as well as professionals with degrees in physics, chemistry, and microsystems technologies Manufacturing technologye Highly automated wafer production (300 mm silicon substrate wafers with structures up to 65 nm in width – 1 nm equals one millionth of a millimeter) Connected manufacturing Every second, the machines will transmit one gigabit of production data. The volume of data produced is equivalent to more than 42 million written sheets of paper, weighing 22 metric tons.Details on the building Total building volume 600 000 m³ Concrete approx. 66,500 m³ (about 8,300 concrete mixer trucks) Steel approx. 16,400 metric tons (about 30 A380 passenger jets) Earth moved/excavated approx. 90,000 m³ (some 7,500 truckloads) Bored piles for the foundation approx. 860 Floor slabs 100 cm thick Length of piping and ductwork approx. 80 km Length of electrical cabling approx. 380 km (from Dresden to Berlin and back)Internet For job seekers www.bosch-career.de/jobs Site for the Dresden location https://www.bosch.de/en/ourcompany/bosch-in-germany/dresden Bosch semiconductors www.bosch-semiconductors.com

Business/economy