Robert Bosch showcases tomorrow's technologies

Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI) recently showcased an innovative range of applications, products and services in a live demo held at the company premises. The company demonstrated some of its upcoming solutions in the areas of Internet of Things, crash tests and road safety. While some are already in use abroad and are being launched in India for the first time, other apps and services were developed solely at the RBEI labs in Bangalore.

Here are the key highlights:

Internet of Things and Services
It is predicated that by 2015, there will be 6.5 billion devices and systems capable of communicating and consulting with one another without human input. The Internet of Things includes services and applications like Smart Street Lighting, Intelligent Transport Management System and Augmented Reality.

ï‚® Smart Street Lighting
With some of its features like controlling the intensity of light based on weather conditions, track energy consumption, monitor and control individual street lights to meet the local requirements using the web-based portal, ‘Smart Street Lighting' helps improve safety in public spaces and optimize power consumption.

ï‚® iTrams (intelligent Transport Management System)
iTrams works with various vehicle platforms - commercial vehicles, passenger cars, 2 wheelers. It also provides integrated data analytics to enable better efficiency and offers insights into vehicle performance, maintenance and driving behaviour. Some of its features include tracking of vehicle location, vehicle health monitoring and performance analysis.

ï‚® Augmented Reality (AR)
If you see an advertisement in the print medium, your first instinct would be to check the website or visit the store. AR changes this. It brings the product to you. Instead of visiting a showroom, AR brings the showroom to you on your smart phone or tab. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. All it takes is a few clicks. The app sends the information to the cloud where it fetches the relevant model information. Once the information is downloaded, the virtual showroom is ready. AR technology also allows you to perform basic repair and maintenance operations with the help of guided information from the showroom. 

Automotive Technology and Road Safety
RBEI is responsible for the development of electronic control units (ECU) not only in emerging markets (including the BRIC countries) but also for select OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in North America, France, Japan, and Korea. It also has ownership for software development in the area of diesel particulate filters, port fuel injections, communication software, and specific hardware module development.

ï‚® Smart Emergency Crash Notification (sECN) app
This app was developed with the aim to bring rapid assistance to motorists involved in a collision. In case of a crash, the sECN app automatically sends an SMS to a number (emergency service or family) which can be personalized. The app is paired with the vehicle via Bluetooth. In the event of a crash, a trigger is initiated by an airbag control unit. On receiving the trigger from the vehicle, the sECN app finds the location (latitude and longitude) of the accident and sends SMS alerts to personalized emergency contacts.

ï‚® Bosch Accident Research project
The Bosch Accident Research project began in 2009 to collect and analyse accident data. The data collection team reaches the crash site in approximately 20 minutes. They collect details of the accident such as extent of damage in the vehicle, location of the accident, weather condition, crash scene data, skid marks, brake marks, debris in the site, and injury data of persons involved. Close to 1000 parameters for each accident case are recorded. This data is entered into the *RASSI database which is available for all its members to use. This team also supports Bangalore City Traffic Police and Coimbatore police on accident information and research.

Robotic Lawn Mover
This 11kg device is developed and manufactured by RBEI to trim grass without any manual action. The lawnmower uses Logicut, an intelligent navigation system that measures the garden, calculates the shortest possible route, and moves accordingly. It drives on its own to its charging point when it finds itself drained of charge.