CES 2018: Bosch is showing these smart solutions in Las Vegas

At CES 2018, to be held in Las Vegas from January 9 to 12, 2018, Bosch will be demonstrating that the smart, connected city of tomorrow is already a reality. The supplier of technology and services will be presenting innovative solutions and services for urban mobility and a connected working world as well as for smart homes and buildings. You will find Bosch in the Central Hall, Booth #14028.

Solutions for connected cities: safety, energy efficiency, reduced stress

Taking the hassle out of parking: Bosch will be presenting various solutions for connected and automated parking. Community-based parking enables drivers to find what has become a rarity in residential areas and city centers: an empty parking space. As they drive by, cars automatically recognize and measure the size of the gaps between parked cars, transmitting the data in real time to a digital parking-space map that enables drivers to locate vacant parking spaces. Automated valet parking from Bosch goes one step further – the car parks itself without any action needed on the driver’s part. Drivers leave their vehicle at the entrance to the parking garage and send a corresponding command from a smartphone app: the car then searches for a vacant spot on its own and parks there without assistance. One factor making fully automated parking a reality is smart parking-garage infrastructure, which connects with the vehicle’s on-board software.

Intelligent power supply with DC microgrids: Microgrids are relatively small, independently controlled energy-management systems that can power large buildings. Their ability to run on both traditional and renewable fuels means they have excellent environmental credentials. Another major advantage of microgrids is their self-sufficiency, which makes them a reliable source of power when a weather- or security-related outage affects the broader grid. Unlike conventional systems, Bosch microgrids run on direct current (DC) instead of alternating current (AC), enabling energy savings of up to ten percent. The Bosch DC microgrid was developed in the U.S. as part of a strategic project to develop new business opportunities for the company in a startup environment. As early as 2015, Bosch outfitted an existing facility at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with a smart-building microgrid solution which supplies less expensive, more eco-friendly electricity.

Early warning about flooding: This system offers early warning about potential flooding by digitally monitoring the levels of rivers and other bodies of water close to cities in real time. Up to now, water levels have always been measured by mechanical means. It can take hours until the data is available for third parties. Bosch is currently testing the flood monitoring system in a pilot project on the Neckar river in Ludwigsburg, Germany. There, ultrasonic sensor probes and cameras track changes in water level, water velocity, and rate of discharge. This data is sent to the Bosch IoT Cloud for assessment. When critical thresholds are exceeded, advance alerts are sent by SMS to the affected municipalities, residents, and business owners. This gives them enough time to take precautions against flooding or flood damage. A number of flood-prone municipalities in India and South America have already expressed interest in the solution.

Vivatar app – a digital guardian angel: Going jogging in the dark, or heading home on foot after the last bus has already left is enough to make anyone feel uneasy. This is where the Bosch Vivatar app comes in. People can use it to contact friends and family and be digitally “escorted” home via GPS. Users decide for themselves when they should be accompanied and by whom. The Premium version of Vivatar grants users 24/7 access to the Bosch Emergency Assistant, a professionally trained emergency team.

Bosch start-ups are developing solutions for smart cities: Bosch wants to tap new fields of business quickly with its in-house start-up platform. At the same time, the innovative start-ups using it benefit from the infrastructure provided and from the long-standing experience of a supplier of technology and services such as Bosch. At CES 2018, two start-ups from the platform will be presenting their connected-city solutions. One of these is the MyScotty app, which allows users to access as well as pay for local shared mobility services from different providers. A single sign-on is enough to gain permanent access to thousands of cars, bicycles, and scooters. This means far fewer apps are needed. MyScotty debuted in Germany mid-2017, and other countries are set to follow. Another solution, the smart mobility center BePart, is still in the development phase. It is designed to enable cities and towns to avoid congestion by diverting traffic during rush hour. Commuters can receive recommendations in real time from the municipal authorities and adjust their routes accordingly. The goal is to improve air quality in conurbations. Initial pilot projects will run in one or two cities in Germany in 2018.