Start-ups around the world are working on innovative solutions for increasingly natural interactions with machines and computers. Here we present six exciting companies as examples of this inventive spirit. Recognising Cognitive State The deep-tech brain monitoring developed by CorrActions utilises existing motion sensors, for example in the steering wheel, to detect the cognitive state of drivers…
Rarely has a term such as the Metaverse garnered such rapid and widespread media attention. Fundamentally, it’s about the experience of a virtual world that individuals can shape according to their own ideas. Pioneering Human Machine Interfaces will be a core technology in this endeavour. It’s posited to be nothing less than the future of the…
Immersion is the key term in the gaming sector. Gamers want to dive into the game, to experience the virtual world as realistically as possible. The industry is continually bringing new solutions onto the market – from game controllers to Brain Computer Interfaces. Anyone who has ever been engrossed in a game knows what “immersive” means….
Smart home applications make up a large part of the market for Human Machine Interfaces. The ultimate benchmark remains the kind of interaction offered by today’s smartphones. Lights controlled by an app, a smart thermostat that automatically turns off the heating when a window is open, a vacuum cleaner robot that starts with a voice command:…
With feedback technologies, Human Machine Interfaces can provide feedback to humans. The applications range from a simple confirmation of the received command to the transmission of diverse information. The interaction between humans and machines is usually not one-sided, but rather a kind of communication: the operator issues a command and receives feedback on whether the…
The freezing cold, dust, moisture – Human Machine Interfaces often have to withstand extremely harsh environmental conditions. Protection against vandalism and hygiene requirements also play an important role in some areas of application. Whether in the rough daily routine of construction machinery, in food production or as a public terminal in the city – Human Machine Interfaces…
As collaboration between humans and machines becomes closer, the level of required safety must increase. It is therefore imperative that functional safety occupies a pivotal position in the design of a Human Machine Interface. Wherever a human interacts with a machine, there is theoretically a risk of injury or material damage if a technical component…
From a cybersecurity perspective, the Human Machine Interface is considered the most vulnerable element in a technical system. To operate a machine, the HMI has access to all essential system data. If the system is hacked, it can have devastating consequences: operating personnel can lose control over a process, valuable data can be stolen and systems can…
From smartphones to machine tools, operating devices by touch has become commonplace today. The type of technology that is used is determined by the application. Touch-sensitive displays as Human Machine Interfaces have long become a firm part of our everyday lives. Anyone using a smartphone is utilising touch technology. In shopping centres, touchscreens help people find…
As the technologisation of our society increases, so does the importance of Human Machine Interfaces. The latest advancements now enable machines to be controlled intuitively with speech and gestures. In the future, technical systems may even be able to respond empathetically to humans. Machines have been indispensable partners to us humans in everyday life since…
Douglas Engelbart’s numerous technological innovations were crucial to the development of personal computing. His work helped make computers operable for everyone. It was December 1968. An as yet unknown scientist from the Stanford Research Institute stood before a silent crowd in San Francisco and began what would go down in history as “the mother of…
Karl Lehnhoff, Director Segment Industrial, Scientific & Medical at EBV Elektronik, on trends in the field of Human Machine Interfaces. Our daily life is now permeated by technology. With the complexity of technologies that surround us every day, there’s a growing need for Human Machine Interfaces that provide a positive user experience. The possibilities for…
Digital information pillars are becoming an increasingly essential way to connect citizens with municipal administrations. Since they are typically installed outdoors, it is essential that they are protected against weather and vandalism. Connected infrastructure made up of electronic and digital technologies aims to positively change life in the city. Energy savings, more efficient traffic flow, increased…
Driver fatigue and distraction are common causes of accidents, which is why modern Human Machine Interfaces in the automotive sector include systems that monitor the condition of the occupants. These systems are an integral part of the testing protocols of Euro NCAP, the new European General Safety Regulation for vehicles and various other regulations around the…
Prostheses and exoskeletons are nothing more than machines. However, as they interact very closely with humans, their interfaces have to fulfil a particular set of requirements. The interaction can hardly be any closer: “We are literally working at the interface between humans and machines,” says Professor Claudio Castellini, professor of medical robotics at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg…
Mobile work machines have undergone various technical advancements in recent years to increase efficiency and safety at work. In agricultural and construction machinery, the human factor is becoming even more central to human-machine communication. This means that the industry must increasingly rethink conventional operating concepts: “The construction site of the future is a more connected…
Collaborative robots work in close proximity to humans – even as a team. The interaction between humans and machines is thus very close and direct. The robot has a multitude of sensors that allow it to perceive the human and adjust its movements accordingly. What is a cobot? A cobot, or collaborative robot,is a robot that…
Operators of machine tools need to be able to concentrate on their work. This is why there has been a greater focus on developing HMIs for use in industry that are intuitive and have a multimodal operating principle. Traditional control elements are being replaced by virtual switches on touchscreens, which will be supplemented by gesture…
Artificial Intelligence has influenced the interaction between humans and machines like no other technology before. However, with increasing capabilities, regulations are also required to make their decisions transparent, understandable and safe. James Cameron’s 1984 film “Terminator” is a classic that still shapes many people’s perception of Artificial Intelligence to this day. In the film, a computer…
Familiar and easy to use, touchscreen displays are the public facing part of every modern-day payment system and point of sale (POS) terminal. Yet, they also have security vulnerabilities. Secure hardware and software systems that comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) are essential to building robust, protected payment products. This…
Human Machine Interfaces are increasingly appearing in new and unexpected places, but this comes with a range of challenges. How can companies create rich animations and “smart” User Interfaces (UIs) on the latest embedded systems while keeping costs down? Human Machine Interfaces exemplify the well-known idiom “putting information at our fingertips”. By replacing the…
Various different communication standards are used for transmitting human data input to the machine – or more precisely, to the machine control system. The right one depends on factors such as the industry, the data to be transmitted and the transmission path. For a long time, the individual control elements of a Human Machine Interface…
Brain Computer Interfaces make it possible to control machines and devices solely with the mind. The number of practical applications being found for this technology outside of the laboratory is steadily increasing. The human brain contains about 86 billion neurons. They communicate via electrical impulses, which among other things initiate muscle movements. Wouldn’t it be elegant…
Systems that capture users’ vital parameters represent a form of Human Machine Interface that is relevant not only in medicine. They can be used to monitor a person’s health and ensure that they are fit enough to operate machinery such as a car properly. Tired? Angry? Inattentive? Or even sick? A person’s state of mind…
The quality of voice recognition systems is steadily increasing thanks to developments in AI and semiconductor and microphone technology. Voice assistants are gaining in importance and popularity beyond the smart home environment and are increasingly being used for more sophisticated applications, such as voice-based device control in cars and industry. “Alexa, turn on the living room…
Gesture control is a Human Machine Interface technology that detects and interprets human body movements for interaction with devices without direct physical contact. Thanks to its natural form of communication, this technology is spreading into an increasing number of fields. Thumbs up, waving, the open hand as a stop sign – gestures are a natural form…
A measurement method that captures the time taken to travel a distance to determine the distance, speed or properties of the medium.
The level of protection provided by an enclosure for electrical devices against dust and other foreign bodies, accidental touch and water is described by the IP code. IP stands for “Ingress Protection”. The code was defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the standard IEC 60529.
A globally standardised IO technology (IEC 61131-9) to communicate with sensors and also actuators.
A term describing a type of experience or technology that completely immerses the user in a virtual world.
Classifies the protection against mechanical impact, the degree of impact resistance.
A user interface that graphically displays information, typically with movable windows, buttons and icons.
The application of physical force in response to user inputs.
A measurement of the electrical currents that regulate the heartbeat, displayed as a curve.
A driver assistance system (ADAS) that monitors the driver’s eye and head movements for signs of fatigue or distraction.
A digital representation of a real entity or system. The implementation of a digital twin is an encapsulated software object or model that mirrors a unique physical object, process, organisation, person or other abstraction.
A manufacturing process that automates the control, movement and precision of machine tools using pre-programmed computer software.
A serial bus system, originally developed to reduce the wiring effort in vehicles.
A direct interface between the brain and a machine or computer that records the brain’s electrical activity using electrodes, analyses it and transforms it into control signals.
A virtual ledger in a network of computers. Each change is recorded and distributed and stored on multiple computers. As a result, it no longer requires a central entity, such as a bank or authority.
The process of focusing a radio signal using intelligent multi-antenna technology in a specific direction, thereby achieving better signal strength and quality.
An avatar is a computer-generated 3D character that represents a human user in the online world.
A system capable of detecting the degree of a driver’s visual attention towards the traffic and warning the driver if they become distracted.
Refers to the number of fundamental ways in which a solid object can move through a 3D space. In total, there are six degrees of freedom. 6DoF refers to the translational movement along these axes, generally understood as forward or backward motion, upward or downward motion, or left or right motion.
Hardly any machine or device can function without traditional controls such as buttons, switches or keyboards. They still form the basis of most Human Machine Interfaces. The Human Machine Interface is as old as the first machine developed by humans – thus, the history of control elements dates back to antiquity. It all began with purely mechanical…
One of the biggest challenges in developing Human Machine Interfaces is natural interaction. Solutions such as gesture and voice control have already enabled significant progress to be made in this area. Recently, the focus has also shifted towards controlling machines with thoughts: Brain Machine Interfaces measure brain EEG signals and use these to derive control…
Technology has become an indispensable part of our day-to-day lives. Controlling it requires humans to interact with the device, machine or technical system in one way or another – which is where Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) come in. HMIs come in many different forms; you could even consider the humble light switch to be an…
Most solutions relating to future mobility would not be possible without the use of semiconductors and microelectronics. That’s why the field of mobility is so important for EBV Elektronik, highlights Frank-Steffen Russ, Senior Director Market Segments. He’s also fascinated by how mobility is constantly reinventing itself, and how new solutions are quickly developed when existing…
Henry Ford has changed the way of life for countless people with his vision of making car ownership affordable for all. He turned his vision into reality using assembly line production and other mass-production methods. For Henry Ford, mobility was about more than just cars; it was about a whole new way of life. Ford…
Designers have basically been dreaming of flying cars ever since the first flight took place at the start of the 20th Century. Now, technology has advanced so much that their launch really could be just around the corner. If you grew up in a German-speaking country, you might well have come across the popular children’s…
Cities around the world are suffering from the effects of increasing car traffic. Micromobility has the potential to reduce traffic jams and pollution whilst also offering accessible, comfortable and affordable transport options for all. Micromobility is a worldwide trend which aims to combine private transport, high traffic volumes and an efficient use of resources. E-bikes,…
Supersonic passenger flights could soon be a reality again, some 20 years after Concorde went into retirement. But this time, the focus is on ensuring they are kind to the environment as well as your wallet. Almost two decades after Concorde’s last flight, supersonic airliners could soon take to the skies again. Several manufacturers have…
Numerous start-ups and established manufacturers are working intensively on unmanned aviation systems and electrically operated vertical take-off and landing aircraft. These are laying the foundation for an entirely new transport sector: urban air mobility. Benefits of air taxis for the EU and Europe 100 percent reduction of local emissions for electric propulsion 73 percent faster delivery…
Whether they’re operating as flying measuring stations, relaying information in real time to rescue services or being used as a smart transport solution to cover the last mile in logistics chains – drones are now widespread and used in a whole host of different applications. Innovative technologies and a new regulatory framework will be key to…
The shipping industry is looking for ways to reduce its CO2 emissions. Batteryelectric drives only offer a solution for short routes. For overseas journeys a combination of various technologies is likely to be needed. According to the International Energy Agency IEA, in 2021 the shipping industry was responsible for around two percent of global energy-related…
In order to satisfy the requirements of the future, the railways are also moving towards digitalisation. Intelligently networked data provided by infrastructure and vehicles makes more space for trains, improves punctuality and reduces disruptions. In contrast to road traffic, there have been driverless and fully automatic vehicles on the railways for a surprisingly long time –…
While in the car sector there is a clear trend towards using battery-electric drives, in the heavy-duty commercial vehicles sector, it is still being discussed which traction system is most suitable for trucks, buses and work machines. Competing in this space are battery-electric drives, fuel cells and combustion engines powered by hydrogen or renewable fuels…
There are already partially automated cars in accordance with automation Level 3 driving on our roads today. But to get to Level 5, i.e. fully automated driving, there is still quite a way to go. Nevertheless, the first milestones to achieving this are already being implemented – from automated parking through to Level 4 shuttles. The…
“Mobility as a Service” is a user-centric model for providing a means of transportation. Different modes of transport are integrated via digital channels in such a way that the user can plan, book and pay for them using just one app. These days, private cars are still frequently considered an all-in-one solution for all mobility…
Compared to conventional fuels, synthetic fuels produced from renewable sources have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent. Furthermore, they can be used in conventional combustion engines and make use of the existing refuelling infrastructure. Whether battery-electric drives, fuel cells or hydrogen engines, all of these alternatives to the conventional combustion engine require…
There are all kinds of visions and technologies for the mobility of the future, but what ideas do the people who will actually be living in the world of tomorrow have. Emilia, age 6 My dream vehicle can drive, swim and fly. • It has a parachute. • You can sleep and dance in it….
Silicon carbide (SiC) is the basis for ever more efficient e-vehicles and charging infrastructures. onsemi offers a broad portfolio of SiC solutions and practical design support. Silicon carbide SiC is increasingly becoming the driver of electrification in mobility. The wide-band-gap material is highly efficient at high voltages and is the basis of 800-volt drive systems….
ams OSRAM is a global leader in optical solutions with a focus on sensing and emitter technologies. The company is known for its imagination, deep engineering expertise and worldwide industrial manufacturing capacities. It imagines radically new applications that make life better for everyone. Using the full spectrum of light, ams OSRAM captures, analyzes and visualizes…
Whether it’s shared mobility apps, people movers or spaceplanes – start-ups are driving huge changes in the mobility sector. The following six companies are doing some very exciting things and are great examples of a pioneering spirit. Hydrogen-powered shuttle car Auve Tech has developed the world’s first autonomous hydrogen-powered shuttle together with the University of Tartu….
The technology developments we make are guided by long-term market trends. These enable or enhance applications for our customers by turning state-of-the-art chip fabrication technologies into cutting-edge commercial products. We create a ‘funnel of innovation’ that allows us to develop the market-leading products and solutions that our customer need, and which fuel our future growth….
For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies. For more information about how AMD is enabling today & inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, Facebook & Twitter. Industrial businesses need solutions that enable them to converge operational and information technology networks, deploy predictive maintenance,…
Artificial intelligence is going to play a decisive role for many developments in the mobility of the future. Thanks to new microprocessor technologies, there is now a huge amount of computing power available which is helping to drive the automation of mobility solutions forward. Artificial intelligence is at the heart of many intelligent applications, making…
Alongside battery-electric drives, hydrogen is also set to play an important role in the decarbonisation of the transport sector. Fuel cells in particular, however, still require a lot of development work in order to make them feasible for mass production. Battery-electric drives are a firm focal point in the discussion of how to decarbonise the…
These days, most new cars already have certain kinds of automated driving functions. In future, however, we will encounter vehicles on the road that can drive completely autonomously. Against the backdrop of the general chaos of daily traffic, there are high hopes that vehicles that don’t need a driver to travel on the road, across…
The increased connectivity between vehicles, other road users and infrastructure brings with it a growing risk for manipulation. The easiest way to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks is through prevention and putting security at the heart of vehicle technology from the outset. Data and connectivity form the basis for the future of mobility and they…
Vehicles are communicating with one another, other road users and with the infrastructure. This connectivity makes transport both safer as well as more efficient, and it even allows vehicle functions to be updated over the air. According to the industry association 5GAA, more than 200 million connected vehicles are equipped with V2X applications via mobile…
The electrification of transport is leading to massive upheaval, not just in the automotive industry. New technologies are enabling vehicles to become more efficient, which is also making them increasingly cheaper and is giving rise to new potential uses. The quiet hum in the distance is the sound of a fundamentally changing mobility sector – away…
The Hyperloop system is originally one of the visionary ideas of Elon Musk, but numerous companies and institutions have taken inspiration from it. Despite many concerns regarding feasibility and profitability, lots of projects are now entering their implementation phase. Elon Musk was clearly getting annoyed by traffic when he posted the following tweet in 2016:…
The so-called sharing economy trend is profoundly changing our society and economic system. Ownership is becoming less and less of a goal, especially for millennials, who are more focused on the purpose of an item or device. This philosophy is also playing an ever greater role in shaping mobility. For more and more people, what…
Kersten Heineke has always been fascinated by products and solutions that have a utility value that can be experienced by everyone. He sees mobility solutions as more than “just” technology. In his eyes, mobility is a contribution to improving people’s lives – by making the way from A to B cheaper, more convenient or more…
The entire mobility sector is undergoing huge changes. Electrification, autonomous vehicles and the sharing economy are shaking up vehicle and user behaviour as well as entire business models. Electric vehicle start-ups have come from nothing but have become some of the richest companies in the world. Drivers have been caught napping at the wheel in…
The world of mobility is in the midst of a radical transformation, the likes of which has arguably not been seen since the advent of the car. Entirely new mobility solutions are coming onto the market, and this can be seen not only on the streets but also the rail network, the water and in…
The boost in innovation for electric vehicles and battery systems has also led to innovations in charging technology. Fast-charging stations and the associated infrastructure are some of the most important requirements for electric vehicle users. It is not only the large companies asserting their position in the market. From mobile charging stations to intelligent software…
Electric vehicles are shaping the mobility of the future, but they are not as new as you might think. Their history stretches as far back as the 19th century. For a short while, electric cars dominated road traffic much more than petrol cars. Five years before the first Benz motorcar was on the road in…
Almost everyone drives a car; it is the cornerstone of private transport. So it is no wonder that cars are what many think of first when it comes to the topic of electromobility. But the electrification of transport goes much further – it starts with e-scooters and extends to aeroplanes and ships. As a result,…
Sarah Ghaemi, Director of Technical Development at Avnet Abacus, Bevan Braude, Business Development Manager at Avnet Embedded, and Andrej Orel, Director of Market Segment City and Infrastructure at EBV Elektronik, report on the cooperation of their three companies which could significantly reduce the development time for new charging solutions. Electric vehicle charging infrastructure must be…
Charging cables and plugs are used to physically connect the charging station to the electric vehicle. However, fast charging using several hundred kilowatts of power is now placing particular requirements on cables and plugs. The number of charging stations and electric vehicles is rapidly increasing, meaning that ever more charging cables are required. Connections for…
To ensure that even more people make the transition to electric driving in the future, charging has to be as fast and convenient as possible. Long breaks to charge the vehicle are not acceptable, particularly in long-distance transport. Fast-charging stations mean charging can be completed in just a few minutes. Fast chargers “are key to…
When an electric vehicle is integrated into the electricity grid during charging, this doesn’t just result in more intelligent charging, but also enables a wide range of additional services. A smooth flow of information between the vehicle, charging station and the grid is required for this. During charging, the charging station is not simply the…
Supplying vehicle batteries with the correct current is essential for charging stations, and it is the job of inverters to take care of this. New technologies are enabling better efficiency, not just with regard to losses, but also design complexity. Inverters are a central component of every charging solution. Minimising charging time while simultaneously optimising…
Different technologies are available to charge electric vehicles. The main thing that distinguishes them is their power output – and thus the time it takes to charge the battery. Different types of charging systems are available to charge electric vehicles. In wired (or conductive) charging systems that use alternating current, the power from the AC…
A variety of electronic and electromechanical components are required to implement a charging station – from simple plug connectors, sensors and protective elements such as fuses and overvoltage protection to various software solutions. However, the five most important assemblies are the charging controller, the human-machine interface, modules for connectivity, the power electronics and finally the…
The increasing connectivity of electric vehicles, charging stations and power grids is opening the door to a myriad of possibilities. However, it also entails an inherent cyber-security risk. Last year, British company Pen Test Partners uncovered a number of serious cyber-security vulnerabilities in different chargers and public charging networks. For example, some charging solutions allowed…
In order to ensure electromobility solutions are widely accepted, it is not only important that sufficient charging stations are available, but also that the charging process itself is as simple as possible. There are various requirements to take into account here. Drivers of electric vehicles don’t actually ask for much when it comes to the…
The first electric cars can already feed electricity back into the grid when needed. Bidirectional charging transforms the charging infrastructure into the interface between the mobility and energy sectors. As electromobility advances, the intelligent integration of charging infrastructure into the power grids becomes increasingly important. Take Amsterdam, for example: more and more residents are driving…
Using a charging cable to charge an electric vehicle is standard today. Yet there are developments that could make the charging process even easier or even replace conductive charging entirely. Besides the electrification of vehicles, fully automated driving is a big trend when it comes to future mobility solutions. So how should vehicles be charged…
Electric vehicles are conquering the mass market. More and more people are being won over by the many advantages they offer. But to keep up this enthusiasm, sufficient charging options must be created. In their sustainable and smart mobility strategy published in 2020, the EU Commission set the milestone of at least 30 million emission-free…
Global sales of electric cars more than doubled in 2021, with the total number now at around 16.5 million – triple the number compared to 2018. During the same period, the number of public charging points tripled to approx. 1.8 million. The current momentum in electric car sales can only be maintained if a greater…
Bruce Douglas is regarded as an experienced economist and has over 20 years of experience in promoting renewable energy and electrification. His mission is to electrify everything that can be electrified with clean and renewable energy. He is currently pursuing this goal as Director of Business Development and Communications at Eurelectric, the association representing the…
Modern charging stations are much more than just a socket for electric cars. With integrated energy management and bidirectional charging, they help to keep the electricity grid stable, improve the integration of renewable energy, and create additional revenue streams for energy companies and homeowners. Electrification of the mobility sector is an important factor in achieving…
Electromobility is picking up pace in Europe: according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), 878,000 new electric vehicles were registered in 2021 – up from 539,000 the previous year. It is anticipated that 100 per cent of all newly registered cars will be electric in Europe from 2035. However, this increase in demand also…
Processors and power electronics help to reduce the amount of energy that is consumed in many different applications and sectors. At the same time, however, semiconductor products themselves require energy to operate. With increasing digitalisation, the energy efficiency of microchips is therefore becoming more and more important. Digitalised technologies are an important building block in…
Quantum technology is promising to make fundamental changes to how we process and transfer information. Quantum processors are already available on the market. At the same time, researchers are working on combining conventional semiconductor technology and quantum systems – and thereby creating a completely new form of semiconductor electronics. The year 2022 marks a milestone…
A brief summary of the most important trends that will determine the development of the semiconductor technology of today and tomorrow. 1 Moore’s Law still applies The CMOS transistor density will continue to follow Moore’s Law over the next few years. This is primarily enabled by progress in EUV patterning and by the roll-out…
The notion of converting electronically generated information into light emissions and vice versa might initially appear somewhat abstract. However, this concept – known as optoelectronics or optronics – has long been part and parcel of our daily lives. Whether it’s lasers, screens, computers or optical storage solutions – they all rely on components that combine…