The land doesn’t belong to me. It’s only on loan from my children.” This wisdom from his grandfather, a farmer, still drives Karl Lehnhoff today. Accordingly, he is fascinated by the concept of the All Electric Society, which he has been advancing for more than two years as Director of the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical market segment at EBV. He sees it as an opportunity to create a cleaner and better world – not only for today’s generation but, above all, for future generations.

How realistic do you think it is that the All Electric Society will come to pass?

Karl Lehnhoff: It’s quite realistic. From a technological point of view, all the necessary solutions are available today. We may need to work on the economics and political conditions. In the European Union, we already have several regulations for more sustainability, and now we need to translate them into national laws.

What will it take to convince consumers?

K. L.: Consumers are aware of the environmental point of view, but we need to explain what needs to change and how it needs to change. And what the economic impact would be. Then it will be easier to convince consumers. This is something our politicians have to do. Consumers are not stupid. If you explain it in the right way, they will understand.

What technologies are still needed to make an All Electric Society a reality?

K. L.: We more or less have all the technology. What we need to do is combine renewable energy sources with energy storage solutions. The backbone of all this is digitalisation. You can call it IoT, but at the end of the day, it is communication between the different devices of the energy ecosystem.

What is the best way to bring the many different components and areas of the All Electric Society together?

K. L.: It requires a systematic and integrated approach. At EBV, we can help with this on both a system and technology level. We support our customers in selecting components and integrating individual solutions into a complete system. We are members of various associations to identify technology trends early and understand the future paths.

And what’s the role of electronics in the realisation of the All Electric Society?

K. L.: Electronics are at the heart of many solutions for the All Electric Society. Think of power electronics, all the intelligence to control the systems, and communication interfaces. Hardware and software make monitoring, control, and integration possible.

Sector coupling is a key part of the All Electric Society, where we’re connecting energy with industry, transportation, and buildings. These are all areas that EBV is involved in. Does this interconnection make your job easier?

K. L.: That was one of the aims of our structure. We have a much deeper knowledge of the market and can support the customer much better. On the other hand, we have technology segments, so we can support the customer with in-depth knowledge of the many specialised technologies. With this vertical approach between market and technology, we can ensure that our customers’ innovative products have the latest technology and are ready for the latest market trends.

What role does energy efficiency play in all these considerations? What can the semiconductor industry contribute?

K. L.: Energy efficiency is very important – energy that you don’t waste, you don’t have to generate. From a technology perspective, this is the driver for wide-bandgap semiconductors. Silicon carbide and gallium nitride transistors will increase efficiency, reduce losses, and therefore gain market share.

However, another interesting technical development is taking place: the shift from an AC to a DC grid. In the past, electricity was generated, distributed, and used in alternating current. But today, photovoltaic systems generate direct current and feed it into the grid. With the existing grid, we have to convert the power to AC for transport, and then convert it back to DC for use. Does that make sense? No, it does not! Especially if you include the storage system, which typically works with DC. A DC grid reduces the losses caused by converting energy between AC and DC and vice versa.

How do you see the world in 20 to 30 years when the concept of the All Electric Society has been successfully implemented?

K. L.: The world will be a much cleaner place with less CO₂ in the atmosphere. It will be more efficient, and I think it will be more technology-based. Maybe we will discover additional renewable energy sources. Our lifestyle will be much more sustainable and environmentally friendly. And perhaps we will have moved Earth Overshoot Day from spring to autumn.

The post How feasible is the All Electric Society? appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

What inspired Phoenix Contact to create the All Electric Society Park?

Joel Stratemann: For the past almost five years we have had the vision of an All Electric Society. And we want to bring that vision to life and show that it can be solved with existing technology. Everything we need is there. And that was one of the key reasons why we decided to build the All Electric Society Park.

Can you describe the challenges in integrating the various components of an All Electric Society?

J. S.: It has been a challenge to design the technologies and solutions for networking electrification in such a way that all the different applications work closely together. The interesting thing is that we connect the applications not only with electrical energy, but also with thermal energy. So there is an exchange between electrical and thermal energy, for example through heat losses. This is what we call sector coupling.

How feasible is it to produce sufficient renewable energy to power an All Electric Society?

J. S.: Generating enough renewable energy is a challenge, but achievable. But we need to use the energy as efficiently as possible. We also need the technology to store and distribute the energy, and to recover the heat loss from various applications.

What’s needed to make sector coupling work across different industries?

J. S.: Communication is a very important part. All the different applications are connected through different protocols and communication interfaces. We need standardisation and IoT concepts to realise the kind of cross-communication between all the different applications. For example, someone in manufacturing uses Profinet, Profibus or Modbus for communication. An e-mobility supplier uses OCPP or something like that. We have to realise some kind of cross-communication. But we have to connect not only the electrical side. E-mobility or energy storage has heat losses. On the other hand, buildings need a lot of heat. So we need the infrastructure to bring all the energy together and connect all the applications.

How is the energy efficiency in the All Electric Society Park compared to conventional systems?

J. S.: Much more efficient. Let me explain the concept with an example: we have six high-power charging stations in the park. Each high-power station can charge at 350 kilowatts, and they have maybe five percent heat loss. That makes 17.5 kilowatts of heat loss. At six, we have 105 kilowatts of heat. We can recover that and use it to heat the building. That’s a game changer. So we are much more energy efficient. Then we talk about heat pumps and performance numbers. Normally, if you have a heat pump in a private house, the performance number is three or four. In the park, we have achieved a performance number of eleven. That means one kilowatt electrical input and eleven kilowatts output. That’s very efficient. And it is a lot of fun.

Did you have all the necessary technologies at hand when implementing the park or were there any gaps?

J. S.: No. The core components are all available on the market: photovoltaics, heat pumps, hydrogen storage, battery storage, energy management systems – everything is available. What is missing is cross-communication. For example, if you talk to an energy storage supplier about how to store energy, he’s absolutely right and he’s an expert. But if you talk to him or her about how we can reuse the heat loss of the energy storage, sometimes it’s a bit difficult.

How has this project influenced Phoenix Contact´s own practices?

J. S.: We’ve learnt that it’s not just the products you need, but also the knowledge to create the All Electric Society concept. And we don’t only have the All Electric Society Park in Blomberg, we also have building G60: it’s the first production site on the Blomberg site to be energy positive. This means that we generate more energy than we need to run the building and the production within it. Using the same concepts and technologies as in the All Electric Society Park.

The transition has been costly for consumers so far. Will the All Electric Society eventually become economically beneficial for the average person?

J. S.: In my opinion, it will. Of course, some technologies are more expensive. A heat pump, for example, is more expensive than conventional heating. But in terms of combating climate change, it is better. And in the All Electric Society we are talking about concepts: an individual may not need a heat pump. Instead, there might be a big concept for a city or a district, how to supply the citizens with electrical and thermal energy. It is also possible that in the future the technology will be at the same level, but the energy will be much cheaper than today.

The ultimate goal of the All Electric Society concept is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Do you think we are on track to achieve this?

J. S.: I firmly believe that we will get there. I just have to look out of my office window – I see the All Electric Society Park and I see it working. And we have a lot of customers who are now carbon neutral using the technologies that are available. So, yes, it’s absolutely achievable.

The post Carbon neutrality is absolutely achievable appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

All-in-one Storage Solution

p&e power&energy has developed an efficient power electronics platform for sustainable energy storage solutions. This platform integrates previously separate components and promises up to 20 percent cost reduction, up to 90 percent loss reduction, and up to 50 percent longer lifespan compared to existing solutions. Its applications range from EV Charging to sector coupling.

www.p-and-e.com

Pedalling for Power

Off The Grid’s spinning bikes are equipped with an integrated electronic system that converts the energy generated by users during workouts into electricity. One hour of cycling on these stationary bikes produces enough power to charge 15 smartphones, run a laptop for 5 hours, or power a light bulb for 20 hours.

www.getoffthegrid.ca

Longevity for Fuel Cells

Hydrogenea’s innovative manufacturing of the core component, the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), enables fuel cells and electrolysers to achieve a lifespan 10 times longer than before. Additionally, the company’s MEAs offer up to 20 percent higher efficiency and are more easily adaptable to various customer needs than previous solutions.

www.hydrogenea.de

Maximum Flexibility in EV Charging

MarsCharge’s charger can switch between Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 charging modes, allowing all types of electric vehicles to be powered by a single charging outlet. Additionally, MarsCharge’s charging management system uses algorithms to optimise charging patterns for battery pack longevity. The latest version, MarsCharger Lite, is an ultra-fast, battery-powered DC charger that fits in your car’s boot.

www.marscharge.com

Supercharger for Lithium Batteries

Sicona Battery Technologies’ silicon-composite anode technology delivers 20 percent higher energy density and greater capacity compared to traditional graphite anodes. This start-up also uses a hydrophilic binder in its anodes to improve conductivity and enable self-healing properties. These anodes are used in lithium-ion batteries for applications in e-mobility and renewable energy.

www.siconabattery.com

Heating when Electricity is cheap

Themo’s smart thermostats save users money by optimising the electricity consumption of electric heaters based on current market prices. At the core of Themo’s technology is a power optimisation algorithm that drives the company’s smart thermostats. This algorithm considers various factors, including time of day, weather forecasts, and fluctuations in electricity prices on the market.

www.themo.io

Electricity plus Process Heat

Green-Y Energy’s compressed air energy storage system not only stores electricity using compressed air but also provides heat and cooling for buildings and processes simultaneously. During the charging process, air is compressed using electricity and stored in compressed air cylinders at up to 300 bar. The compression generates heat of up to 60 degrees Celsius, which can be used for building heating, hot water, or as process heat.

www.green-y.ch

Affordable Green Hydrogen

Cipher Neutron has achieved an efficiency of 94.36 percent with its anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyser stack. This means the AEM electrolysers require only 41.754 kilowatt-hours of electricity to produce 1 kilogram of hydrogen. The scalability of the technology allows for widespread application to meet the growing demand for green hydrogen.

www.cipherneutron.com

The post Start-ups Driving Sustainable Energy appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

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 and passengers. It analyses micro-movements that indicate a range of cognitive symptoms, such as whether a driver is drunk or overly tired. The existing hardware in the vehicle does not need to be changed.

www.corractions.com

Transparent Display

The transparency of the 55-inch OLED panel developed by United Screens is about 40 percent. This allows an object in the background to be seen through for staging purposes. An infrared touch frame captures up to ten simultaneous touch points and the interface invites intuitive interaction with the content shown. The display can be used as an eye-catcher at an event or for digital signage.

www.united-screens.tv

Feeling the Virtual World

HaptX has developed Human Machine Interfaces in the form of gloves that simulate touch sensations using hundreds of microfluidic actuators. This allows for natural interaction and true touch haptics in virtual reality and robotics. In a multiplayer collaboration, multiple users can work in the same virtual environment and touch the same objects.

www.haptx.com

Lightweight AR Glasses

Kura’s AR headset offers 95 percent lens transparency and a 150-degree field of view in a compact form factor that is almost the same as a normal pair of glasses. Thanks to the high transparency, natural eye contact is possible, and the user can perform other tasks while using the headset. No light escapes forward, so others cannot see the display.

www.kura.tech

Bandwidth for the Brain

Paradromics is bringing to market a high-data-rate Brain Computer Interface. The first application of the interface is a BCI-capable communication aid for people with severe motor disabilities. Cortical modules record signals from more than 1,600 individual neurons; a cranial hub powers the cortical modules and completes signal processing.

www.paradromics.com

Voice-based HMI

Linguwerk has developed voice recognition specifically for intuitive human-machine communication. The solution incorporates a variety of input and output modalities into the HMI behaviour of the machine, device or assistant, in addition to voice recognition and speech output. With an individually configurable wake word, the voice interface can be activated touch-free and reliably.

www.linguwerk.de

The post Exciting Human Machine Interfaces Start-ups appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

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 all demos.” In his 90-minute demonstration, he presented practically everything that would later define modern computer technology: video conferencing, hyperlinks, networked collaboration, digital text processing and something called a “mouse”.

The world of tomorrow

The scientist who demonstrated the potential of collaboration with computers to the astonished audience was Douglas Engelbart. Not a computer specialist, but an engineer and passionate inventor. “Back then, most people thought that computers were only for computation – big brains to crunch numbers. The concept of interactive computing was alien,” he recalled years later. “It was hard for people to grok what we did at my lab, the Augmentation Research Center at SRI in Menlo Park. So I wanted to demonstrate the flexibility a computer could offer: the world of tomorrow.”

Visionary engineer

Engelbart (1925 – 2013) graduated from high school in 1942 and then studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University. During World War II, he served as a radar technician. In 1948, he earned his bachelor’s degree and worked for the NACA Ames Laboratory (a precursor to NASA). He then applied to the graduate program in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his Ph.D. in 1955. A year later, he left the university to work for the Stanford Research Institute (SRI).

At SRI, Engelbart acquired a dozen patents within two years and worked on magnetic computer components, fundamental phenomena of digital devices and the scalability potential of miniaturisation. In 1962, he published his visionary work “Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework”, in which he outlined his ideas for using computers to enhance human intelligence. Douglas Engelbart once articulated his motivation for his developments as follows: “The complexity of the problems facing mankind is growing faster than our ability to solve them.”

Enhancing human capabilities

Engelbart wanted to use technological innovations to expand human capabilities. His goal was not for people to have less to do because of technology, but for them to achieve more with it. He saw the computer as a suitable medium to support and enable human intellect, thereby allowing the resolution of highly complex problems more swiftly. An example of this extension of human intellect is the “X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System”, which allowed direct manipulation of elements on the screen. “I first started making notes for the mouse in 1961. At the time, the popular device for pointing on the screen was a light pen, which had come out of the radar program during the war. It was the standard way to navigate, but I didn’t think it was quite right.” Who came up with the term “mouse” for the novel operating device, Douglas Engelbart later could not remember. It just looked somewhat like a mouse: a wooden box with a cable at one end. On top, a red button to click, and below, two wheels that transmitted movement impulses.

Part of a much larger project

“The mouse was just a tiny part of a much larger project that aimed to improve human intellect,” Engelbart said. Because this rudimentary-looking device greatly facilitated the operation of a graphical user interface – also a development by Douglas Engelbart and his team. A graphical user interface (GUI) uses visual elements such as windows, buttons and menus through which the user can interact with the software. Initially, computers consisted only of text blocks and required extensive knowledge of programming and computer interfaces to operate them.

Foundation for Apple’s success

However, Engelbart was perhaps too far ahead of his time; the presentation at the Fall Joint Computer Conference and the significance of his inventions were quickly forgotten. Engelbart failed to convince SRI, investors or other potential sponsors of his vision. It wasn’t until 1980 that he signed a licensing agreement with the two Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for the patent of the mouse – receiving 40,000 US dollars for it. Four years later, Apple introduced the “Macintosh” based on Engelbart’s ideas: with a mouse and graphical user interface. Today, Engelbart’s vision of a computer for everyone has long since become a reality. When he died in 2013, Apple co-founder Wozniak honoured him with the words: “Everything we have in computers can be traced to his thinking. To me, he is a god. He gets recognised for the mouse, but he really did an awful lot of incredible stuff for computer interfaces and networking.”

The post The inventor of the mouse appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

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 interaction are becoming increasingly diverse: the range of HMI solutions extends from push-buttons to multi-touch screens to voice and gesture control. This breadth is something that particularly fascinates Karl Lehnhoff.

A light switch, a computer mouse, a neuroimplant for controlling a prosthesis – which of these do you consider a Human Machine Interface?

Karl Lehnhoff: That’s easy to answer – all of them. Switches are a basic HMI. But other things like a computer mouse are clearly Human Machine Interfaces. Of course, there are high-tech devices like Brain Machine Interfaces, representing the most advanced variant of an HMI.

What technologies for Human-Machine Interaction are currently in high demand?

K. L.: Let’s start with the classic: the switches. We use them everywhere. And we will continue to use them in the future. On the other hand, we are using more and more touchscreens, ranging from smartphones to those found in cars. In the future, we will integrate more haptic feedback. What’s also becoming more established is voice recognition. We’re already using it with smartphones or with Alexa and Siri in smart homes. It will be used in the future in other applications as well, for example in industrial production. Gesture control is also becoming increasingly popular.

But the HMI area also includes solutions for biometric authentication, such as facial recognition on phones or other applications, fingerprint scanners and iris scanners.

What I also find exciting are augmented and virtual reality. At this year’s Hannover Messe, for example, I observed a solution where a robot for the logistics sector is controlled via smart glasses.

Touchscreens are currently used almost everywhere – where is the development heading?

K. L.: Today, touchscreens are everywhere, and they are continually being improved and refined. We are already seeing 3D touchscreens and the possibility of integrating haptic feedback. In the future, touchscreens will also be combined with other HMI technologies such as gesture control.

How can haptic feedback be integrated into a touchscreen?

K. L.: Typically, a motor or piezoelectric actuator is used today, which provides a tangible response. There are also displays that have tactile feedback layers. They “create” buttons under the display so that you can feel when you press them. Feedback is not only relevant for touchscreens but also for other applications where buttons behind glass provide feedback. Here too, a motor is often used to provide a mechanical response. This is even possible when the operator wears gloves – although in this case, the feedback force must be greater, perhaps in a range of 1 or 2G, otherwise, you don’t feel it through the glove.

When we talk about HMIs today, we can hardly avoid AI. Besides its use in voice and gesture recognition – what role does AI play in HMIs?

K. L.: We may not always recognise it, but we are already using a lot of AI today – for example with smartphones and for voice or facial recognition. It is often used in image processing. In the future, for example with voice recognition, it will be about improving language comprehension and recognising more words. AI is also needed for Brain Computer Interfaces, virtual and augmented reality, or for predictive analysis. Machine learning will also play an increasingly important role, as it can enable the device to continue learning on its own, and perhaps even teach itself a new word.

What remains the key to an ideal user experience?

K. L.: One of the most important points is recognition accuracy. I experience this every day with my car – it understands some words, not others. So we need to have high accuracy and reliability. AI can help here. But there are a lot of other criteria for a good HMI: data protection, feedback, dealing with errors. But the most important points for me are reliability and accuracy.

With the range of technologies – how can EBV Elektronik help realise an HMI?

K. L.: We are one of the leading specialists for semiconductors. So we can help with the selection of suitable technology. We can also advise customers on software. For this, we have our segment structure with the different market and technology segments. This is also reflected in the field, with our Field Application Engineers for technologies and systems. And we can also provide support in production, supply chain management and all the other things needed to bring a product to market.

Do you also work with your sister companies from the Avnet group? How does the customer benefit from this?

K. L.: We do. For example, our sister company Avnet Abacus supplies connection technology, passive components and electromechanics. So we can cover the complete bill of materials. Avnet Embedded offers complete solutions for customer applications. They look after the development process, including production, and can work in a wide range of applications. And then we have our software specialist Witekio, which covers the entire development from the lower software levels to embedded applications and connectivity. EBV Elektronik is ultimately a full-service partner. This means the customer has only one point of contact through which they receive all the information and the entire service.

What do the current developments in the HMI sector mean from the semiconductor industry’s perspective?

K. L.: We clearly recognise the trend away from microcontrollers to microprocessors. This has a lot to do with the increasing functionalities of the touchscreen. This trend is now also transferring to other applications. The display itself is becoming more complex. This can no longer be met with microcontrollers. So in the future, it will depend on more powerful microprocessors. Of course, you also need more computing power to cater for the increasing use of artificial intelligence. Future 3D touchscreens will also require more powerful processors than in the past.

Which developments in the HMI sector do you find particularly exciting at the moment – and why?

K. L.: Voice and gesture recognition – because they enable natural interaction like with a human. They are helpful in many situations, both when driving and in industry. But the key to all this will be artificial intelligence.

Do you think we will be able to control machines with our thoughts alone in the future?

K. L.: That’s hard to say. But from a medical point of view, it’s a very interesting area. I hope this technology will be able to help people with physical limitations live better.

And do you understand the fears of many people when they think of a chip in their brain?

K. L.: On the one hand, I understand the fears, but I think it’s also a question of personal situation. Someone with a restriction and whose daily life could benefit from such a chip is likely to see the advantages. People who have no need for it are more likely to perceive it as a risk.

Finally: What fascinates you particularly about the topic of HMIs?

K. L.: For me, the fascinating thing is that the field is so broad. Starting with the on/off switch through touchscreens and voice recognition to the Brain Computer Interface. And after the HMIs we have today, something new will come along. I don’t know what it will look like, but people are investing time in research and development and trying to go new ways. I like that.

The post Artificial intelligence in HMI solutions appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

Controlling machines with a brain chip is  already being tested by companies such as Neuralink and Synchron. Is this indeed  the future of Human Machine Interfaces?

Elsa Andrea Kirchner: The problem with interacting with the brain through implanted chips is that you can only reach the part of the brain where the chip is located. You would need to implant many of these chips to obtain a good picture of what the brain is doing. For some purposes, this procedure is certainly useful, such as for stimulating the brain in Parkinson’s disease. 

What is the alternative?

E. A. K.: Brain activity can also be measured externally, using electrodes attached to the head. However, when doing this, you are always measuring a sum of activities, so the resolution is lower than with an implanted electrode. Additionally, there is more noise because brain currents are measured through the skin, bones and hair. You therefore need powerful devices to record them, and you need good signal processing and machine learning to interpret the data correctly. 

What is your approach in the EXPECT project?

E. A. K.: Quite often, when interacting with another person, we can tell what they want to do or expect from us. For example, a colleague hands me a tool because I am looking at it and he is standing right next to it. This is also something you want to achieve in interactions with machines. You don’t always want to explicitly tell the machine every single step; you want the machine to understand it on its own. There are many ways to achieve this, and one of these ways is the direct use of brain activity.

Does every person think the same way? Does an EEG always show the same thing, regardless of who is thinking the thought “Robot, open the gripper”?

E. A. K.: Our brains are organised very similarly. So, we have the same areas in similar locations. But we also know that there are significant differences between people. This means that, once you have measured a person’s brain activity with an EEG and analysed it using machine learning, you cannot simply transfer the trained model to another person. The performance might decrease by 20 or 30 percent. So, we have a number of challenges to overcome in training the models so that they can be used for several individuals, and this is one of the EXPECT project’s objectives.

Your platform for human-robot collaboration relies on various forms of active interaction, not just thoughts. Why is that?

E. A. K.: Imagine a stroke patient who, for example, is unable to move their right arm. Even in such a case, there is still some planning of movement happening in the brain. We can recognise that and move the arm using an exoskeleton. However, we encounter some problems with this approach. First, our interpretation is not 100 percent accurate. The second problem is that when a person thinks about a body movement, they may not necessarily want to execute it.

Most patients still have a tiny amount of muscle activity even after a stroke, which we can utelise. First, we interpret the EEG signal and recognise that the patient is thinking about a movement. At the same time, we monitor the patient’s muscles and if we detect activity, we know that they truly want to perform the movement.

This combination of different signals is crucial because if an exoskeleton suddenly moves the arm without the person wanting it, they may feel like they’ve lost control and the exoskeleton has taken over their free will.

In what other cases does it make sense to use various means of interaction?

E. A. K.: Take speech recognition, for example. Often, the environment is too noisy for it. In our projects, we are working on combining EEG and speech to ensure accurate speech recognition. Simultaneously, speech recognition can help us better interpret the EEG. During the training phase, one might say, “Please fetch the hammer” while measuring the EEG. Later, you only have to think it and the robot will understand it based on brain activity.

The main goal of your project is for the  machine to anticipate the human’s intention. In which applications does this make sense?

E. A. K.: Sometimes you find yourself working with people who already know what they should do before you tell them anything. We find this to be a very positive experience. The same applies to when we work with a machine: there are situations where it would be better if the system knew my intention.

Imagine wearing an exoskeleton and trying to repair something overhead. The exoskeleton supports your arm and keeps it raised, which is initially helpful. But at some point you’ll finish your work and want to lower your arm again. Although the sensors recognise this, for a moment you still have to work against the exoskeleton. If we can recognise the planning of arm movements in the brain, the system can prepare for it and react faster. We have already tested this with individuals, and they could really feel the differences.

How does that work exactly?

E. A. K.: We can look into the brain and examine the timeframe during which the brain is planning the movement before sending a signal to the muscles. This can take up to 1.5 seconds, sometimes even longer. We can look into this preparation phase and recognise that the person wants to move. And this can only be done through brain signals, not gestures, muscle activity, eye movements, or speech.

Where are you currently in your research project?

E. A. K.: Within the EXPECT project, we are focusing on the possibilities of training on multimodal data and how to use it. For example, to switch between signals when the quality of one signal deteriorates. So, it’s not about the general approach, but rather about how we can use different methods to adapt to changing signal qualities.

We can train with different signals than those we later use. For example, if a patient’s muscle activity is not reliable initially, we can use EEG for training and later use muscle activity and eye tracking to improve and enhance performance.

You use gestures, speech, eye movements, and brain activity – is there a technology that will dominate in the future?

E. A. K.: That’s a difficult question to answer. It depends on how and what you want to communicate. But BCI is better suited for the future than other systems. However, I believe that the quality of interfaces will change in a way that makes them much more natural for us. Ideally, you wouldn’t see, feel, or notice an interface. And I believe in multimodal interfaces because that’s how we communicate as humans – with speech, facial expressions, and gestures.

What developments in semiconductor technology are particularly exciting for you?

E. A. K.: A group of researchers and engineers at the University of Duisburg Essen is working on terahertz technology. This technology is excellent for recognising the environment. You can see a wall, a window and a corner and even determine whether it’s made of wood, stone or plastic. There are many ideas on how this technology can be used to measure biosignals without physical contact – for example, by measuring muscle movement through the reflection of terahertz waves. And from these movements we can infer what the hand and fingers are doing.

The use of graphene to realise epidermal electronics is also interesting. It allows us to measure electrical activity in the muscle with very high resolution. This is not only fascinating for interaction but also to understand muscle-related diseases.

Is there anything missing in today’s available semiconductor solutions for your platform?

E. A. K.: Imagine you want to perform a complex analysis of brain activity. This requires a large amount of data and powerful machine learning models. This might be quite challenging to achieve on-site, but research is already focused on implementing these large AI models into small embedded devices. This is also crucial for us because if you’re walking around in nature with your exoskeleton and don’t have internet access, relying on cloud-based AI processing can be problematic.

To integrate the AI model into the system, we need highly energy-efficient computing power. The model must also continue learning in operation. For example, imagine a patient whose signal becomes better over time. The model should recognise this, so the system relies more on muscle activity than EEG.

What do you consider important in designing an optimal Human Machine Interface?

E. A. K.: The most important thing is to be open-minded. That means not saying, “I’m a BCI researcher, so I want to work with brain activity.” You should always think about what you want to achieve and how humans would interact.

Secondly, always keep in mind that we’re talking about a diverse society. Facial expressions may vary among different nationalities, for example. So, when developing such a system, consider not only the technology but also the social context. For me, it’s also crucial to talk to the people who will use the system in the future.

Machines that can read human thoughts – is this the first step towards the dystopia  portrayed in Hollywood where machines gain power over humans?

E. A. K.: At the moment, we are not yet at the point where we can truly read thoughts completely. And, to be honest, I don’t believe the danger lies in the machine controlling the human. I think the risk is more likely to be another human having access to someone’s thoughts.

We had a project, for example, where we wanted to develop an EEG-based approach to detect high workload in individuals within a company, to prevent burnout, for instance.

In this case, you need to prevent someone with malicious intent from accessing the data in the cloud. But even if this data is only used to optimise a person’s production environment, such as slowing down a robot, it can still have consequences for the person. Because the employer might say, “I’d rather hire a younger person who can work faster.”

So, understanding a person can also be used to worsen the situation or harm individuals. For example, we can discriminate against people because we discover that they cannot recognise certain things or have a very low attention span. This is already a very real possibility if someone has access to a person’s EEG.

Finally, a look into the future – you can  now be visionary: How will we interact with machines in 25 years?

E. A. K.: I expect that interacting with machines will be very similar to interacting with other people by then. We will interact with systems and speak to them very naturally. These systems will understand what we want. Multimodal interaction will be taken for granted. I believe that in the future, it will be very difficult to discern from the outside whether we are interacting with another human or a machine.

The post Predictive robots: our future assistants appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

In your view, what are currently the most exciting trends in the mobility sector? 

Frank-Steffen Russ: For me, fully automated systems – in particular autonomous drones for passenger transport – are without doubt at the pinnacle of the new mobility solutions that are coming around the corner.

How important is the field of mobility for EBV Elektronik as a distributor of semiconductor solutions? 

F.-S. R.: It’s very important. We’re working on mobility technologies and solutions in many of our vertical market segments. Traditionally this work started in our Automotive & Aerospace segment, but our experts in the Smart City & Infrastructure segment are now also looking at the topic, offering solutions for traffic monitoring, for example, and of course all aspects of charging infrastructure.

As we search for solutions to distribute future fuels such as hydrogen or eFuels, experts from across many of our segments are collaborating to provide suitable solutions together with our suppliers.

What solutions do you have in your portfolio in this respect?

F.-S. R.: We offer almost all of the cutting-edge electronics technology that is needed to bring state-of-the-art vehicles of the future to market. This includes power management ICs, current sensors and MCUs for implementing battery management systems, as well as microelectronics for motor management right through to analogue ICs required for signal preparation and data conversion. We also offer FPGAs and memories for ADAS systems, and touch-sensitive displays used as human-machine interfaces for central control consoles in vehicles. Solutions focusing on artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming increasingly important. We also develop specific semiconductor solutions for our customers.

Who are your customers in the mobility segment – large corporate groups, SMEs, start-ups?

F.-S. R.: We offer solutions for any company, regardless of how big they are or how much expertise they already have in-house. We provide tailored support for all customers.

As a semiconductor distributor, how can EBV Elektronik help companies who want to develop a new mobility solution?

F.-S. R.: We’ve been operating in this market for over 50 years, including more than 25 in the Automotive segment. This means we not only have the leading suppliers in our portfolio, we also have our own “high-graded” expertise about the market and technologies. Our application engineers can therefore provide our customers with holistic advice, including system support. What’s more, our customers can also call on a wide network of development partners and production service providers. All this is then rounded off by matching logistics services.

StartMeUp is EBV’s special campaign for start-ups. How exactly are you supporting fledgling companies?

F.-S. R.: In order to successfully found a start-up, you need outstanding engineering skills, reliable supply chains, comprehensive experience in working with technology, and a network of diverse partners to market the products. EBV can help start-ups with all of these things. We don’t just provide technical advice, we also look at things like sales. Development kits and our software support services are other ways in which we help companies to launch their products quickly and successfully.

Our “Innovation Hero” represents a great opportunity as well – it’s a prize that we award as part of the Innovation World Cup. The idea is to find innovative solutions in different fields, including infrastructure and transportation, enabling techpreneurs to become part of the world’s leading eco-system for tech innovations – the Innovation World Cup Series.

Which start-ups in the mobility sector have you already supported? 

F.-S. R.: You’re sure to have heard of Lilium – their air taxis are expected to start the final assembly phase in 2023. Vay is another successful company that we supported. Its teledrive-first approach is a bridging technology on the road to autonomous driving.

You don’t just want to deliver components, you also want to supply entire solutions. A good example of this is your “Power of Three” campaign in collaboration with two other companies from the Avnet Group – Avnet Abacus and Avnet Embedded. What are you bringing to the table?

F.-S. R.: We’re offering our shared base modules and entire systems, which can be used to speed up the design and launch of charging stations for electric vehicles. That includes not only hardware but also software, IP, electromechanics and connection technology. Working hand in hand, we offer an end-to-end solution and provide customers with everything they need for a charging solution from a single source.

Is “Power of Three” the type of thing that EBV Elektronik is intending to focus more on in future? Not just being a supplier of components, but a provider of solutions or a one-stop shop?

F.-S. R.: Applications are becoming increasingly complex, and we need holistic and bespoke solutions to master them. That’s why providing advice at system level has long been part and parcel of what we do. The design process for a charging station is a good way of demonstrating our capabilities in this respect.

Are you planning other, similar collaborations in the mobility segment?

F.-S. R.: Yes – one example is the use of artificial intelligence. We have already built up a network of partners for this, comprising chip manufacturers, software providers and integrators.

Let’s look into the crystal ball for a moment – how do you see our mobility solutions changing in the next 25 years?

F.-S. R.: This is where artificial intelligence comes in again – it’ll be used for autonomous systems everywhere. Micromobility solutions – including autonomous ones – and drones are set to expand existing mobility solutions, and the “last mile” will also directly influence our day-to-day lives.

The post Semiconductor solutions in Future Mobility appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

For Henry Ford, mobility was about more than just cars; it was about a whole new way of life. Ford was the first person to understand that cars had the potential to transform society. He was convinced that people wanted to move around and that they wanted to go further and faster than carriages were able to, and independently of scheduled public transport. Until this point, cars had been considered a luxury item. However, Ford recognised that they could be affordable for the masses, as long as the manufacturing process was cost-effective.

His goal: “I will build a motor car for the great multitude, so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.”

Roll-out of the assembly line

In 1914, he introduced the assembly line at the Highland Park factory. The associated principle of breaking down the entire production process into individual work steps is still known as Fordism. Assembly line technology allowed for a massive growth in production for the Model T. By 1918, every other car in America was a “Tin Lizzy”. By 1927, more than 15 million examples of this car of the century had been built – a record that would stand for the next 45 years.

From machinist to entrepreneur

The history of Henry Ford began on July 30, 1863 in Springwells Township, Wayne County/Michigan. He was already interested in mechanical processes by the time he could talk. At the age of 12 he began work in a machine shop, at 15 he built his first steam engine, and at 16 he started an apprenticeship to become a machinist. As a young man he worked at various companies, and then in 1891 he started working at the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit.

It only took two years for him to become chief engineer at the company. Thomas Edison would become a lifelong mentor and friend of Henry Ford. During this time Ford experimented with motor vehicles and combustion engines – both at work and during his free time. In 1893, he assembled the first Ford engine on his kitchen table at 58 Bagley Avenue in Detroit. Shortly after, Henry Ford built his first car. Ford left his position at Edison in 1899 and several years later he founded the Ford Motor Company.

Social innovator

While Ford’s manufacturing methods brought the entire industry into the modern age, he also had a realisation that would virtually transform the entire structure of society: Henry Ford believed that mass production would create more jobs and that employees should earn enough money to be able to afford one of the economically manufactured cars.

In January 1914, he introduced the 5-dollar work day and gave his workers a share in the profit of the company. Ford also shortened the working day to eight hours. For most employees, this meant that their income at least doubled. For the first time in the history of industrialisation, factory workers were able to achieve a modest level of prosperity.

Successful aircraft

Ford also saw the aeroplane as a “part of the age of the motor”. Between 1926 and 1933, the Stout Metal Airplane Company, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company, produced 199 aeroplanes called “Trimotors”. Much like the Ford cars, the three-engined Trimotors also had a reputation for being well-designed, affordable and reliable. Inspired by the Tin Lizzie, Ford’s Model T, the airplanes were given the nickname Tin Goose. In total, more than 100 airlines used Ford Trimotors.

Ford had a vision here too: “Mark my words: a combination airplane and motorcar is coming …” he told Forbes magazine in 1940. And in 1941 he went one step further: “I can visualise the time when almost every family will have a small plane in their back yard.” With air taxis not being far from roll-out, this vision no longer seems so unlikely.

Despite his merits in the automotive industry, Henry Ford has not completely avoided controversy. He repeatedly attracted attention for his anti-Semitic statements in particular. However, it cannot be denied that the world of mobility has been significantly influenced by his vision. Henry Ford died on  April 7, 1947 at the age of 83.

The post Henry Ford’s vision on Future Mobility appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

Mr Heineke, with the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, you are based in the middle of Frankfurt, one of Germany’s largest metropolitan areas. How do you personally get around in the city on a day-to-day basis?

Kersten Heineke: I use shared e-kick scooters, which covers 95 percent of my mobility needs. I occasionally take a cab for certain trips, but I don’t have a car, although I used to be a car enthusiast. I had high-performance cars, but at some point I decided that a car – at least one that you own – is not necessarily the best way to spend your money. And it’s also definitely not the best way to get around a city, especially if it’s just to transport one person.

Why do we need a new kind of mobility?

K. H.: The car has given many people freedom and helped us as a society in Germany, but also in many other countries, to prosper. But now that cities are almost at a standstill, and congestion and traffic emissions are a major challenge, we have to address this. We can no longer afford the number of cars per household to grow in relation to the income of a society, of a country. So we need to find alternative solutions to tackle congestion and emissions and decarbonise transport. And these solutions can be anything from shared mobility to micromobility, or perhaps less mobility by choosing shorter trips.

Which technologies are crucial for the development of new mobility solutions?

K. H.: There are a number of different technologies that I think are exciting in this respect. Autonomous driving is the most important of these for me. Once we’re able to move autonomously through the city with vehicles that no longer need a safety driver, we can introduce a whole new type of vehicle into the city: a pooled minibus or robo-shuttle or shared AV, depending on what you want to call it. These vehicles basically give you the convenience and freedom to get around your city without having to drive yourself, at a cost somewhere between that of a private vehicle and public transport. At the same time, they take up much less space and are completely emission-free because these vehicles are electric. Another technology that I find very exciting is urban air mobility. It can ­complement mobility. We can use the third ­dimension and also find new ways to get from A to B faster and, above all, more reliably. And last but not least, electrification and hydrogen technology are of course the big trends that will allow us to decarbonise public transport.

You talked about autonomous vehicles as the enabler of affordable shared mobility. Is it

realistic to assume that individuals won’t have their own car in the future?

K. H.: The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that it depends on where people live and under what conditions they live. As for me, I am married. I have no children and I live in ­Frankfurt, very close to the city centre. There is absolutely no need to have a private vehicle. A private vehicle costs between 500 and 1,000 euros a month – a pretty high price to pay per month for a vehicle that you use very little. And if you can offer people in the city an alternative to get from A to B, with similar comfort, with similar speed and with similar freedom of movement as the car offers, then I am 100 percent sure that people will switch. Let me give you another example. My mother lives in a fairly rural area, a village of 6,000 people. The next largest city is 15 minutes away by car and has 150,000 inhabitants. Will she be able to get by without a car in her lifetime? I doubt it, because in a rural area you need a car because public transportation is not available in sufficient numbers and the options for using micromobility for longer distances are limited.

What does autonomous driving mean for the big car manufacturers?

K. H.: For me, it is first and foremost a huge opportunity. Why? Because a car that drives autonomously gives the user freedom. Imagine if your morning commute takes 40 minutes every day. You could actually use that time to do something, such as checking your morning work emails. Then that might even count as work time. And if an automotive company is able to provide that kind of function to a customer, loyalty to the brand is likely to be much higher. The manufacturer might even be able to charge customers for it and monetise the service per mile or per ­minute. The willingness to pay for that exists, we’ve tested that. So for me, that has a huge potential. On the other hand, and we’ve already talked about shared autonomous driving, it also has a downside. Imagine if the number of cars in cities drops by 20, 30 or even 90 percent. That’s certainly a challenge. So automakers need to think about how they can become part of this Shared Auto­nomous Mobility by providing the vehicles, providing the ­services themselves, or finding some other attractive business model.

In addition to the major, established market players, there are many startups that are

developing new mobility solutions. Based on your experience, how sound is the foundation underpinning these innovative companies?

K. H.: The startups in the mobility space are actually driving innovation. I don’t think we would have electric vehicles if there hadn´t been that one startup that is no longer a startup today. At least electric vehicles wouldn’t be as advanced as they are today. We probably wouldn’t be having a big discussion about shared autonomous vehicles if there were no startups. The same is true for micromobility or ride sharing. All of these startups are driving innovation when it comes to the future of mobility. Everyone today has an app from one startup or another on their cell phone – for me, that’s a sign that these companies are clearly successful, that they are being used, and that they fulfil a clear need and a clear purpose and will therefore continue to exist.

How will cities need to change and what can they do to promote and support new forms of mobility?

K. H.: In most cities today, 50 to 60 percent of the traffic is private transport, car traffic. If we want to change this and get to a world where we only have 10 or 15 percent, we need to redistribute a large part of the vehicle kilometres traveled to other forms and other modes of transport. To do that, we need to continue to invest in public transportation. We can build cycle lanes and invest in micromobility infrastructure to get people out of cars and onto scooters, e-bikes and so on. I think the biggest lever to really shape the future of ­mobility is shared autonomous vehicles.

I think, in theory, 90 percent of today’s private transport could be ­shifted to shared autonomous vehicles. That would completely change the way how mobility in cities works and the way people get from A to B and ultimately make cities greener. Mobility would become more affordable. It would be more convenient and have many, many other benefits for the city and, of course, for the citizens. What needs to happen? We need the technology. But at the same time, we also need the city or the politicians to have the courage to make unpopular decisions when it comes to the use of private vehicles. That doesn’t necessarily mean a ban on private vehicles, but disincentivising the use of private vehicles to the point where the alternatives, i.e. the robo-shuttle, are not only the smarter choice, but also the choice that everyone makes.

What’s the situation for rural areas? Are they going to be part of this revolution or are they not going to change that much?

K. H.: Let me go back to my mother’s situation: will a robo-shuttle pick her up to go into town? Probably not. There is simply not enough density in the area to make this an economically viable model, even with subsidies. What will happen, however, and is already happening, is that the vehicles that the citizens of these areas own will be electrified. This is because most people who live in rural areas also live in houses rather than flats. Therefore, they have a better opportunity to charge the vehicle at home. In my mother’s situation, it could also happen that the city she travels to bans or at least restricts the use of single-occupancy vehicles. She would then be able to drive her vehicle, hopefully her electric car, to the city, but she would not be able to drive into the city; she would then switch to a robo-shuttle. So in my opinion, rural mobility will change by 5 or 10 percent, while it could change dramatically in the larger cities.

How important is it for the various stakeholders and providers to work together?

K. H.: I saw a great example earlier this week where a micromobility company worked very closely with the city’s local transport ­operators. And this joint pilot project yielded tremendous ­benefits. User numbers increased for both the scooter company and the public transport agencies. The use of private vehicles decreased, and congestion also decreased during this time. In my opinion, we need to see this kind of cooperation more often.

And would you say that you see developments that are very likely to lead to a dead end?

K. H.: I think there are a few examples of systems that are ­heavily infrastructure-based. Autonomous vehicles with their own lanes don’t make sense in my opinion. Another example is truck charging using overhead wires. I think that’s a great concept for trains, but it is likely to stay a niche application for trucks. So again, anything that is heavily infrastructure-based and covers a niche application area is probably bound to fail.

Will the solutions that we’re talking about only benefit industrialised, ­technologically advanced nations? does future ­mobility also offer opportunities for poorer ­countries?

K. H.: Many current innovations in mobility do not come from industrialised countries, but from other countries. For example, shared cabs or ride-pooling. This is very common in many countries in Southeast Asia and Africa. And in many cases, they are also highly digitalised and use the smartphone for those ­services. On the other hand, we see a lot of new microcars and smaller vehicles. Two- and three-wheeled vehicles are coming out of

Southeast Asia and India, because not everybody in those countries can afford a car. So there are some solutions coming out of Africa, South America and Southeast Asia that are really excellent and would probably help us a lot if we implemented them here.

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