Mixed teams consisting of humans and robots are becoming increasingly common in the everyday working environment due to new technical developments. Combining the strengths of both enables flexible, efficient and at the same time ergonomical production. Robots and humans are going to work more closely together in future,” says Johann Hegel, head of technological development…
Microelectronics is seen as one of the key technologies for Smart Systems. It provides the various modules that give an object intelligence. The influence of microelectronics is already being seen in all areas of life today. Sensors and chips are being used to efficiently automate industrial processes, in some cases making them fully autonomous, as…
Smart Systems which recognise their environments and can react to them are already found today in many different areas. The number of such systems will continue to grow, as will their intelligence. In the future, it may happen that they become responsible for their own actions. Until now, even the most highly developed machine could…
In conversation with Mark Oleynik, developer of the world’s first robot chef Add a little more butter to the soup, a little salt and then stir, stir, stir. Yes, cooking can be exhausting, takes time and requires knowledge. But not everyone has these things. And British businessman Mark Oleynik is one of the people who…
From the Smart Watch and the Smart Home to the Smart Factory – the world of technology around us is becoming smart, adaptable, and increasingly autonomous. Smart Systems combine sensors and actuators with information and communications technology to analyse complex situations, make decisions autonomously, and initiate processes on that basis. They combine diverse technologies, yet…
For some people, wearables are just a first step: they want to merge technology with their bodies, thereby enhancing their human capabilities on a permanent basis. They call themselves cyborgs, and are proponents of the “Internet of Us”. Neil Harbisson is the first person to be officially recognised by a government as a cyborg. The…
Wearable technology is a wellspring for lots of new ideas and products. Innovative start-up businesses are continually emerging with exciting new developments in wearable electronics. We profile some of the latest, most interesting start-ups. The right training Gymwatch develops innovative technologies for sports and fitness training. The Gymwatch Sensor is the first fitness tracker to…
Harvey C. Nathanson created the first MEMS device through his development of the Resonant Gate Transistor (RGT). It was one of the key foundation stones for today’s wearable technology. It’s difficult to define an algorithm for success,” asserts Harvey C. Nathanson. Yet he certainly achieved success. Born in 1936, Nathanson was the inventor of the…
In just a few years, wearables will be something that we take for granted and that provide us with support throughout our daily lives. That is the unanimous opinion of the participants of the round-table. Against this backdrop, the use of wearable electronics will increasingly come to the fore – wearables don’t simply collect data,…
For Bernard Vicens, Director Segment Consumer at EBV Elektronik, wearables – with the demands they make in terms of power and energy efficiency – are the ultimate applications for electronic components. That is why EBV supports its customers not only in selecting suitable electronic modules, but also with know-how in relation to the entire “eco-system”…
Pet owners are also benefiting from wearable technology: they can register their dogs with the aid of RFID chips, and GPS trackers quickly help to find a runaway pet. It’s something that can happen to any pet owner: in a moment of inattention, the house cat slips out through the gap in the door, or…
Smart technology is surprisingly well established in agriculture. Wearables are already being used all over the world to monitor cattle herds, for example. While industry is still investigating, agriculture has acted: a survey by digital technology association Bitkom found that almost one in five of all farmers in Germany are already using digital applications classified…
With its smart glove, Workaround has come up with a product that optimises the most-used tool in industry: the hand. It aims to make hand working faster, safer and easier. The demands on intralogistics systems in production and materials management are rising constantly, while advances in digitisation are opening up new ways to meet them….
Smart glasses are the wearables which promise the most benefit for applications in industry. Combined with augmented reality, they will deliver greater efficiency and mean fewer errors occur. Wearables have long since also gained a foothold in business. Great expectations are placed in the miniature electronic assistants in industry especially, as part of the Smart…
Smart watches are growing increasingly attractive for use in industrial applications – whether as context-sensitive, wrist-worn assistants or as information aids for field staff. With the trend towards “Industry 4.0”, otherwise known as the Digital Factory, tools are needed which are capable of creating a simple interface between the human worker and the manufacturing process….
Exciting opportunities arise in the healthcare sector for wearable technologies and Dr Maloof is guiding companies in these uncharted waters. A look at the present and future of wearable technologies in medicine. Molly Maloof, M.D. posesses a unique blend of knowledge. She stands at an exciting junction where consumer technology meets medical science. Beside her…
Among the latest trends in medical wearables are smart patches. Stuck directly on the skin, they are able to continuously record body data by way of their built-in sensors, as well as administering drugs in a minimally invasive way, for example. Smart patches offer the advantage that they are stuck directly on the skin. That…
Medical technology has developed wide-ranging technologies to help the ill and disabled. Electronic pills, implants, or smart prosthetics – all of them are nothing other than wearables. Electronic devices worn on and around the body already offer lots of opportunities in medicine – but devices implanted inside the body are an even more exciting prospect….
Innovative miniaturised medical products are helping to safeguard medical care and quality of life in an ageing society for the long term. A wide variety of devices are already available today, or will soon be launching onto the market. Wearable electronic devices are a long-standing tradition in medicine – from hearing aids to heart pacemakers….
Key technologies such as micro- and nano-technology are now firmly established on the medical technology market. The technologies are essential to the creation of smart, miniaturised medical devices. Micro-technology is already enabling the production of wide-ranging mobile diagnostic, monitoring and therapy systems today. And micro-electronic implants are also playing an ever greater role. Smart implants…
The range of wearables available for the consumer market is vast. We present a selection of exciting wearables which are already on the market or will be launching shortly. The selection demonstrates how colourful the world of wearables already is today. Connected jewellery London-based company Vinaya has developed a collection of smart jewellery, branded Altruis, providing…
The development of flexible, stretchable electronic components means that electronics can now be integrated directly into clothing. The next step towards smart clothing will be smart fibres, turning the garment itself into wearable technology. For wearables to reach a truly mass market, they will need to be useful, practical, smart and stylish. Seamless integration into…
Virtual reality headsets immerse their wearers in imaginary 3D worlds. Gamers are the primary target group. But experts see virtual reality as being the next major technology platform by which people will communicate with each other in future. Look to the left: Han Solo is flying just behind you in his Millennium Falcon. Look to…
Smart watches are among the most successful wearables. While the first generation of smart watches still suffered from teething problems such as weak batteries and little additional benefit over a smartphone, second-generation watches offer a wide range of functionalities. According to market analyst IDC, something over 21 million smart watches were sold worldwide in 2015….
Printed electronics merge the two worlds of printing and electronics manufacturing. The results are bendable, flexible electronic circuits which can be mass-produced very cheaply – ideal for the wearables market. Portable electronics are to be found in watches, fitness gadgets, clothing featuring sensors, and in many other things that have to be light, thin and…
Smartphones are currently the communications exchanges for wearables. But thanks to new technologies, more and more wearables are also becoming capable of performing typical smartphone functions – and vice versa. Few smartphone owners are likely to be aware that the device they carry around in their pocket today has more computing power than a PC…
Wireless data exchange technologies are the core of wearable functionality. There are various systems in use, differing in their range, data transfer rates and power consumption. Without the facility to exchange data, wearables could do only a fraction of what they are capable of today: fitness trackers, for example, send pulse rate, speed and distance…
Sensors are the basis for the wide-ranging functionality of fitness trackers, smart watches and the like. Driven by growing demand from the wearables market, ever smaller, smarter and more energy-efficient systems are being developed. According to PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC), the market for sensors in wearables is set to explode, reaching more than half a billion units…
With their own displays, wearables become independent of the smartphone. However, the miniature displays not only have to be very energy-efficient, they also have to be highly flexible. Just a slight shake of the wrist is all it takes to activate a clear, high-resolution display on the user’s forearm. The user can then use a…
More and more powerful batteries and increasingly innovative ways of charging them are emerging onto the market. The charger cable is likely to soon be a thing of the past. Power is essential to wearables, too, of course. The demands in terms of energy storage in wearables are unusual, however: the systems not only have…
Electronics are the essence of wearable technology. But the electronic components used must meet some very special challenges. According to business analysts and industry experts, the market potential for wearable technology is enormous. That is why more and more companies from a wide variety of sectors are entering the market. Software and hardware vendors are…
The launch of the Apple Watch in early 2015 sparked strong growth in the market for electronic devices worn on – or even in – the body. After having grown steadily but less than dramatically in previous years, the wearable technology market saw rapid expansion in 2015. According to the market experts at CSS Insight,…
Whether on the wrist, in the sole of a shoe, or as smart glasses on someone’s nose – wearables really are “the next big thing” according to many market experts. Wearables are miniature electronic devices worn on – or even in – the body. They are built into accessory articles, medical aids or clothing, and…
In conversation with Nikolaj Hviid, CEO at Bragi, the inventor of the world’s first in-ear computer The offices of start-up company Bragi in the centre of Munich are a hive of activity, with company representatives from Asia, staff and suppliers constantly coming and going. But Nikolaj Hviid, CEO and founder of Bragi, is quite relaxed….
Urban Farming seeks to bring food production right into the city. It eliminates the need for long transport distances and refrigeration, thereby helping to preserve the environment, and promising fresh produce for the megacities of tomorrow. In order to provide growing urban populations with fresh vegetables, meat and fish at all times, a smarter system of food…
Thanks to autonomous navigation, transport robots inside factories and production facilities are now becoming as versatile and flexible as a human solution. The ability to navigate autonomously will revolutionise the world of in-house logistics. That’s what the market analysts at IDTechEx say, anyway. “Automated guided vehicles barely made a dent in this industry. This is because their navigational…
The technology that will allow autonomous aircraft to fly without pilots is here and is already undergoing successful testing. This may mean a whole new way of travelling, in particular when it comes to mobility in cities. Now that we have driverless cars and increasingly intelligent drones, an autonomous aircraft without a pilot on board…
Radar Technology is nothing new. Yet in view of current developments, radar technology in autonomous vehicles is becoming ever more precise and powerful. Radar is a fundamental part of the automated driving equation,” explains Peter Austen, Global Portfolio Director, Driver Assist Systems at ZF’s Active & Passive Safety Technology division – or ZF TRW for…