Robert Bosch GMBH
Las Vegas, NV (ots)
- Bosch board member Tanja Rückert: “Sensors improve people’s quality of life and the ecological footprint of smart everyday companions.”
- Mobility: New sensor-based innovations from Bosch increase road safety.
- Sustainability: New sensor generations from Bosch for fitness trackers, particle and height measurement are half the size and consume half as much power as previous generations.
- CES® Innovation Award: Connected mobility solution Bosch RideCare Companion receives “Best of Innovation” award.
Sensors are everywhere. They give cars, eBikes, smartphones, fitness trackers or headphones senses with which they can perceive their environment. Bosch develops and manufactures smart sensors that make life safer and more convenient, and that help protect our planet through increasing efficiency. When it comes to micro-electromechanical sensors (MEMS sensors) – one of the most important and widespread sensor types today – Bosch is a pioneer and market leader. “In the past five years we have produced as many MEMS sensors as we have since production started in 1995,” says Tanja Rückert, Managing Director of Robert Bosch GmbH, at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. Since manufacturing began 27 years ago, the technology company has manufactured a total of more than 18 billion MEMS sensors; today there are an average of 22 of them in every car. According to a report by the market research institute Yole Group*, Bosch is currently the top manufacturer of MEMS sensors. The global demand for such sensors is expected to grow from the current 33.5 billion to around 49 billion a year by 2027. Bosch also wants to participate in this growth and expects a further, significant increase in production figures in the coming years. Bosch wants to remain the market leader and expand its leading position even further.
In order to meet the growing demand, Bosch is investing heavily in its semiconductor plants in Dresden and Reutlingen. Overall, the company is planning three billion euros in its semiconductor business and thus also in sensor development and -Invest in manufacturing.
Sensors save lives and pave the way for networking
Sensors are the heart of modern technology and the backbone of the networked world. They make vehicles safer, save lives every day and contribute to protecting both the climate and human health. They are therefore a crucial technological basis for all Bosch business areas – and they are also the focus of the continuation of the digital image campaign under the motto “Sensor tech #LikeABosch”. “With the help of sensors, we can take ‘Invented for life’ to a new level. They not only improve people’s quality of life, but also the ecological footprint of our smart everyday companions. Our new #LikeABosch campaign clearly shows what this looks like in concrete terms.” , says Tanja Rueckert.
MEMS sensors were initially widely used in the automotive industry. Bosch is still one of the leading sensor manufacturers in this industry. Bosch sensors help with vehicle navigation, for example, they control airbags and ESP systems, and they enable a variety of assistance functions that increase safety, comfort, and efficiency when driving. Sensors are indispensable, especially in automated driving. They are, so to speak, the “eyes” with which cars can “see” and perceive their surroundings. Bosch sensors are paving the way for the driverless automobile. The company already offers a range of radar, lidar, video and ultrasonic sensors for automated driving. But MEMS sensors also play a central role in the consumer industry. Pressure sensors in smartphones, for example, can determine the height of the device to within a few centimetres. In an emergency, for example, first responders know very quickly which floor a person in need is on. According to estimates by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), such pressure sensors save 10,000 lives every year in the US alone.
Bosch is increasing road safety with new innovations
At CES 2023, Bosch is presenting several new, sensor-based innovations for mobility – including the RideCare Companion solution, which received a “Best of Innovation Award” from the industry association CTA. According to the company, the RideCare Companion will make a decisive contribution to the safety of all vehicle occupants in connected and automated mobility. The networked hardware and software solution consists of a camera, a wireless SOS button and cloud-based data services. This enables drivers to contact Bosch associates around the clock in the event of an accident or in other dangerous situations. In the event of an incident, the latter can look into the vehicle via camera, assess the situation and, if necessary, quickly request assistance. The RideCare Companion offers a valuable safety net, especially for taxi or chauffeur service drivers.
“Off-Zone Crash Detection” also promises more safety on the road: the system protects vehicle occupants in the event of a side collision, which often occurs when changing lanes or crossing intersections. In the event of a side collision, smart sensors combined with a new software algorithm quickly and reliably identify the exact impact angle and trigger the life-saving airbag in good time to mitigate the consequences of an accident. “Our ‘Off-Zone Crash Detection’ is a great example of how we use software to get more out of existing hardware. This is how we create tangible added value in road traffic,” says Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America, at CES in Las Vegas.
Quantum sensors offer great potential
Bosch is also living up to its pioneering role in the development of new sensor fields: Quantum sensors will be among the up-and-coming fields of innovation in the next few years. They could soon enable measurements that are 1,000 times more precise than today’s MEMS sensors. This would make it easier and more accurate to diagnose neurological diseases, for example. In order to advance the commercialization of quantum sensors and open up the market, Bosch founded its own start-up last year. As a diversified technology company, Bosch is driving the development of future technologies in many fields and is thus positioning itself for the future: “In the next three years alone, ten billion euros will flow into the digital transformation of Bosch. Our current workforce of 40,000 software engineers engineers will grow,” says Tanja Rückert.
Sustainability drives technological progress
Climate protection and sustainability are top priorities for Bosch. “For the future of our planet, our commitment to an ever more energy-efficient life is essential. At the same time, climate change is driving technological progress in our company – including with sensors,” explains Tanja Rückert. At CES, Bosch is presenting the next generation of MEMS sensors that are more accurate, more robust, and more energy-efficient than previous models. The programmable and AI-capable BHI360/BHI380 inertial sensor, for example, which is installed in fitness trackers and adapts to the individual movements of the athlete, is only half the size and uses only half the power of its predecessor. The same goes for the new BMV080 particle sensor, which measures the fine dust concentration and pollution in the air and, with its space-saving design, is up to 450 times smaller than current products on the market. Or the barometric pressure sensor BMP585, which measures the change in height of a few centimeters and can thus detect individual pull-ups or push-ups: It requires 85 percent less energy and is more robust by a factor of three compared to the previous generation.
*Source: Status of the MEMS Industry report, Yole Intelligence, 2022
Press photos: #111140e8, #5a51b424, #e4ac034b, #8570688c, #358a2e16
Press contact:
Bosch at CES: Irina Ananyeva, +49 152 597-53284
Tim Wieland, +1 248 410-0288, Trix Böhne +49 173 523-9774
Connected mobility, software, sensors Mobility: Athanassios Kaliudis, +49 152 086-51292
Smart living, sensors for consumer electronics: Dörthe Warnk, +49 172 153-8714
Automated driving: Jennifer Kallweit, +49 152 346-63461
AI, research, Tech Compass: Christiane Wild-Raidt, +49 152 229-78802
Internet of Things, Sustainability: Inga Ehret, +49 172 324-2636
Twitter: @BoschPresse
Original content from: Robert Bosch GmbH, transmitted by news aktuell
