Bosch to Unveil Smart Solutions at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

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Farmington Hills-based technology and services supplier Bosch will be demonstrating their solutions for urban mobility and a connected working world including smart homes and buildings at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from Jan. 9-12. The company will be presenting innovations for connected and automated parking, microgrids, smart cockpit design, and more.

One of Bosch’s connectivity solutions will be community-based parking, which enables drivers to find available parking spaces in residential areas and city centers when the car automatically measures and recognizes spots as they drive by.

The data is transmitted in real time to a digital parking space map that allows drivers to locate vacant parking spaces and automated valet parking will park the car itself without any action from the driver needed.

Drivers leave their vehicle at the entrance to a parking garage and send a corresponding command from a smartphone application, instructing the car to search for a suitable parking spot, where it will park unassisted. Bosch’s developers say that one factor in making fully automated parking a reality is smart parking garage infrastructure, which connects the vehicle’s on-board software.

Bosch has also created microgrids, relatively small independently controlled energy management systems that can power large buildings, which will also be on display at CES 2018. Microgrids can run on both traditional and renewable fuels and their self-sufficiency makes them a reliable power source when weather or security outages effect the broader grid.

Unlike conventional grids, Bosch’s microgrids run on direct current (DC) instead of alternating current (AC), enabling energy savings of up to 10 percent. Bosch’s microgrid was developed as part of a strategic project to develop new business opportunities and an existing North Carolina facility was outfitted with the technology as early as 2015.

Other technology on display will include a solution that offers early warnings regarding potential flooding by digitally monitoring levels of rivers and other close bodies of water in real time, which Bosch is currently testing in a pilot project on the Neckar River in Germany. The Bosch Vivatar app will also be introduced, offering those travelling alone on foot to be digitally “escorted” via GPS. Users decide when they should be accompanied and by whom, and the premium version of Vivatar includes 24/7 access to the Bosch Emergency Assistant, a professionally trained emergency services team.

Bosch will also highlight two startups from its in house platform, the MyScotty app and the smart mobility center BePart. MyScotty allows users to access and pay for local shared mobility services from different providers, and a signal sign-on gives permanent access to thousands of available cars, bikes, and scooters, meaning fewer apps are needed. Though still in the development phase, BePart is designed to enable cities and towns to avoid congestion by diverting traffic during rush hour and commuters can receive recommendations from local authorities in real time. Initial pilot programs will begin in two German cities in 2018.

Bosch is expecting additional sales of more than $1 billion and an additional $1 billion in savings from Industry 4.0 solutions by 2020. Bosch will be located in the Central Hall at booth 14028.