“Personalization is a growing trend in the realm of connectivity, and we are driving this trend forward”: so said Werner Struth, member of the Bosch board of management, during the press conference at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, where the company presented its solutions for the smart home, smart cities, connected mobility and Industry 4.0. In particular, with the personalization of connected solutions, technologies and services are not only tailored to individual needs: Bosch is also developing products that are specifically designed to be personal assistants. These can communicate with their users. One example is “My kitchen elf” or “Mykie”, for short. With this concept, BSH has stepped into the world of personal assistants. Mykie is operated with the user’s voice. It listens to users, answers their questions, and helps with a number of daily chores. For instance, Mykie immediately knows what is in the refrigerator and how long the cake should stay in the oven. With the connected Mykie, the user can control the entire range of Home Connect household appliances. Mykie can also bring its users together virtually, so they can cook together or exchange recipe ideas, for instance.
Besides, at the CES 2017 Mayfield Robotics (the start-up that Robert Bosch Start-up supports) presented Kuri, its first commercial robot, which is scheduled to be launched in the United States at the end of 2017. The robot is about 50 centimeters tall and is equipped with loudspeakers, microphone, camera and a number of sensors. It can move about the room, all the while taking note of the shortest possible routes. Kuri interacts with residents and when he sees the mother, he reacts differently than when he runs into her young son around the house. For instance, Kuri can play music or inform parents who are stuck in traffic that their children have come home from school. “For Bosch, targeted investments in creative start-ups are important, as they allow us to respond to new trends at an early stage. In so doing, we are securing our access to disruptive industry developments”, said Struth.
