Into a connected future Magazine supplement to the Annual Report 2012 That’s how many patents are filed by Bosch each year. This is the equivalent of some 19 patents every working day – the payoff of a global network of some 42,800 researchers and engineers. These patents are the basis for the innovative products and solutions of the future. People – technology – fascination: it is this triad that drives us at Bosch – day in, day out. People from diverse cultures and different backgrounds work together to develop new solutions. Their efforts result in innovations whose focus is on people. For example, vehicles can detect hazards even faster, and their occupants can be protected better. At the same time, the ongoing development of power- train designs ensures that automobiles consume less fuel. In buildings, systems are being interconnect- ed to make life and work safer, more pleasant, and more secure. By optimizing demand for electricity and heat, energy can be used more efficiently. The significance of using energy efficiently and generat- ing power in a resource-conserving way will continue to grow in the future. Connected mobility, build- ings, and energy – at Bosch, our hard work is driven by the wish to create a better world for people, as well as a better environment. That’s what we call “Invented for life.” 2 Bosch Annual Report 2012 Into a connected P. 52 Buildings future More than four walls and a roof Mobility P. 04 Unseen, but wide awake High-tech helpers are always on duty Energy P. 10 eCall Support from afar P. 34 No energy, no future P. 54 Automated driving Networked systems for improved safety P. 38 Le Mans Extra boost makes all the difference Across all sectors of industry, steps in the manufacturing process and the energy needed for them are being ever more closely interlinked and synchronized with each other. Machines and main- tenance workshops share information with their control units in real time to stay abreast of mal- functions, servicing intervals, and new features. And as the numbers of electric cars increase, a charging infrastructure will become more important. Houses and apartments, for their part, will communicate their energy requirements online. Thanks to sensors, these connected buildings know if someone is in a room and where there is currently a need for energy. From cooking and washing to watching TV, the devices tell the “smart grid” how much power is needed. Connected mobility, buildings, and power supply – still a long way off? Not at all. The Bosch Group currently offers innovative solutions for all these areas, and is working to develop them further, since the connected world is still in its infancy. As chips become more powerful, Magazine 3 P. 404 SensorsSen TechnologyTec that maps the world around it P. 42 Communities – beneficial solutions, with a side of good fun Interview with members of the BIOS project P. 20 Determination and staying power Bosch in Vietnam Buildings P. 58 Industry The internet of things and services Interview with Prof. Dr. Elgar Fleisch Society P. 36 P. 08 Letting go means MORE The CO2 networkers Looking for ways to A better balance between work and use energy even more private life P. 14 efficiently Renningen Networked for millions of ideas P. 48 P. 28 Learning from users Reliability is our top priority User experience (C/UX) Interview with Michael Blichmann this connectivity will grow. A modern smartphone is comparable with a mainframe computer from 1994. More and more devices and systems from the most diverse areas of life and business are automatically sharing information. Anyone wanting to actively shape these developments has to have cross-sector knowledge and the experience to match. Bosch has been active in the areas of mobility, buildings, consumer goods, industrial technology, mechanical engineering, and energy for many decades. They are becoming increasingly more integrated in an interconnected system: from the drive unit and display of an e-bike, to energy-efficient office complexes, to a global manufacturing network. For a technology and services company such as Bosch, this development is both a challenge and an opportunity for the future. 4 Bosch Annual Report 2012 Magazine 5 Unseen, but wide awake High-tech helpers are always on duty eetings, critical market analyses, and then, to top it off, the boss insists on having M the “Vision 2020” file. And now there’s still at least an hour in the car before the workday is finally over. No doubt the children will be waiting impatiently. Tired and exhausted, Pete gets behind the wheel. “What a day!” he mutters, and starts the engine. At the traffic light, the car behind sounds its horn. What’s all that about? Pete looks in the rear- view mirror, irritated. The car’s driver is gesticulating wildly at him. The light has obviously been green for some time. Shaking his head, his eyes still fixed on the rear-view mirror, Pete pulls away and starts to turn left onto the freeway ramp – like every other day. But the car brakes suddenly, and a loud alarm sounds. Just in time, the sensors of the emergency braking assistant have detected a broken-down vehicle blocking the acceleration lane, and braked Pete’s car, thus preventing a serious accident. Shaken, Pete thinks, “That was close.” Thank good- ness, at least his car was vigilant. He can almost hear his nine-year-old son Joe’s voice in his ear: “You have to pay more attention, too!” 6 Bosch Annual Report 2012 The sequence of events for preventing an accident: The radar sensor detects a potential obstacle. An acoustic warning system tells the driver to brake. An automatic brake pulse draws Driver assistance the driver’s attention to the road. systems often have only milliseconds in which to measure, analyze, and Automatic partial braking decelerates the vehicle. react. But they can mean the difference between life and death. If the driver fails to react, automatic full emergency braking is initiated shortly before a possible collision. www.bosch.com/extrasensory- perception/ Magazine 7 Pete can’t help smiling at the thought. Once on collision, thus coordinating the deployment of the the freeway, he relaxes. Now where was the USB individual airbags. After the accident, the airbag stick with that fantastic concert…? Pete catches control unit shuts off the fuel supply, unlocks the sight of the case on the passenger seat – but it’s doors, and disconnects the power supply. If the not easy to reach. He tries to grab it with one hand, car is also equipped with eCall, it can automati- while keeping the other on the wheel. Suddenly cally make an emergency call, transmitting the the steering wheel starts to vibrate. vehicle’s exact position. The interaction between these closely networked components has to work immediately and seamlessly, as an accident and the “What was that?” he events leading up to it are over in the blink of an thinks, finally managing to eye. In this emergency network, driver assistance systems often have only milliseconds in which to grab the stick. measure, analyze, and react. But they can mean the difference between life and death. Once again, the car emits a high-pitched alarm and brakes sharply. A traffic jam! Pete was about to run Even in less dramatic circumstances, these com- into the car in front of him. He slams on the brakes ponents instantaneously measure, control, and and feels the wheels shake in a rapid staccato. regulate information from the different parts of the The ABS antilock braking system is kicking in to vehicle. The engine, transmission, brake, battery, minimize the braking distance. lighting, air conditioning, and navigation systems are all continuously adapting to the vehicle’s current Thanks to a host of unseen yet highly responsive situation. They are constantly sharing information, high-tech helpers, the absent-minded Pete finally unbeknown to Pete. He now turns into his driveway, arrives home unscathed. The amount of data these relieved that the journey is over. Joe and his two helpers can process is phenomenal. When the car sisters run out of the house, shouting, is in motion, for example, the ESP® electronic sta- bility program checks 25 times a second whether the vehicle is actually heading in the direction the driver wants it to go. If there is a discrepancy, ESP® intervenes. It reduces engine torque in order to restore vehicle stability. If that is not enough, then it applies the brakes to individual wheels. Together with the TCS traction control system and the ABS, this electronic assistant helps restore balance to the wheels and keep the car on course. However, even if Pete had not reacted quickly enough to the car in front of him despite these assistance systems, he would not have been unpro- tected. In very precarious situations, the ACC adap- tive cruise control that helped Pete can help in other ways too. If it senses that a collision is no longer “Daddy, you’re home!” avoidable, it sends a signal to the airbags, which actively prepare for deployment. At the same time, Pete hugs his children and glances back at his the seat-belt pretensioners secure the passengers car with its many hidden guardian angels. “I can’t in their seats. These intelligent occupant-protection imagine driving without this additional safety any electronics can even distinguish between different more,” he thinks, and goes into the house with types of accident and estimate the severity of the his children. 8 Bosch Annual Report 2012 Letting go means MORE A better balance between work and private life “The quality of my life has improved.” For Bernhard Krauss, a marketing expert at Power Tools, a three-month experiment has proved to be the source of a long-term solution.