Innovation at CeBIT Leans Heavily Toward the Internet of Things

Hannover, Germany—The CeBIT technology show has launched as a somewhat smaller business-to-business event compared to its heights of a few years ago, when it filled 26 event halls, each the size of a major convention center. Today, it’s about half that. However, the focus now is on technology that’s important to business and commercial users. One advantage to the new focus is that the innovations really stand out, because they no longer have to compete with everything from video games to washing machines. In addition, the CeBIT organizers have grouped the startup companies with innovations into specific areas where they’re easy to find. One area where this was obvious was the explosion of new devices that connect to the internet of things.

This isn’t a wristwatch. It’s a button from Tapdo that reads fingerprints and can be used to invoke actions through a smartphone app. The button reads different parts of prints on any finger to perform different functions.

Sensorberg makes Bluetooth beacons that detect both identity and proximity. The beacons can be used for a variety of functions, such as pushing product details when a device is detected. Sensorberg also makes the software that serves the data.

The NavVis Mapping Trolley creates detailed maps and videos of building interiors and other spaces. It travels around a building and communicates with its data storage to immediately show detailed information about the spaces it’s explored. NavVis also can provide navigational maps of interior spaces, including recommended routes from one place to another while taking furniture and other obstructions into account.

Pee.win resides in a urinal and measures the amount and content of urine a person expels. The device has a dual purpose: to encourage accuracy as users measure the amount deposited to earn points and to analyze the urine for signs of disease or drug use.

Conichiwa uses proximity sensors to deliver things such as hyperlocal marketing, proximity payments, indoor navigation and keyless access. A sensor detects how close a mobile device is by sensing its Bluetooth signal, allowing Conichiwa to work with apps to offer various services.You can use Conichiwa for tasks including indoor navigation and keyless access.

Imagine controlling a robot by looking at it and gesturing. DFKI-Saarbrücken’s Mixed Reality Production Lab is doing just that, through a Microsoft HoloLens virtual reality headset. The headset sees what you’re looking at, and watches your gestures to control robots.

Peat, software that analyzes and determines plant damage due to disease and natural causes, may be the most important award recipient at CeBIT 2017. Peat is able to scan plants in real time and determine the cause of disease. The tomato plants in this image are suffering from a fungal infection, but by the time the damage is visible, it’s too late to save the plant. The other plant looks normal, but it also has a fungal infection that could kill The ability to scan farm fields for early stage plant diseases could help save crops and increase the food supply.

This wireless industrial controller is designed to surpass WiFi. The LTE-based wireless device operates over three frequencies simultaneously to reduce problems from interference. Its signals are encrypted for security. Its bit rate coupled with a reduced exposure to RF interference stemming from using a radio on a factory floor make this controller as effective as a wired one, while reducing the dependence on wired connections.

The AILA dual-arm manipulation robot operates in environments where it’s unsafe for humans to venture. The robot from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence includes the upper body operating parts and runs on wheels.

This manikin is wearing a new type of exoskeleton that provides the strength that a handicapped person doesn’t possess. It does this by detecting fine muscle actions that then provide the strength to perform the movement the person is no longer capable of alone. One such example, currently in testing at the German Research Center for Artifical Intelligence, is to allow stroke victims or those suffering from neuro-muscular diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis to move on their own.