As populations around the world swell, modern infrastructures become more delicate. More people means more pollution, more traffic and, potentially, more crime. It might sound like humanity is headed toward the apocalypse, but Bosch has a brighter future in mind, one in which you can see what’s inside your fridge during your commute home.
With an ambitious vision for a more harmonious world, Bosch is expertly tackling the daunting challenges of urbanization. That includes a multi-faceted approach to improving air quality, energy efficiency, mobility, and safety. The goal is to add stability to this otherwise chaotic place we call Earth and improve your quality of life.
Right now, Bosch is working on 14 extensive smart-city projects, including San Francisco, Singapore, Tianjin, Berlin, and Stuttgart. At Bosch’s booth at CES, we experienced what the company envisions for the future, and it looks like the Tomorrowland we’ve dreamed about.
If you remember one word from Bosch’s vision, it’s this: Connected. The company wants you to be connected to the things you use most, from your home to your city to your car, and everything in between.
One such initiative, which Bosch says is launching in up to 20 U.S. cities in 2018, is community-based parking. With the average U.S. driver spending over 40 hours a year in traffic, up to one-third of that time is spent looking for parking alone. With Bosch’s technology, cars will report vacant spaces to the cloud, making it easier for others to find a spot.
Bosch has also launched a new climate monitoring system, Climo, that gathers data so cities can take a more targeted approach toward improving traffic flow management. This system can then lead to improved air quality, something that could be crucial to the survival of our most populated megacities around the globe.
The company is also working on energy efficiency, as well as safety and security, two major concerns as cities continue to get larger. One such way Bosch want to helps minimize humanity’s environmental footprint is with a microgrid, which the company says can run on traditional and renewable fuels. Cities account for about 75 percent of power consumption around the world, and Bosch’s microgrids can supply people with less expensive, more eco-friendly electricity.
Finally, and most importantly, is improving your safety and security. That means more robust surveillance system designed to fight crime and recognize when someone is in need. In the home, sensors will protect you from burglars by detecting when doors and windows are opened.
Bosch also detailed a neat app, known as Vivatar, that will enable users to let friends digitally accompany them while walking through a city, which the company claims can help cities reduce crime.
Bosch is clearly going all-out in its quest to connect everything. Anytime technology can cut down on finding a parking spot is worthwhile, and Bosch’s whole approach to a connected world has us incredibly excited for the future of smart cities.
Learn more about how smart cities can solve the challenges of urbanization
This post was sponsored by Bosch
