Female robot with a
sensitive touch
Her name is AILA and she looks like any other
humanoid robot. Visitors to the stand of the German Research Center for
Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) at CeBIT 2013 saw a glimpse of the future at the
International Space Station. Using her lifelike hands, there are plans for AILA
to carry out semi-autonomous and skilled tasks there. These include flicking
switches on the control panel and pressing buttons, e.g. to activate specific
onboard systems.
AILA stands an impressive 5 ft. 6 inches tall.
She has a flexible body comprising four joints and arms with seven joints each.
The lady robot moves from A to B on a six-wheel mobile platform. She responds
not only to commands from her software but also to light touches. This means
she can work safely with people and adapt to new environments.
However, AILA still has a lot to learn before
she can go into space. In the future it is hoped she will be able to mimic and
remember human movements of the torso, arms and hands.
Deutsches
Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz GmbH (German Center for Artificial
Intelligence, DFKI)
Smartphone for action
heroes
Try dropping your smartphone from a height of
1.80 meters and then immersing it in deep water for 30 minutes. If it still
works after that, it can only be the Cat B15. According to the manufacturer
20:20 Mobile, it is the most advanced, hard-wearing and robust smartphone on
the market – and it will be on display at CeBIT 2013.
However, the robust design of this new product
does more than allow the phone to survive falls and being plunged into water.
Its 4” multi touchscreen can be operated with wet hands while also being dust
tight and scratch resistant. The Cat B15 has been designed for a wide range of
target groups – from action heroes and outdoor adventurers to those working in
industry and on construction sites. In other words, anyone who wants to use
their smartphone in extreme conditions. Cat B15 is equipped with the latest
Android version (4.1 Jelly Bean) and a Dual Core 1 GHz processor.
Cloud safety – with
the German Federal government’s IT experts
The cloud is a practical example of the core
theme of CeBIT 2013 – Shareconomy – and it is becoming increasingly important
for cost-effective and user-friendly IT processes. Although this technology
offers numerous benefits, the data cloud can be easy prey for cybercriminals.
The R&S®SITGate Next Generation Firewall
from Rohde & Schwarz SIT offers new protection against surreptitious
information theft. This application-based system monitors Facebook, Dropbox,
etc., while its integrated protection against malware and infected websites
safeguards Internet usage. Rohde & Schwarz SIT was chosen in 2004 as
Germany’s security partner. The company is involved in numerous NATO equipment
programs as an encryption specialist. Its main areas of focus include the
development of crypto products in modern information and communication systems
as well as consulting and IT security analyses for business and public
authorities.
Intelligent
electricity for intelligent homes in the form of Lego bricks
Cozy dimmed light in the living room, blinds
programmed to open and close at specific times in the morning and evening and a
coffee machine that makes fresh coffee just in time for you getting out of bed.
This may sound like a vision of the future, but the digitalSTROM system from
azio will be showing what it can do now at CeBIT 2013 in Hannover.
Resembling Lego bricks, these bright,
chip-based terminal strips control all the electronic devices in the home. The
terminal strips are easy to install in existing infrastructures in new and
existing buildings, flats, houses or even a single room. The terminals are
installed quickly and easily in the cable or light switch of the electrical
appliance in question, where they can also be controlled via smartphone or
tablet. Dimming, switching, measuring and saving data are just a few of the
tasks covered by digitalSTROM. And when you move house, the modifications are
easy to remove and take to your new home.
The tasty side of life
…
… can be discovered with the AOK at CeBIT 2013
when celebrity chefs Kolja Kleeberg and Ronny Pietzner take to the stage in the networked house of research partner
Connected Living e. V.
They demonstrated delicious meals from the
“gesund geniessen” (healthy eating) food app. This app provides users with over
1,000 cooking and baking recipes online. They selected dishes based on the time
it takes to prepare them or by specific categories, such as chicken, pasta or
main meal. Shopping is also child’s play with the app’s integrated shopping list.
“Morgenstadt” –
Welcome to the future!
The key question is: How will we be living in
the future in times of climate change, dwindling resources and population
growth in urban areas? The “Morgenstadt – City of the Future” project has been
set up to provide the answers. Visitors to CeBIT 2013 in Hannover had the
chance to get an insight into the ideas behind this CO2-neutral and
energy-efficient city that is adapted to the local climate.
The project is one of the central research
areas of the German Federal government’s High-tech Strategy 2020 and was
initiated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO. At CeBIT,
the Fraunhofer Institute will be unveiling an exhibit that gives visitors an
interactive guide to the activities of the Morgenstadt project. Interaction is
also a key to the Virtual CityScapes exhibit on display at the Fraunhofer
stand. This 3D planning tool provides an insight into urban planning, building
planning and transport planning in cities of the future. Products and processes
that do not (yet) exist in real life are given form, while complex
relationships are made easy to understand.
Tracking criminals
with tablets
The police’s new background check system is
already causing quite a stir in the run-up to CeBIT 2013, with Federal Minister
of the Interior Dr. Hans-Peter Friedrich making an appointment at the Bormann
stand for 5 March to see for himself the new police tracking system to be introduced by the Department of Criminal
Investigation (LKA) in Bavaria.
From spring, around 500 new tablet PCs will be
fitted in patrol cars to support policing on the move. What really sets these
tablets apart is that they first had to pass the BMW crash test before being
approved for installation. The mobile police tablet PC enables officers to
perform reliable background checks, e.g. on car license plates or personal
details, at LTE/4G speed. In future they will also be able to use the system to
check ePassports. Shift work is also ensured using a sophisticated battery
management system. The system can be operated on the move in any vehicle, thus
offering maximum flexibility of use.
Megatrend mobility –
Samsung impresses with innovative mobile business processes
The demands placed on professional IT solutions
in the age of “Shareconomy” are enormous. Requirements include the flexible use
of company and personal mobile devices and access to sensitive and centralized
applications anytime, anywhere. At CeBIT 2013, Samsung Electronics demonstrated
how mobile business processes can be handled today.
Under the motto “Connecting Competence,”
Samsung and its solution partners will be presenting innovative concepts for
the IT trends M.I.S. (Managed Information Services), Ideal Cloud-Client
Solutions and Bring Your Own Device in three different theme worlds. Visitors
to Samsung’s stand will be given ideas on how to improve the efficiency,
security, mobility and sustainability of corporate IT through the use of clever
solution concepts.
Printing 3D works of
art at home
The vision of realizing your own ideas and
producing jewelry, toys or spare parts yourself is even closer to becoming
reality with the development of 3D printing technology. The fabbster from
Bavarian company Sintermask will be on display at CeBIT 2013 in Hannover. It is
a compact 3D printer for use in the office and at home.
With this printer, 3D objects measuring up to
380 mm can be printed quickly and easily regardless of whether they are
practical household items or small works of art. A new technology known as
stick deposition molding is used to melt plastic such as ABS
(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene). Special plastic material sticks are fed into
the extruder automatically via a supply magazine, thus enabling precise dosage
of the melt. This process also makes it possible to combine various colors and
materials. The fabbster is supplied as standard with software for data
preparation in 3D printing – the netfabb Engine for fabbster. It includes all
the features needed to prepare models for printing and runs on Windows, Mac and
Linux operating systems.
