Bosch annual report 2019

Innovation for times of transition

Liu Ren is chief scientist at Bosch Research and Technology Center in Silicon Valley. He is standing in front of a wall-sized display and explains how artificial intelligence works with a method called visual analytics.

Our world is in flux. A volatile global economic climate, new customer requirements, and technological change are profoundly changing our lives. This means new opportunities for us, but also many challenges. In times like these, there is an urgent need for technology that is “Invented for life.” There’s never been a better time for innovation.

Volkmar Denner: “We act with courage and determination”

“We think ahead and imagine what’s possible. This is how we give shape to tomorrow’s technologies.”

Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management

How we are shaping change

Wherever the world is changing, our innovations offer technology that is “Invented for life”: on shop floors, in cars, on motorcycles and bicycles, in parking garages, in our relationship with artificial intelligence, in our kitchens, and sometimes even on frozen waterfalls.

Two men and another vehicle as seen from the front window of a car and on a screen in the car’s cockpit.

Automated driving: lights, camera, action!

Cool design, low consumption, ample power — these things still count in a car. But cars’ ability to recognize their surroundings and perform maneuvers independently is gaining in importance. Two Bosch engineers explain how cars equipped with the MPC3 camera are learning to see, and how artificial intelligence is helping them.

More transparent AI with visual analytics

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing our private lives and the world of work. Machines and software can now handle complex tasks automatically. But how can people stay in control of AI? In Silicon Valley, Bosch is pursuing a promising approach.

Bosch employee Dr. Maria Martínez Prada stands next to an air quality monitoring box on Brixton Road in south London.

Combating air pollution: cleaner air for Brixton

The south of London has an air-quality problem: like many other urban areas, it is struggling with high levels of traffic-related pollutants. A Bosch project shows how emissions can be reduced and quality of life improved.

ian Krauskopf sitting at a table, connecting a ctrlX AUTOMATION hardware component with a computer. Further hardware components can be seen in the foreground.

Ushering in a new era of industrial automation

An automation platform is paving the way for the factory of the future: if machinery is to keep pace with the new requirements appearing in ever more rapid succession, refitting it has to be as simple as putting apps on a smartphone. And this is where ctrlX AUTOMATION comes into its own.

A woman rides past a car on her e-bike. She is about to drive into the car door that has just been opened.

E-bike ABS: trust in the hard stop

Pedelecs are a breath of fresh air for mobility. For many commuters and city dwellers, power-assisted bikes are an alternative to the car. A Bosch innovation makes riding them even more of a breeze.

The picture shows a motorcyclist swerving to avoid a car.

Safety systems help take the strain out of motorcycling

Traffic is increasing on our roads — and with it, the challenges for motorcyclists. Technical innovations help riders stay in control of the situation. Bosch radar-based assistance systems are one such innovation: thanks to them, one of the most dangerous riding situations is now considerably safer.

Extreme climber Bernard Witz uses cordless tools for his ice-climbing routes.

Ice climbing with cordless power tools: a 1,000-watt ascent

Longer-lasting and more powerful than their rivals, Bosch Biturbo-series cordless tools have many advantages over corded devices. This is just the equipment the extreme climber Bernard Witz needs — because on his ascents, there aren’t any power sockets.

A smarter way of parking

There are some things we’ve always wished we could do without — such as searching for a space in a parking garage, squeezing into it, and then taking the often labyrinthine path to the exit. With automated valet parking, all this is a thing of the past. Cars park themselves, and return when their owners call them. All it takes is sensors, standard features, and a smartphone.

André-Luis Tournoux, an expert in video analytics, sits at a desk with an intelligent growth camera, a laptop and a miniature parking lot with miniature cars on it.

The camera trainer

Now even security cameras can understand what’s going on. Bosch’s new Camera Trainer software uses machine learning to teach cameras to detect objects and states. This can be the basis for performing completely new, customer-specific tasks, such as counting cars or vacant parking spaces. A video analytics expert explains what the practical benefits are.

A bird's eye view of the Bosch production facility and smart factory in Blaichach in the Allgäu.

Nexeed — welcome to the smart factory

In manufacturing and logistics, more data streams can be captured than ever before. The problem is that their different formats have to be harmonized before they can be combined. Nexeed software makes this possible. The result is tangible evidence of the benefits of digitalization.

A car driving through an impressive mountainous landscape. An animation shows molecules coming out of the vehicle's tail pipe.

Toward the large-scale manufacture of fuel-cell stacks

On the path to carbon-neutral transportation, Bosch favors a technology-neutral approach. The fuel cell is one element of this approach. One of the biggest challenges is how to mass-manufacture the core of the hydrogen powertrain — the stack. Together with a startup, Bosch is developing a solution.

Martin Strumpler, head of the Smart Cooking unit at Bosch, standing in the kitchen and preparing a risotto with the Bosch Cookit, a smart food processor.

Just Cookit with a smart food processor

Digitalization is making inroads into our kitchens. Our story shows how it helps lighten the workload, and how an innovative Bosch cooking pot offers improvements on a traditional dish.