Motorcycles and Technology – BMW’s Vision

14

October

2016

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BMW has revealed its long-term vision for its motorcycle division, BMW Motorrad. The company revealed the concept model of the Vision Next 100. The motorcycle is so technologically advanced that, in theory, it would not be necessary to wear a helmet when driving it.

 

The Motorcycle

The model is an entire redesign from the concept of a motorcycle. For example, the Vision Next 100 does not need any kind of suspension, thanks to BMW’s self-coined Flexframe technology. Instead, the two wheels are designed to absorb all shocks and bumps. For steering, instead of the front wheel changing direction through a pivot, the entire frame changes shape in order to realise the course of direction. Most prominently, the motorcycle houses several technological features that allow the motorcycle to never fall over. This feature adds a great deal of safety to riders of all experience levels. Lastly, in line with BMW’s overall target of increasing environmental sustainability, the conceptual model is based on a zero-emissions technology.

 

 

The Wearables

BMW’s technology implementations do not stop at the motorcycle itself. The rider is also immersed in technological novelties. Literally. The gear is divided in two parts: a bodysuit and a visor. As there is no risk of tipping over, the bodysuit is very light and the visor does not need to have a helmet component.

 

The visor is able to display all kinds of data to the rider, depending on the situation on the road and where the rider is looking. For example, regarding distraction issues, data displays are brought to a minimum when the rider looks straight ahead. When the rider looks up, however, a camera mounted at the back of the motorcycle will allow the rider to view what is happening behind him or her. Also, the display will alert the rider of road hazards and it will propose suitable approaches to turns. If the rider does not adhere to the suggestions and is risking an unsafe approach to a turn, the bike will correct its positioning itself in order to prevent a crash.

 

The bodysuit also mainly serves as a conveyer of information. Besides the more traditional functions of keeping the temperature of the rider on a suitable level and providing support to the body during long journeys, the suit also allows navigation to work through the suit. For example, vibrations in the right arm signal the need to turn right, and the other way around for the left arm.

 

The Vision

Although the extensive implementations of technology make it seem like BMW is going towards self-driving motorcycles, their actual goal is the exact opposite. Everything to add, every feature they implement, is to empower the rider to fully experience the forces unleashed when riding a motorcycle. Free from restrictive gear and enabled by technology to fully commit to a perfect riding experience. So, very different from the car industry’s destination focus, BMW’s vision is fully geared towards enhancing the journey itself. With the synergy between man, tech and machine, getting from A to B has gotten a lot more exciting.

 

References:

Howard, B. (2016). BMW’s 100-year vision: a smart motorcycle that won’t tip or crash | ExtremeTech. [online] ExtremeTech. Available at: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/236446-bmw-vision-next-100-smart-motorcycle [Accessed 14 Oct. 2016].

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Digital Transformation Project – H&M and Augmented Reality

13

October

2016

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H&M is one of the largest clothing retailers world-wide, second only to Indidex, with over 4.000 stores in 64 countries and 140.000 employees. H&M is also actively embracing the online market, where they are already active in 33 countries. This increasing popularity of e-commerce and the subsequent changing customer behaviour is changing the traditional way H&M does business.

 

Regarding the changing customer behaviours and demands, a questionnaire among H&M customers was conducted to identify what advantages customers see in either online or offline shopping for clothing. For online, we found the following main advantages:

  • Convenience, shopping takes less time.
  • Quantity of the offering, online can benefit from the long-tail effect.
  • Availability of the offering, online is much more likely to have the correct sizes in store.
  • Customers like personalised offerings.
  • Transparency of product information, customers can easily check product descriptions themselves.

 

For offline, we found the following main advantages.

  • Customers can feel the product before they buy it.
  • Immediate ownership of goods, no waiting for the delivery van.
  • Less possibility of having to return the clothes.
  • Privacy concerns.

 

While, H&M’s growth strategy is to open more physical stores, our findings clearly see a great deal of customers prefer to shop online. However, H&M’s growth strategy is to open more physical stores. In order to allow H&M’s physical stores to remain relevant to both online and offline customers, we provide a solution which can help incorporate online customer expectations into the physical store.

 

For this purpose, we introduce Cisco StyleMe. This device uses a mirror that overlays the customer’s mirror image with pictures of clothing. Customers can quickly create outfits by mixing and matching a wide range of garments from the retailer’s in-store and online inventory. Cisco StyleMe also adds value by offering advice and recommending related products to customers.

 

The virtual fitting room brings several advantages from the online world into the physical stores. For example, the device allows customers to benefit from the long-tail effect by being able to display any clothes in the database. Also, as the mirror is also a display, product descriptions can be displayed conveniently on the mirror. Adding to this, the display also allows to offer personalised suggestions that go with the clothing that is being tried on. Lastly, if stores decide to limit the presence of physical clothing in their stores  (for the purpose of showcasing or demonstrations), storage space of stores can be minimised and shoplifting can be brought down significantly. In short, implementing Cisco StyleMe allows physical stores to cater to the changing customer demands.

 

The virtual fitting room concept has the potential to change H&M’s current business model. As stores do not necessarily need large storage areas and bulky showcase areas, their design can become much more compact. This opens up a whole new location segment for H&M to open stores in. We propose venues that are always busy, such as train stations, airports, city centres or popular crossings. This concept of small technology-enabled stores will give H&M a new channel to reach customers. These small stores and, more specifically, the virtual fitting rooms, will change the entire value proposition of H&M’s physical stores.

 

Curious? Check out our video as well!

Group 62: M. Hazara (352438), C.T. Heesters (371723), T. Hoes (350000), N. Kießling (437348)

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Will Google Power the Homes of the Future?

27

September

2016

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During Google’s upcoming event the company is expected to introduce several new pieces of hardware to its existing product line. Strong indications (Betters, 2016) point out Google will broaden its product portfolio by venturing into both the in-home music entertainment market and the wireless router market. Is Google trying to make its earnings lean on advertisement income a little less, or is the internet giant slowly paving the way for Android becoming the motor for the first generation of Internet of Things households?

 

Google has become a cornerstone of modern society (Worth, 2016). Google (and its affiliations through parent company Alphabet) are present in many aspects of peoples’ lives. The search engine makes the internet more accessible, Google Maps helps you find your destination, their OS powers your smartphone and their Chromecasts transform your TV into a multimedia device. In short, Google is everywhere around.

 

When looking at Google’s offering differentiation throughout the years, one sees a logical pattern. With their search engine as the starting point, the company expanded widely in the virtual environment. With services like Google Maps, Gmail and Google Translate the company worked on captivating PC users in their virtual infrastructure. With the introduction of Android, Google took a step into the direction of the physical market by becoming accessible, and ultimately unmissable, to people throughout the day through their mobile phones, and not just when they used their PC. More recent introductions are full-blown physical products like Chromecasts and Chromebooks. Now, with the unveiling of new hardware, Google signals a continuation of this process of diversifying their product offerings into the physical market.

 

This ongoing expansion with physical products becomes interesting when coupling it with the Internet of Things. All devices in a household would be smart and able to interact with each other. The dataflow would provide opportunities for an Internet of Things household to proactively cater to the needs and wishes of its inhabitants (Morgan, 2016). With physical products, Google is gaining access to households. Using its existing, massive dataflow, Google can already begin offering IoT-like services through its products. This is a major competitive advantage against current options for IoT implementations in the household.

 

Although it is still too early to tell, yet it seems like Google is slowly pushing itself forward to become  the dominant player in the futuristic Internet of Things household. Homes are seemingly being prepped to be fully compatible with Google’s implementation of the Internet of Things. A combination of seamless integration and Google’s datacenters’ prowess would be the winning strategy in this apparent scenario. Only time will tell if current events will culminate into the situation as described.

 

References

Betters, E. (2016). Made by Google: What to expect at Google’s 4 October Pixel event – Pocket-lint. [online] Pocket-lint.com. Available at: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/138915-made-by-google-what-to-expect-at-google-s-4-october-pixel-event [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

 

Morgan, J. (2016). Forbes Welcome. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#74d61aa16828 [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

 

Worth, J. (2016). A life without Google. It’s harder than you think. – Jon Worth. [online] Jonworth.eu. Available at: https://jonworth.eu/a-life-without-google-its-harder-than-you-think/ [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

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