Taiwan startup WeMo, which has operated a scooter-sharing system since its inception in October 2016, is moving to cooperate with theTaipei city government to work out practical smart city solutions by leveraging big data collected over the past two years of services while also continuing expanding the number of electric scooters deployed in Taiwan's capital city.WeMo CEO Jeffrey Wu said that over the past two years, his company has deployed only 200 electric scooters in some Taipei districts, seeking to deeply analyze the needs, habits and feedbacks of users before the scale of its scooter fleet is expanded.In addition, the big data arising from large scooter rides on streets can be further analyzed to serve as reference for WeMo, related partners and the city government for promoting smart city solutions, particularly including monitoring systems for air quality, road quality, and flooding, according to Wu.Under the scooter-sharing system, riders need to download WeMo's app to their mobile devices and find a WeMo scooter nearby, and then reserve and ride the scooter and pay the rental on the app via their smartphones. The trial rate is NT$25 (US$0.80) for the first 10 minutes and NT$2.50 more for any additional minute. Riders can park the scooter at any public motorcycle parking spot.Wu disclosed that his company may adopt a dynamic pricing formula after building models for user and scooter flows, so as to allow flexible rides by users and maintain the spread density of WeMo scooters.
Taiwan startup Youuxi, a digital marketing cloud service provider, has launched an AI-based copywriting platform designed to help businesses or ad agents save costs on seeking marketing channels, writing ad copies and design marketing programs.Company CEO CJ Lin said that as diverse network data sources can help boost the semantic analysis and recognition capabilities of AI-based machines, her company has employed more than 50 copywriters to build a bank of quality ad copies, accumulating more than 10,000 copies on its AI copywriting platform over the past two years to facilitate deep machine learning.Lin said that after users of the platform upload product pictures and simple product instructions and then select their favorite ad copies and styles out of the databank, the system will automatically recommend an ad copy with several optional headlines for choice and amendment by users. In addition, the system will work out the final ad copy and pictures for screening by users, making sure there will be no legal violations or sensitive issues for the markets where the products will be sold.Youuxi is stepping up optimizing the user interfaces of its AI copywriting platform to provide friendly web interfaces for creative ad copywriters and businesses. The company has cooperated with Japan makers of cooking equipment, 104 Job Bank and government units, helping them to write marketing ads, resumes and official documents, respectively.
PTCom Technology, an innovation development partner of MediaTek, is actively developing IoT devices management systems to help hardware makers with IoT connections, and the company will also move to tap the market for smart home devices by leveraging the application of edge computing to voice processing, according company founder JR Cho.Cho said that such applications and services as remote surveillance, notificatinon and control as well as big data recording have matured in the current IoT1.0 era, but the materialization of such applications and services requires the support of a set of devices management system, which is exactly the opportunity for PTCom.Cho said that his company can provide diverse wireless software and hardware integration solutions for different systems, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooh, and NB-IoT.Based on the concept of fog computing, Cho continued, PTCom is adopting an IoT turnkey model, allowing customers or third-party partners to build connections between cloud platforms and terminal devices through software-hardware integrated solutions.PTCom will also move to apply edge computing technology to voice-controlled devices to better tap the lucrative market for smart home devices, Cho indicated, adding that his company will also continue exploring IoT applications to diverse sectors such as smart healthcare, Internet of Vehicles and smart agriculture.
The Center for Measurement Standards under government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is developing a solution integrating images taken by drones for detecting hot spots on PV modules of power stations for maintenance purposes.A PV module is made of either 60 or 72 crystalline silicon solar cells. Hot spots occur when too much current and voltage are accumulated on one or more solar cells of a PV module. Consequently the cells' temperatures are too high and overall power generation decreases, the center explained.The higher the temperature, the shorter wavelength the infrared light emitted. Drones can be used to inspect a large number of PV modules by capturing infrared images for computerized analysis to locate hot spots for repair, the center indicated.Drones cannot fly too high, for infrared images taken may contain unclear or inaccurate informaiton. Therefore, drones should fly low enough to capture many infrared images. The key problem in developing the drone-based solution is how to locate hot spots from many infrared images, the center noted.An ITRI-developed drone for inspecting PV modulesPhoto: Li Yihan, Digitimes, October 2018
The development of IoT technologies and applications has yet to mature, providing better opportunities for startups than large-size enterprises, according to JR Cho, founder of PTCom Technology, a Taiwan-based IoT solutions provider.Cho said that IoT markets are fragmented as there have been no market leaders emerging and no application standards made available. He added that most leading enterprises have been reluctant to invest in a new sector that cannot warrant mass production, which, however, provides a good investment outlet for startups.Cho disclosed that his company once managed to win an order from a Japan customer for upgrading functions of 5,000 pieces of its original devices, as a certain big Taiwan enterprise had declined the client's order because the volume was too small to support volume production.IoT applications are a new sector that will take a long while to ferment. Unlike smartphones or PC products suitable for volume production, IoT devices are not standardized products that can promise proper investment gains, yet more suitable for flexible investment by startups, according to Cho.Cho commented that large enterprises and startups can team up to develop IoT markets, with the latter taking the lead to develop innovative products before the products can be up for volume production by the latter. He also noted that big enterprises can also move to directly establish IoT ecosystems. In fact, Cho indicated, more and more big enterprises are actively exploring their own new innovation momentum. Google and Microsoft, for instance, have set up many research laboratories, and many others are moving to build accelerators or incubators on their own.PTCom Technology founder JR Cho (right)Photo: Chloe Liao, Digitimes, October 2018
Taiwan startup NextDrive has recently announced the latest application of its cube devices, a smart IoT gateway, to remote-control smart locking system developed in cooperation with Rohm Semiconductor and OHGA SmartThings, which is expected to generate new business opportunities in Taiwan's smart home market, according to industry sources.NextDrive introduced its cube devices to the Japan market in September 2017, and has since won orders from many Japan power companies, as the devices can support Wi-SUN (wireless smart utility network) technology developed by Rohm Semiconductor as part of the home energy management system and go with smart electricity meters widely adopted in the country, the sources said.NextDrive's cube devices have many other applications than home energy management. The latest one is use in smart locks developed by Taiwan-based OGHA SmartThings, which can be controlled by smartphones, Bluetooth and Wi-SUN technologies.NextDrive chief technology officer William Liang said that the cube-based smart lock is the first lock available in the market with the Wi-SUN technology. Compared with Wi-Fi, Wi-Sun boasts lower power consumption, longer communication range, and much better penetration power, well suitable for home wireless transmission.Liang said that home-use IoT gateway is basically an edge device like a microcomputer that can serve as a smart home hub. He continued that smart IoT gateways can be combined with web cameras, smart locks and dynamic sensors to build a simple home anti-theft system.
Taiwan-based wireless charging solution provider InforCharge has expanded its business reach to the multimedia advertisement area and has adopted artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition technology to maximize the benefits of advertisements.InforCharge's wireless charging station can be installed in places including restaurants and cafes, and users are able to activate the station's wireless charging functionality through conducting a promotion activity for the places on social media sites.While charging the user's device, the station will use its facial recognition technology to identify the user's age and gender, and then display advertisements that may interest the user.So far, the company has installed around 400-500 units of the wireless charging station throughout Taipei and is looking to form partnerships with more stores, such as cafe chains.InforCharge wireless charging stationPhoto: Company
Taipei's Education Department has adopted a cloud computing-based smart platform to manage power use at 299 city-run schools.The platform is supplied by smart factory solution developer InSynerger Technology, with Far EasTone Telecommunications responsible for data communication.The platform monitors and analyzes power use at each school to find room for saving energy and hiking efficiency.Each school's power cost is based on a contract that stipulates higher prices for use exceeding the limits specified in the contract. The management platform monitors the power use and will send warning if th evolume comes close to the limits.The platform also detects PM2.5 density in the air and indoor density of carbon dioxide.So far 50 of the schools have been covered by the platform, and the rest will be so by year-end 2020, the department said.
Armenia, with 96% of its terrirtory covered by mountains, has a population of some three million, but the Armenian diaspora amounts to about 10 million people who have had to leave the mountainous homeland to seek opportunities abroad.Many do find opportunities at home. A Ucom manager who obtained her master's degree in Greece, chose to return home. She told us how she had to travel six hours for a trip back to her hometow, which is some 50 kilometers away from the capital city of Yerevan, while studying in college.The emergence of digital economy has given her the opportunity to work at the present firm. But she said that many Armenians studying and working abroad usually have to split their incomes into three parts: their own tuition fees, living expenses, and sums sent back to their families in Armenia.Armenia and Taiwan seem similar in some ways. Both countries have powerful neighbors: Armenia and Turkey are separated by Mt Ararat, while Taiwan's major rival China lies across the strait.Armenia may be lacking the kind of tech development experience that Taiwan is proud of, but the island nation in East Asia seems to be gradually losing the kind of ambition and vibrancy that the landlocked South Caucasus country is showing in the face of challenges.(Editor's note: This is part of a series of stories about the IT industry development in Armenia.)
Having developed a solid presence in Armenia, US-based electronic design automation (EDA) solutions provider Synopsys has spared no efforts fostering young Armenia IT talent through a dedicated unit dubbed Synopsys Armenia Educational Department (SAED).Since its inception in 2001, SAED has helped educate 64 holders of doctoral degrees, 904 master's degrees and over 1,000 bachelor's degrees, with around half of the graduates employed by Synopsys Armenia and the rest by other IT firms in Armenia and the region, according to the company.Under the umbrella of the Synopsys University Program, SAED has developed competitive curricula based on a proven model of cooperation between the industry and academia, helping universities overcome common challenges in microelectronics education.SAED has been engaged in many successful cooperation programs with major universities in Armenia and the region, including National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA), Yerevan State University (YSU), Russian-Armenian University (RAU), National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET), and European Regional Academy (ERA).Synopsys has also cooperated with around 1,000 universities around the world including those in Russia and India's Mumbai and Hyderabad, in exchanging teaching resources, materials, students and other personnel. A student exchange plan between Armenia and Taiwan has been put into practice in 2018, with one selected Armenia doctoral student to study at a Taiwan university for three semesters, marking the first cooperation plan between both countries.Crucial Armenia talent outletHovik Musayelane, director of Synopsys Armenia, said that more and more high-tech firms no longer just rely on traditional education system for talent supply. He said that Synopsys Armenia has maintained highly close connections with international enterprises, providing a crucial outlet for Armenia talent, the country's important assets.Musayelane indicated that Synopsys Armenia has a total of over 800 employees, making it the largest tech firm in the country and the largest operating base of Synopsys outside Silicon Valley. Accordingly, he stressed, Synopsys has developed a strong corporate social responsibility for Armenia.While extending strong support for the 2019 World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) to be held October 6-9 in Yerevan, Armenia, Musayelane said he strongly hopes for more concrete cooperation with Taiwan's semiconductor sector. He said if Taiwan can cooperate with SAED, Taiwan can introduce more quality engineers from Armenia and attract more tech talent from East Europe and Central Asia to join the global semiconductor cooperation systems.(Editor's note: This is part of a series of reports about Armenia's IT industry development.)Synopsys Armenia director Hovik MusayelanePhoto: Digitimes staff, October 2018
