Aeroponics developer Airtree has won an innovation award at Meet Accel, a selection of startup businesses held jointly by Taiwan's innovation social platform Meet Startup and New York-based accelerator Lair East Labs.Airtree will now go to Lair East Labs' accelerator in New York. It plans to set up a base in the US to grow vegetables for local supply.Airtree said it uses vertical aeroponic growers to cultivate vegetables. Seedlings of vegetables wrapped in sponge are separately put in holes of the aeroponic growers and tubes inside the growers spray nutrient solution to roots of vegetables, Airtree noted. Nutrient solution is formulated in terms of proportions of nitrogen, phosphor and potassium depending on variety of vegetables, Airtree indicated.While hydroponics entails high cost for controlling water temperatures, aeroponics requires only drafty air and is less affected by environmental temperatures, Airtree said. Since aeroponic vegetables are separately grown, it is easy to avoid spread of pests by removing only vegetables that suffer pests.A vertical aeroponic growerPhoto: Yihan Li, Digitimes, November 2018Tubes spray nutrient solution inside aeroponic growersPhoto: Yihan Li, Digitimes, November 2018

Bearing the theme of "Startup High 5ive," the Meet Taipei Startup Festival 2018 running November 15-17 at Taipei Expo Dome highlights close combination of Taiwan startup teams and further connections with international startup ecosystems to create Taiwan's new wave of startup development in the next five years.Through six major themed industrial exhibit areas and international startup exhibit zone, the event has gathered 200 domestic startup teams, 100 international startup firms from 23 countries and witnessed a series of forums and many other activities such as NeoStar Demo Show, DigiAsia 2018, and La French Touch, all designed to showcase Taiwan's solid prowess and momentum in tech innovations.Many iconic representatives from related sectors at home and abroad attended the opening session, including Audrey Tang, a Taiwan minister without portfolio, StarFab CEO Amanda Liu, Advantech investor representative WT Liu, KKDay founder MM Chen, and representatives from American Institute in Taiwan and Austrian Commercial Office in Taiwan.A National Development Council official said at the opening ceremony that the government is relaxing relevant regulations and offering incentives to solicit more tech talents and encourage investment in setting up tech startups in Taiwan.An official from the Ministry of Economic Affairs also noted that the ministry is implementing a Service Industry Innovation Research (SIIR) program to help startups in diverse fields with market researches, and that the Company Law has been revised to allow more flexibility for business operations by startups.Among industrial players at the event, Advantech greatly encourages startup teams to engage in innovations and the company hopes to co-create the next wave of IoT business opportunities with startup partners by providing related solutions through its WISE-PaaS IoT platform.Taiwan startups participate in 2018 Meet Taipei FestivalPhoto: Mark Tsai, Digitimes, November 2018

Coolso Technology has used its patented muscle bio signal technology to develop wearable gesture control device that can detect individual finger movement for precise gesture recognition, and the technology can also be applied to Industry 4.0 man-machine interfaces beyond medical and gaming applications, according to the firm's founder Jack Wu.Wu said if manufacturers can have their production employees wear muscle bio sensing modules, they can collect and analyze related data to help upgrade product quality and production efficiency in line with Industry 4.0 requirements.At the 2018 Meet Taipei Startup Festival running November 15-17, the company has released two new devices. One of them is fitted with muscle sensing module and inertial sensor, can conduct wireless data transmission through Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and Bluetooth 4.0 technology, and can be utilized with AR and multimedia for collaborative control. In addition, the device can be connected with rehabilitation robots for medical applications.The second device can transmit digital signals through optical sensors and Bluetooth 2.0 technology. It can be connected with HTC Vive Tracker to show VR gaming contents, allowing users to experience man-machine interface applications.Coolso has had talks with many potential Japan customers, and inked non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with some of them, Wu disclosed, adding that the company will be able to ship 1,000 sets of muscle bio sensing modules for B2B gaming sectors and up to 10,000 sets for healthcare purposes.

Taiwan startup KitchBot, aiming to make cooking an interesting and convenient job with IoT hardware and software technologies, is moving to build a smart kitchenware platform integrating food ecosystem services including smart home, smart wine brewer, 3D modules, pour-over coffee, and smart bean roaster, according to company co-founder HY Zhu.Zhu said that his company has developed a remote-control smart socket dubbed Vulcan, at a cost of NT$3.5 million (US$113,409) raised from crowd-funding in early 2017. The socket can be connected with electric cookers, electric hot plates, roasters and electric spoons, and is available with two temperature control lines, with one able to measure temperatures from -10 to 110 degrees Celsius and the other from -10 to 230 degrees Celsius.Zhu disclosed that KitchBot has shipped over 2,000 Vulcan smart socket sets as of mid-November 2018, through the firm's own website and the iCook platform.He stressed that the data the company has collected so far show males aged 25-45 constitute the largest consumer group, most of them being doctors, product managers and government employees by profession.The company has released 60-70 culinary recipes on customized KitchBot apps, with 30 more recipes to be uploaded in the near future. It also plans to launch smart electric rice cookers fitted with chipsets developed in-house before rolling out other smart kitchenware products.Zhu is responsible for the cloud, software and app establishment and another co-founder SF Yang for electronics technologies.KitchBot co-founder HY ZhuPhoto: Mark Tsai, Digitimes, November 2018

Most Taiwan-based telecom operators have set up respective NB-IoT networks optimizing their established telecom infrastructures, and have begun offering related IoT services, according to industry sources.Among them, Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has rolled out an integrated IoT platform to enable content service providers and developers to develop related solutions and services related to information security, cloud, big data, AI and AR. CHT aims to solicit a total of 1,200 enterprises to work along with its IoT ecosystem in 2018 with a mid-term goal of having 2,000 enterprise partners.Meanwhile, more than 80 enterprise partners have jointed the IoT ecosystem established by Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET), which also revealed that more than 300 hardware/software developers have been using FET's NB-IoT networks to roll out solutions for IoV applications, monitoring of electric motorcycles and bicycles and parking lot management.Taiwan Mobile (TWM) has teamed up with over 300 enterprises to form an IoT ecosystem focusing on soliciting businesses related to smart streetlamp management, smart grid, agricultural applications and parking solutions.Asia Pacific Telecom (APT) has partnered with FHNet, a networking arm of Foxconn Electronics, to roll out IoT solutions targeting applications including environmental monitoring, smart factory and smart living. APT aims to secure two million subscribers for its IoT services by 2020.Taiwan Mobile touting its NB-IoT networksPhoto: Shihmin Fu, Digitimes, November 2018

Traffic lights along main roads can be synchronized by automatic control based on real-time conditions to ease traffic flows, accordig to Jessica Lin, president for intelligent transportation planning consulting company THI Consultants.Such synchronized control relies on use of real-time data on vehicles running on the roads for building transportation models, Lin noted. Due to limited hardware technology, samples of running vehicles were collected instead of overall data for such modeling in the past, Lin said. But now, various radar sensors, AI-based image analytics, and on-board recorders based on IoV technology enable comprehensive collection of real-time data, resulting in reliable analysis of traffic characteristics, Lin indicated.Such automatic control can also relax traffic congestion on highway ramps, Lin noted.THI thinks big data collected by digital on-board recorders can help understand cars' physical operating conditions as reference for preventive maintenance.Synchronized automatic control of traffic lights Photo: THI Consultants

AR (augmented reality) will surely integrate AI and IoT to facilitate wider applications to rehabilitation medicine, city tour guide or cultural promotions, and traditional human tourist guides will be replaced by AR, according to Jaye Chiang, planning director at Werold Game Studio, a Taiwan startup dedicated to developing mobile games.Chiang said through AR glasses and incorporation of more cultural education content, tourists can better understand local culture history and traditional customs during their city tours and residents can also learn more about the core values of their city.AR can also be applied to do hand-eye coordination training for babies and medical rehabilitation for the elderly, and the incorporation of such technology can also enhance user adherence and continuity, Chiang continued.In integrating ecosystems for newly emerging technologies, Chiang said he hopes an AR platform can be established and industry chains can go deeper and wider. He stressed that his company will vertically cooperate with hardware developers and manufacturers and horizontally integrate content designers and technological application partners.So far, Werold has presented two mobile games: Mokai Adventure AR and Going Down AR. The former, launched in mid-2017, can be downloaded from iOS and Android platforms free of charge, while the latter, released in June 2018, is a somatosensory game developed using Apple's ARKit and also available at both platforms.Chiang said his company is always committed to the pursuit of diversification of AR technology and new game experience.Jaye Chiang, planning director at Werold Game StudioPhoto: Mark Tsai, Digitimes, November 2018

The global ecosystems of SigFox, a France-based provider of IoT services, can serve as the platform for Taiwan IoT hardware makers to access international markets, according to Robin Chen, managing director at UnaBiz Taiwan, which operates the country's first nationwide public SigFox low-power wide-area network (LPWAN).Chen said that as an exclusive Sigfox network operator (SNO), his company is responsible for establishing SigFox base stations in Taiwan, allowing local firms to complete IoT systems by only installing terminal sensors instead of having to invest in related equipment.Chen continued that any exclusive SNO in a given area is just like a platform for developers of terminal sensors and other IoT devices to quickly venture their products into international markets.Meanwhile, SigFox's upstream technology IPs are licensed to related makers free of charge, allowing them to develop chips meeting SigFox protocols. Among the makers in Taiwan are Lite-On Technology, Jorjin Technologies, M2COMM and InnoComm Mobile Technology, according to Philippe Tzou, ecosystem director at UnaBiz Taiwan.Tzou said that SigFox base stations in Taiwan now boast service coverage of up to 95% of the country's population, suitable for smart city and large-area IoT infrastructure applications.In terms of infrastructure applications, Tzou continued, UnaBiz has cooperated with China Airlines (CAL), utilizing LPWAN to track ground-servicing equipment.As to smart city application, SigFox LPWAN can be utilized to monitor roadside car parking, tilting of buildings, and safety of pedestrians, among others, Tzou indicated.

The just-concluded 2018 Advantech IoT Co-Creation Summit held in Suzhou, China highlighted the top IPC vendor's roadmap for developing IoT solutions and services in cooperation with global partners, in tune with the forum's theme of "co-creation." And the sheer size of the event showed Advantech's determination to embrace the challenges of the IoT era.The event proved quite a success, as it gathered more than 5,000 business partners, media representatives and venture capitalists, according to Advantech chairman KC Liu, who along with other company executives, including board executive director Chaney Ho and president Eric Chen, demonstrated what "co-creation" means.Advantech believes that the thriving IoT market provides immense and multiple business opportunities that are ubiquitous and growing fast, and new business models beyond the traditional "design-win" model are required to secure a preemptive presence in the space. Accordingly, Advantech adopts the strategy of soliciting more partners to develop vertical markets. It will provide partners with cross-domain and cross-platform service solutions integrating software and hardware to co-create business opportunities and achieve a win-win scenario.Cooperation with 20 DFSI partnersAt the event, Advantech signed cooperation contracts with 20 domain-focused system integrators (DFSI) in China, which can offer customized domain-oriented solutions in their respective dedicated fields of smart manufacturing, smart city, information security, mobility and smart healthcare. The company plans to build business ties with 50 more DFSI partners in 2019 and then pursue an annual increase of 20 such firms from 2020 on.In his briefing, Advantech CTO Allan Yang said that as IoT services are still short of standard solutions, intermediary service platform will play a crucial role in this regard. Yang highlighted the importance of Advantech's WISE-PaaS (platform as a service) architecture, which can serve as an intermediary platform between a data platform and application end to provide an easier access for customers and allow them to pay only for use.Advantech has managed to sustain healthy revenue growths and high gross margins over the past few years. The company saw its revenues for 2017 surge 12% on year to US$1.455 billion, and its revenues for the first three quarters of 2018 expand 14% on year to US$1.213 billion, which is expected to soar further to US$1.6 billion for the whole 2018. The firm's average annual revenue growth will hit a high of 11.5% during 2010-2018, with its gross margins lingering at a high level of 38-39%. High gross margins have enabled Advantech to step up business upgrades and transformations and enhance deployments in the IoT space.Operation strategy for 2019When it comes to operation strategy for 2019, Advantech will focus on consolidating its manufacturing systems, tapping edge-computing business opportunities and promoting localized production and services worldwide.Advantech president Eric Chen pointed out that in order to render better services to customers in Japan, the company has acquired a 80% stake in Japan-based ORMON Nohgata, a specialist in embedded computing systems, and both sides will also enhance cooperation in IoT platform services.Advantech has also shown high regard for multiple manufacturing systems at its plants. The firm's board executive director Chaney Ho noted that Advantech's robust capability of handling small volume production of a variety of products has helped to maintain the firm's gross margins at a certain level despite the shortfall of components. In 2017, Ho continued, the firm's plant in Kunshan, China, managed to boost its per capita production value by 16.9% and cut power consumption by 7.8% while slashing its workforce by 2.2%.Marketwise, Advantech has seen 78% of its revenues coming from Europe, North America and Greater China, with North America contributing 27.1% and greater China 32% (including 25% from China and 7% from Taiwan).To mitigate the impact of US-China trade rows, Advantech China general manager Paul Luo said that his company will continue soliciting more DFSI partners in smart manufacturing or smart city sector, adding that Advantech has developed a set of mechanism to sort out reliable partners and provide different cooperation packages in accordance with their professional competences and financial conditions.Globalization 3.0In terms of localized production, Ho said that the de-globalization trend is emerging, but the globalization trend is yet to subside, with Globalization 3.0 gaining momentum in 2018, which highlights localization, differentiation and customization services and requires more production foothold worldwide.At the summit, Advantech also releases its revenue goal of US$2.3 billion for 2021, including US$2.0 billion from traditional industry-control, automotive electronics, and built-in hardware sectors, US$170 million from WISE-PaaS systems and US$130 million from cloud SRP and WISE-PaaS cloud services.Bold movesIt is never easy to arrange such a big event, and Taiwan's ICT firms have rarely held events of such a big scale as Advantech's. The business opportunities are there, and different firms may take different approaches to seize those opportunities. Taiwan's ICT firms have been typically timid in the face of opportunites, but this time maybe they should stake bolder steps.Advantech chairman KC LiuAdvantech board executive director Chaney HoAdvantech president Eric Chen2018 Advantech IoT Co-Creation SummitPhotos: Company

Rapidly developing smart retail will see three major trends in 2019, including an emphasis on the human side of business, according to CC Liu, secretary general of Asia AIoT Alliance.Liu stressed that tech development originates from human nature, with all tech designs aimed at providing consumers with greater convenience. Accordingly designers must grasp users' situations well to provide better services. He continued that Amazon unmanned stores, for instance, allow consumers to take things from the store without having to pay at the counter.The second trend is creating more convenient UI (user interface) and more friendly UX (user experience) to facilitate purchases, Liu said, adding that based on consumer psychology, consuming is quite an impulsive behavior and therefore how to shorten the transaction process will be crucial for further upgrades in smart retail operations.The third trend is that smart retail will entail AI as the core. Liu said that AI is not almighty but serve as a helper to decision making. AI can be utilized to analyze big data to provide references for managers in handling distribution, pricing, marketing and new product development, while also further predicting market trends and facilitating customized services, according to Liu.Asia AIoT Alliance Secretary General CC LiuPhoto: Yihan Li, Digitimes, November 2018