Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components distributor, announces that it has expanded its product portfolio by signing an exclusive global distribution partnership with Directed Energy, Inc. This new partnership adds to the more than 8.7 million products available from more than 800 manufacturers through Digi-Key.Directed Energy provides ready-to-use modules for driving laser diodes as well as applications requiring a high voltage pulse. Directed Energy's modules allow users to focus on their end use or product with ready-made solutions to provide high current and high voltage pulses to scientific, industrial and commercial applications."As long-time customers of Digi-Key, our own engineers are familiar with the value of working with a supplier that offers a broad and deep product line, making it simple to find solutions to engineering problems," said Stephen Krausse, president and owner of Directed Energy, Inc. "Now, as a Digi-Key partner, we are excited to know that our pulsed laser diode driver and high voltage pulse modules will offer that same problem-solving value to designers and engineers around the world and in a wide array of industries."Creating a high-quality electrical pulse is challenging, whether that's a high current pulse designed to drive a laser diode, or a high voltage pulse designed for the operation of deflection grids or for beam steering. Directed Energy has been designing and selling precision pulsers for over 30 years. This industry experience has allowed them to create a suite of standard products that designers look to when they need a high-quality, fast pulse of current and/or voltage."We are excited to partner with Directed Energy and offer their ready-to-use modules to our global customer base," said David Stein, vice president of global supplier management for Digi-Key. "Directed Energy has an impressive lineup of off-the-shelf modules that provide high-quality pulses of high current and/or high voltage for a variety of applications, from LiDAR to ADAS, laser diode characterization, precision measurement, and physics and scientific experimentation."

Amiccom Electronics Corporation (Amiccom) announced a new 5.8GHz wireless RF transceiver chip named A5133. The A5133 supports data rate 500kbps ~ 4Mbps with FSK modulation. The A5133 operates in the same way as A5130, users can easily transfer their proprietary protocol from 2.4GHz to 5.8GHz band which has wider channel bandwidths and less interference signal. Both 5.8GHz and 2.4GHz bands are globally applicable ISM bands.The built-in LDO of A5133 supports operating voltage from 2.0 to 3.6 V. The maximum TX output Power is +15dBm (91mA). If the output stage supply of power amplifier is set to 3.3V, the output power can be further increased to +17dBm (110mA). The receiving sensitivity is -90dBm (@4 Mbps FSK @ 33.6mA), the maximum Link budget is 107dB, and hence the transmission distance is greatly increased as compared with the previous generation of product. The external MCU can use the SPI interface to control the A5133. By proper register setting, the operation frequency can be changed so that user can easily implement the frequency hopping anti-interference protocol.For data processing, A5133 provides FEC and CRC, auto acknowledged and auto retransmission, these mechanism can reduce the burden of software development, greatly lower the MCU data processing loading. The power management block supports Sleep, Idle and WOR mode (Wake On RX). The WOR function provides A5133 automatic wake-up and receives RF packets to extend battery life. Sleep mode can be used when RF transmit and receive are not required, and its current consumption is only 3.5uA. Overall, the built-in features of the A5133 can effectively reduce development complexity and development costs.

Both 5G and Wi-Fi 6 networks provide advancements in performance to enhance mobility, capacity and data rates. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, computing is becoming more powerful, enhanced by wider bandwidth, high speed, low latency and massive connectivity. Servers are almost everywhere, but things not just happen in the data center, but also remotely.The booming business opportunities of high performance computing and edge computing improve user experience in every specific use cases. With strong growth and increased competition in the data center sectors of North America and Europe, the trend is expanding to Asia region to deliver quick and massive growth.The latest strong growth of Lenovo's data center group is a good example. In an interview, Han Chon, general manager of Lenovo Data Center Group Central Asia Pacific region, talked about the strategy for achieving growth in the data center market. He is responsible for leading sales and marketing across 12 nations and regions including Taiwan and Hong Kong in this area. Having achieved significant growth and industry leadership in 2018, he expressed gratitude to his entire team for making great efforts.Embracing AI technologies reducing human resource constraintsThe customers of the Central Asia Pacific region are showing strong intention to welcome and embrace new technologies, Chon said. The high performance computing and AI technology have a lot to benefit from each other. As the more data generated by various mobile devices, AI is helping us make sense of the data. The Big Data Analytics is becoming the driving force to create new or enhanced business models more closely attuned to the needs of end customers. AI makes enterprises to increase efficiency and spend less on administrative tasks.Lenovo Data Center Group (DCG) looks at this trend and very openly to cooperative with different AI technology partners to maximize the opportunities presented by the digital economy. Meanwhile, DCG keeps investing more resource to work closely with educational organizations, research institutes, global enterprises and big electronics and semiconductor companies. The collaboration helps to introduce new solutions to tackle major issues that enterprises face.More fast-growing companies that leverage AI technology for their core business create an immense business benefit through data center applications. However, for performance reasons, the remote data-generating devices must be close to computing and storage resources. A slimmer data center, or called a mini version of a data center server, could work as edge computing node takes hold in various industries. The edge computing trend is gaining ground with good reasons.Crafted edge server series accelerating business opportunitiesOver the past few years, Chon watched there has been a steady increase in the number of mobile devices provided high resolution and quality video streams easily. AI technologies make edge computing to deliver reliably, speedily while taking more care of data security. The AI-enabled edge servers can better manage their resources and clearly understand the merits. This is why Lenovo DCG introduced the first edge computing server series for developing the business in the beginning of 2019. The Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge server equips with small footprint and power efficiency allowing for reliable server-class performance at many remote locations.The SE350 can handle temperatures from 0 degree to 55 degree C, as well as tolerate locations with high-dust and vibration, such as construction site trailers and manufacturing floors. It can be deployed equally well in a traditional office or branch location due to its office-friendly acoustics. The essential cyber-security offerings include key-encrypted storage and physical security features, such as a locking bezel, as well as intrusion and tamper-detection mechanisms. And the networking connectivity options equip wired 10/100Mb/1GbE, 1GbE SFP, and 10GbE SFP+, as well as secure wireless Wi-Fi, cellular LTE and 5G connections in the future.For decades, computing was done solely on big servers in the central controlled room of companies. Over the last two decades, however, businesses gradually began shifting their workloads to the cloud and helped companies reduce capital expenditure and increase return on investment. But the edge servers are terms that are well understood by companies today, even we could see the edge computing approach making data center everywhere, Chon describes to support the ideas.Building a Thriving Ecosystems in Taiwan for further developing marketOwing to the growing presence of hyper-scale cloud service providers, extensive penetration of Internet connectivity as well as keen focus on data security, the demand for data storage and cloud services is expected to grow exponentially across the ASEAN and Taiwan region. Lenovo DCG works closely with customers to deliver value to Taiwan industries and continue to expand the products portfolios to make customers to grow faster.Chon highlights Taiwanese electronics manufacturers are on the frontline of cutting-edge technology to deliver premium products to global brands. Taiwan manufacturers are also investing AI-enabled data center solutions to help boost growth and innovation. Upcoming data center markets are poised to experience exponential growth due to abundant availability of resources as well as government policies supporting. That shows a natural growth of Taiwan data center business.For fast responding the market demands, Lenovo DCG is creating the collaborative business ecosystems to accelerate innovation. "Because no one can do it all and do it alone, the partnership of ecosystem partners or channel partners will be the key strategy to grow regional business," Chon says. Now that more industries are becoming digitally savvy, the Lenovo DCG partners will play an important role to navigate digital disruption and become more agile and responsive to customer's needs. "Without their help we could not go to the level we today's position", Chon says.Although Lenovo DCG is a very young organization for only 2.5 years, the business scope and team members are both growing fast. "All Customers are chasing the solutions to break the limits of computation and push the boundary every day," Chon adds. They want to do better and more. Things like to have better management of their fleets, or simply such as growing new business and improving efficiency.For Taiwan ecosystem partners, "Lenovo DCG teams are here to stay and to play," Chon continues very positively, "Today we extend the high-performance architecture from data center to the edge with the complete product families, becoming valuable partners and bring tomorrow today for Taiwan customers." With these high-performance products and ecosystem partners, Lenovo DCG is ushering in a new age for data center solutions.Han Chon, regional general manager, Lenovo DCG Central Asia Pacific

Midas Touch's smart fingerprint locker lock is designed for quick unlocking access with high security. It is easy to set up and operate. Besides, it can store and recognize one managing fingerprint and more user fingerprints.People usually have secret documents or precious items that should be kept carefully. It is difficult for traditional locks to achieve a certain of security. The smart fingerprint locks is here to solve the problem. Whether it is for businessmen who sign contracts frequently, professors who review student papers, or general households who need to keep private information, traditional locks can no longer meet the standards of modern society. With practical key features, smart locker lock is definitely a better choice!Key Features- Security: Higher security than traditional lock! No need to worry about things being stolen. Make sure of the safety of secret documents.- Convenience: Unlock with your fingerprint. The capacitive fingerprint sensor allows unlocking in under 0.7 seconds- Sturdy mechanism: Latch and mortise are made by metal, they are sturdy enough for the cabinets.- DIY Installing: No Drilling, installed by screws easily.- Low power consumption: Static life of 1 year or at least 2000 times after charging.- Rechargeable: Micro USB seat supply emergency charging using- Spare key: Provide a spare key to users to avoid situations could not use fingerprint.For more information, please visit our website on https://www.midastouchinc.com/product/smart-drawer-lock-ultra-light-fingerprint/We are looking for the business partners in USA. Welcome to visit us on TechCrunch Taiwan Pavilion, Moscone Center of San Francisco on Oct. 2-4, 2019 or Mobile World Congress (MWC) on Taiwan Pavilion Booth No. 2324, South Hall of Los Angeles Convention Center on Oct. 22-24, 2019.Midas Touch's smart fingerprint locker lock

With the growing awareness of environmental protection and energy conservation, more and more people are replacing gasoline-powered cars with electric vehicles (EVs). A report released by JP Morgan Chase shows that battery EVs (BEVs) and hybrid vehicles together will command 40% of total global automobile sales volumes by 2025. Along with the increasing popularity of EVs, the market for EV charging stations will also grow with significant momentum. As a startup established with the assistance of Taiwan's government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), eTreego has developed into a leading provider of EV charging systems in Taiwan, leveraging its three major advantages of high product safety, pluralistic integration, and flexible customization capability to best serve customers.eTreego president Gin-pin Chien, before founding the startup, had led an ITRI team researching EV control systems for 15 years. His team took part in formulating the charging standards for electric cars and scooters in Taiwan, and also built the country's first electric car charging pile before transferring the technology to a local automaker. Having amassed abundant experiences in the EV sector, eTreego has become Taiwan's startup most versed in electric car and scooter charging.Chien said that in case of an EV suffering charging failure, it may be attributed to the charging pile malfunctioning or EV batteries going bad. He added that eTrrego, long engaged in researching EV control systems, is quite familiar with both situations and can accurately identify and address problems. This has enabled eTreego to command a high share of the EV charging market and prompted many firms including YES Energy Service, China Motor, Nissan Motor, Tesla Hong Kong and Sanyang Motor to contract eTreego to produce charging piles.Good reputationsGood reputations built among auto clients have also helped eTreego smoothly develop sales of electric car charging piles, with parking lot operators, retail shops and community buildings all willing to cooperate with the company to set up EV charging stations, according to Chien.He reasoned that orders from carmakers are virtually like a product safety certificate for eTreego's offerings. This, coupled with the firm's accumulated experiences in the EV sector and consequent system integration and flexible customization capabilities, has enabled eTreego to design styles and functions of charging piles in accordance different car models and application scenarios to fully satisfy customers' requirements.For instance, charging equipment provided by automakers along with their delivered cars must be light in weight and meet automotive safety standards. But for operators of parking lots, charging piles they need must be easy to use and sound after-sales service support must be available. As to community buildings managers, they may hope that the charging piles can be connected with door access cards for residents to facilitate charging fee calculation and collection. All these different requirements can be fulfilled by eTreego, compared to general charging equipment suppliers able to offer products with only fixed designs and functions.It has been only two years since eTreego's inception in 2017, but the company is already on track for stable business expansion, with its revenues rising year by year. But not complacent with the performance, Chien has entertained the hope of rolling out a kind of charging equipment applicable to diverse types of vehicles and different scenarios while also boasting safe operation, cheap pricing and network connectivity.But materialization of startup dreams requires the support of resources, which are what startups lack the most. In this regard, however, eTreego has been fortunate enough to obtain the assistance of the government-funded TTA X Prototyping Program, making Chien able to realize his dream of leading the world in launching cutting-edge fast charging equipment for electric motorcycles.TTA X Prototyping ProgramAs part of the Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) flagship innovation project supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the TTA X Prototyping Program mainly provides TTA teams with resources needed to support trial run of their innovations, aiming to help startup teams boasting great market potentials for their products survive their early difficult development stage of limited resources. Then, abundant resources from major accelerators as well as mentors from enterprises will be available to shorten time-to-market process for creative ideas by startup teams. Under the assistance of the program, eTreego has had its products pass relevant auto safety and specs validations. The company has also completed several rounds of negotiations with Japanese automakers, and hopes to venture its products into Southeast Asia as the next target market.Chien stressed that the TTA X Prototyping Program has provided eTreego with funding support and helped the company work out the prototype of fast e-scooter charging station and get related validations. The program has also offered personnel connections and corporate mentors helping eTreego to access Japan's top-100 enterprises such as Hitachi and NGK within three days, well paving the way for its foray into the Japan market.Looking to the future, Chien said his company will move at full throttles to develop overseas markets. In 2020, eTreego will cooperate with agents to develop electric car charging markets in the US and Europe, and it will also venture its fast e-scooter charging equipment first into the Southeast Asia market. Chien is confident that eTreego can well harness business opportunities arising from the next-generation EVs by leveraging its high product safety, ample experiences and strong customization capability.eTreego president Gin-pin ChienPhoto: Company

The 8K resolution display, or Super Hi-Vision (SHV), is expected to succeed 4K and become the next TV standard. Earlier this year at CES 2019, global TV brands and panel makers came together to form the 8K Association (8KA) and promote this new technology. The upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics is already facilitating technological advancements that will catalyze the development of the 8K TV market. According to IHS Markit, global sales of 8K TVs are forecast at 215,000 units in 2019 growing to 1.428 million by 2020. By 2022, sales are expected to stand at 5 million. This optimistic forecast presumes that 8K TVs will become a stable market segment as of 2021.Meanwhile, as flat-panel display (FPD) is rapidly trending towards commoditization, Taiwan's panel makers continue to experience fierce competition with key players from China and South Korea. In order to differentiate themselves, Taiwanese FPD makers adopted a strategy that focuses on improving yields for high-end display segments by leveraging advanced process technologies. Over the past five years, Taiwan's panel manufacturers have successfully served their global TV brand customers and have exhibited tremendous agility while accelerating the time to market of high-end products and maintaining excellent customer satisfaction.Taiwan's panel makers are continuing to build on their successful innovation and are now turning to 8K SHV TVs. The industry in Taiwan is constantly looking to reinvent itself and is starting to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can help to innovate the process and manufacturing solutions for these 8K TV panels, from design to mass production. This ability to think ahead and pioneer the industry is how Taiwanese manufacturers have traditionally differentiated themselves from the rest of the industry and how they have managed to stay ahead of the game.Facing the challenges of sophisticated 8K panel engineering design, process equipment and material suppliers, the need for panel makers to control costs continues to be a priority. At the same time, new technologies are emerging that provide revenue opportunities but also require manufacturers to partner with leading process solution providers. Customized AI solutions are becoming a game changer and offer a less costly alternative to improve yields.For over 30 years, Orbotech has delivered end-to-end yield enhancement solutions for the mass production of flat and flexible panels including automated optical inspection, electrical testing and repair. Through its long-term partnership with Taiwanese panel makers, Orbotech has helped Taiwan's FPD industry maintain its top position in electronics manufacturing. In the run up to the Touch Taiwan 2019 exhibition, we spoke to Mr. Shahar Michal, President of Orbotech Pacific Display Division, Mr. Ray Tsao, General Manager of Orbotech Taiwan (FPD), and Mr. Ethan Lu, R&D Manager of Orbotech Pacific Display, who discussed how smart AI-driven solutions can be leveraged to boost the production of 8K resolution panels and to improve manufacturers' operational and process control.8K TV panels - ramping up production sequencesWhat makes 8K resolution significant is that with the use of very big display panel sizes such as 85-inch, the images are much more detailed with far less visible pixilation than before. Michal explained that the major technological challenges of 8K TV manufacturing are not solely due to its higher resolution. The process required to manufacture 8K panels is far more sensitive and so the yield management process, including inspection and classification, has to be far more sophisticated. Based on advanced algorithms and machine learning, Orbotech's AI solutions leverage additional information, including imagery and other data, along with an application-specific understanding of the display manufacturing process, to identify and tag defects in the early stages of inspection, analyzing and classifying them as killer or non-killer defects. Killer defects are repaired, and the process is continually analyzed for optimization. Orbotech's AI-enabled solutions provide actionable manufacturing insights that enable manufacturers to make faster, smarter decisions about their manufacturing process.Once Orbotech's AI-enabled features have fast tracked these key defects, the process engineering teams can take the relevant actions to solve the issues created in earlier stages. This approach will shorten the yield improvement cycle and save manufacturing costs to meet Time-To-Market expectations. Michal continued to explain that based on its decades of experience and expertise in the FPD industry, Orbotech has used its AI solutions to develop several very powerful use cases in the FPD manufacturing process.Tsao describes how 8K TV panel manufacturing in Taiwan is in its first year. The first half of 2019 has mostly been focused on design verification and pre-production. The second half of 2019 will look at the mass production of small volumes. Both stages have already tackled, and will continue to tackle, different technological challenges. Orbotech's AI solutions simplify the usually lengthy and complex phase of data tagging and training by embedding application specific knowledge in the system, thereby making it more effective. For security, the data stays in the customer's system.Lu shared with us how Orbotech is also focusing on software development to satisfy new customer requirements. He explains that there are several cases in customer fabs where AI-enabled defect classification has achieved 90% to 95% accuracy. This high performance can directly contribute to double-digit yield improvement in a number of production processes. Taiwanese customers are ecstatic with these results and are particularly thankful for the capabilities afforded by Orbotech's software, says Lu who is very proud of his software project teams.For decades, Orbotech has worked closely with its Taiwanese customers to develop products and solutions that offer real value and that enable them to grow faster and stronger. Michal explained how Orbotech sees the Taiwanese display manufacturers as pioneers of the display market, focusing on advanced manufacturing processes for niche and premium applications. By leveraging AI within the solutions, the AI will act like a knowledgeable teacher and will help to increase production yields and improve productivity as well as saving labor.During the upcoming Touch Taiwan 2019 exhibition, Orbotech will showcase its latest advancements in FPD process solutions including several powerful AI use cases in the display industry. The theme of Orbotech's booth is "Solutions to Display the Future," which is the vision that Orbotech would like to share with clients. Whether the next generation display technologies include 8K LCD, OLED or even MicroLED, Orbotech's solutions will support all these technological advances and help drive innovation. Please visit Orbotech at booth# J502, Hall 1F, Nangang Exhibition Center.Mr. Shahar Michal, President of Orbotech Pacific Display Division, Mr. Ray Tsao, General Manager of Orbotech Taiwan (FPD)

The technology industry is attaching great importance to Internet of Things (IoT) developments with major market research institutions predicting explosive growth in the coming years. The number of connected IoT devices worldwide is expected to top 20 billion units in 2020. The astoundingly large quantity of IoT devices also brings public concerns over their vulnerability in terms of information security. Take high-profile smart home applications, for example. They address different challenges with innovative technologies combining smart devices, IoT gateways and cloud service platforms. However, as information leaks and negligence become growingly common, developments of these applications have been hindered. As such, information security is instrumental to the rise of IoT.The implementations of information security - including identity authentication, crypto keys, secure boot, and a range of protection technologies for data storage - all rely on unique encoding for the purposes of encryption or identification. Unique ID (UID) is the most common design on the market and the encoding depends on the rules that each individual manufacturer uses. Although the manufacturers may use different rules, people still often hear about UID being cracked, leveraging growing CPU and GPGPU power, as well as techniques such as rainbow tables.Accordingly, security technologies are increasingly making use of a chip's biometrics-like characteristics for encoding. The semiconductor manufacturing process introduces random subtle differences to the chip during front-end photolithography when the integrated circuits are being etched. The fabrication differences are still within acceptable standards, leaving a minor physical difference on the surface that is unique to the chip - much like a person's fingerprints. Encoding using these characteristics, dubbed "physical un-clonable function" (PUF), can serve as the fingerprint of the chip.Dr. Donald Huang, deputy director, product marketing, Macronix International, commented during a recent interview the security of information on semiconductor chips becomes increasingly important. Memory chips have unique, unpredictable and unclonable characteristics introduced during the semiconductor fabrication and therefore can be used for all kinds of information security applications.In view of this, Macronix has launched whole new MX7 flash memory solutions with ArmorFlash. Each memory chip is added with a PUF code that is generated with the chip's unique characteristics obtained using Macronix's internally developed technology. Accordingly, each memory chip is incorporated with a critical security module which can serve as a secure ID or key for a wide range of identification or encryption urgently needed by burgeoning IoT, automotive electronics, wearable devices, smart home and industrial applications.The ArmorFlash PUF code can be customized to be of various bit lengths based on customer's security requirements. The ArmorFlash PUF code is an identification code that cannot be duplicated and serves as a root of trust for chip security. The memory chip's identity authentication operations and standard encryption key generation procedures guarantee robust security across all phases including production, activation, configuration, installation and long-term operation on IoT devices. They also allow software and firmware on the flash memory to be validated in a way similar to a digital signature created using the ArmorFlash PUF code to prevent data from being compromised or malware from being planted in IoT devices.Macronix has introduced its high-performance 8 I/O OctaBus Serial NOR Flash Memory with a 500MB/s data transfer rate manufactured on advanced 55nm process and supporting high-reliability floating gate flash memory technology. With a 250MHz clock frequency, it's the fastest SPI NOR Flash on the market. Macronix now leads the industry again by launching the ArmorFlash total solutions to address IoT information security challenges, pushing the frontier of flash memory security protection for worldwide markets.Huang emphasized the ArmorFlash series is designed with the same I/O interface as that of Macronix's existing memory chips to make them compatible with each other and to effectively shorten time-to-market for the IoT industry, to which timing is everything. Macronix has been delivering chips to IoT device customers for design verification and it has also been engaging in intense collaborations with system designers and manufacturers of IoT applications for comprehensive testing. Macronix will also add ArmorFlash PUF code to a spectrum of non-volatile memory offerings including SLC NAND, NOR and eMMC in accordance with customer's memory spec requirements to enable complete IoT information security protection.Huang pointed out Macronix memory is widely used in world-leading IoT brands in market sectors, including smart wearable, smart lighting, smart home, smart thermostat, security, factory automation, and Internet of Vehicles. With growing needs for stronger information security, ArmorFlash will enable Macronix to build up its presence in the memory solution market and help international brands ride the wave of IoT opportunities.Dr. Donald Huang, deputy director, product marketing, Macronix International

Sesto Robotics, a Singapore-based autonomous mobile robot (AMR) developer, is participating at Taipei Automation Show 2019, debuting its latest autonomous robot product, Sesto Element, which is designed to be easily integrated into clients' existing infrastructures and is compatible with various payload applications.Sesto CEO Chor-Chen Ang pointed out that Sesto Element has several deployment-friendly features that enable distributors and system integrators to readily customize the AMR into their solutions that meet their clients' demand.Sesto's AMR solutions are fully developed in house and running with the company's self-designed operating system, said Ang adding that Sesto's AMRs come with cutting edge intelligence and tasking capability that deliver high throughput in the manufacturing environment.The unique advantages that Sesto's AMRs feature include adaptable self-navigation technology; intelligent fleet management system that utilizes machine learning for arranging and dispatching multiple AMRs to conduct assigned tasks with high efficiency; and swappable battery management system that provides high uptime to help manufacturers meet the needs and handle the challenges of an Industry 4.0 transformation.Given the flexibility of Sesto's AMRs which accommodates various payload applications such as robotic arms, motorized conveyors and shelving units, to meet different usage cases, the company is able to extend its reaches into new markets and industries. The company is particularly keen about forming collaborations with partners and system integrators to reach end clients in electronic manufacturing service (EMS), pharmaceutical and material supply industries.One of the usage cases of solutions featuring Sesto's AMRs is automated tote boxes transportation system that is able to transport various semiconductor parts within a manufacturing plant. With the long distance and cross-floor traversing of heavy tote boxes, efficiency and labor safety are critical, making Sesto Element equipped with smart shelves to carry tote boxes with components inside, an ideal solution that allows operators to be able to focus more on other value-added tasks.Another case is about transferring lab samples from a hospital's laboratory to other buildings for testing. The AMR needs to travel between floors with a rather dynamic environment and human traffic, but in a safe and efficient manner. With Sesto's machine learning system, the AMR is able to recognize the route for the transportation and avoid bumping into any of the facility staff.In the past few years, Sesto has mainly focused on the Greater China market for its AMR products and during its visit to Taipei Automation Show 2019, the company is eyeing to form partnerships with manufacturing firms and distributors in the Taiwan market.At the moment, Sesto is working with many semiconductor firms worldwide, satisfying their various material and component handling process demand over trolleys, cartons and FOUP handling systems.Commenting on the development of the automation market, Ang said that the market is undergoing changes driven by manufacturers' adoption of the Industry 4.0 concept where machines and equipment are augmented with wireless connectivity and sensors and are exchanging data with backend ERP systems as well as AMRs such as one from Sesto in an integrated factory.These smart factories provide real-time data for factory management to make adjustments that enhance work processes and efficiency. Sesto Robotics having been developing AI systems for many years is excited to be able to assist its customers to advance into the next phase of the smart automated manufacturing with its intelligent AMR solutions.For clients that have not yet experienced automation, Ang is confident about Sesto's innovative AMR solutions to provide them with simpler, safer and smarter process workflow. In fact, the company's AMRs have helped customers to conduct repetitive and injury prone transportation works, to reduce the dependency on the manual labor. The solutions can also trace the processes of a product's manufacturing as well as increase clients' productivity, Ang added.Sesto CEO Ang Chor-Chen says that Sesto Element has several deployment-friendly features that enable distributors and system integrators to readily customize the AMR to meet clients' demand

Innodisk, the world's leading industrial storage provider, unveiled the InnoAGE SSD, the world's first with native Microsoft Azure Sphere integration. Formally introduced at the Innodisk-hosted AIoT Summit during Flash Memory Summit 2019 (FMS 2019), the InnoAGE SSD, with Microsoft Azure Sphere inside, enables multifunctional management for smart data analysis and updates, data security, and remote control through the cloud."Our tight-knit collaboration with Microsoft has resulted in real innovation aimed at solving the very real challenges businesses face today," said Innodisk President Randy Chien. "The InnoAGE SSD is the first and only hybrid solution designed solely with the AIoT architecture in mind, utilizing data analysis, data security, and data management through Azure Sphere, to secure communications between all IoT and AIoT devices. This is a great milestone for both companies."Microsoft Azure Sphere provides the Innodisk InnoAGE SSD with an extra layer of security and remote monitoring with zero administrators required. Embedded on the edge device, the InnoAGE SSD will collect data and give commands for multifunction management through the cloud, such as error correction, firmware updates, data analysis, AES encryption, quick erase, destroy, write protect, secure erase, refresh, and recovery. With these capabilities, InnoAGE SSD with Microsoft Azure Sphere inside, is ideally suited for applications spanning various segments standardizing on AIoT, including manufacturing, surveillance, unmanned devices, vending machines and digital signage, among others.The InnoAGE SSD ensures an easy-to-use interface with a customized cloud management platform. Innodisk designed firmware receives commands from Microsoft Azure Sphere which in turn connects to businesses' Microsoft Azure Cloud deployments. Additionally, the InnoAGE SSD can execute debugging messages and help monitor read/write behavior patterns that optimize storage lifespan. Most importantly, it can quickly revert to default settings from a cloud-based dashboard if the system crashes. Lastly, the InnoAGE SSD is designed for both in-band and out-of-band network management, overcoming current recovery challenges where in-band management falls short by providing full recovery even when the operating system is down or damaged.Innodisk's InnoAGE SSD is the first SSD designed for remote recovery from its hardware and software innovation and is under patent protection. As an end-to-end edge and cloud hybrid solution, the InnoAGE SSD works in unison with real-time monitoring applications and will perform a fundamental role of the future AIoT generation experience.New InnoAGE SSD combines Azure Cloud management with custom Innodisk firmware, software, and hardware technologyInnodisk is heading to AIoT and building its strong partnerships with Microsoft, Supermicro and Samsung

The retail industry is among the most valuable businesses in the world but the rise of e-commerce in recent years has delivered a blow to physical retail. Smart transformation of traditional retail has become a definite trend. According to Deloitte's 2019 Global Powers of Retailing and Retail Industry Outlook reports, 2019 is a year of transition for the global retail industry. Retailers need to leverage technology to grab preemptive opportunities and boost competitive edge.To facilitate a smooth transformation for Taiwan-based system integrators and retailers, world-leading electronic shelf label (ESL) solution provider SES-imagotag hosted the 2019 omni-channel smart retail forum, where SES-imagotag executives from its French headquarters joined professionals from leading high-tech and retail firms around the world to share views on smart retail trends and market solutions.Smart retail holds massive growth potentialCharming Su, APAC Director, Business Project & Solution, SES-imagotag, pointed out during the opening speech that the shelf edge has become indispensable for smart retail. Shelf edge solutions with smart functions will play an instrumental role influencing last-minute consumer decisions in front of store shelves. SES-imagotag is not only a 26-year veteran in this field but also the world's top publicly listed companies specializing in smart shelf solutions.According to Su, the concept of smart retail has been around for many years. SES-imagotag's short-term strategy for the global market will be to first target the world's top 250 iconic retailers and for regional markets to focus on the top 30 local retailers. Startup retail brands with development potentials that are just beginning to take off will also be a highlight of SES-imagotag's efforts toward the Asia Pacific region.Aside from shedding light on the company's strategies, Su also made some suggestions as to how retailers can incorporate shelf edge. Taking ESL for example, Su noted for ESL to be effective, the right information has to be displayed in the right place at the right time, to the right clients. This is the new hyper-local approach to digital marketing that is commonly adopted in recent years, wherein popular digital media in specific regions, such as WeChat in China and Line in Taiwan, are incorporated in marketing campaigns to give a local touch and blend into the local lifestyle.Hyper-local marketing builds on four levels. The first is the legacy approach, wherein there is no standardized pricing strategy, marketing decisions are not made with consideration on market factors and are not executed with synchronized sales activities. For example, a product sold online may have a different price tag when it is sold in a brick-and-mortar store. Such a practice is optimized at the second level, wherein pricing strategies take market demand into account but still do not react quickly enough to changes. For example, prices of umbrellas are not timely adjusted when it starts raining. At the third level, pricing and marketing strategies are dynamic and can more swiftly react to changes to closely match market demand. At the top level, prices can change automatically to respond to current situations in real time, thereby maximizing profits. For example, ESL can automatically adjust the selling price when the expiration date approaches to increase the chance of making a sale.To help retailers achieve the highest level of hyper-local marketing, SES-imagotag introduced VUSION Cloud, combining advanced ESL technologies, ultra-low power consumption IoT communication infrastructure, high-resolution video, and sensors to enable POS, shelves, digital signage to intelligently, simultaneously and dynamically adjust prices and thereby increase store revenue.Like a Swiss Army knife, VUSION Cloud provides a complete set of tools for the retail industryGuillaume Portier, SEVP Business Development, Marketing APAC, SES-imagotag, traveling all the way from the company's headquarters in France, analyzed the IoT trend for the retail industry and indicated since the introduction of ESL a decade ago, a myriad of smart shelf solutions and new technologies have emerged and put to use. They kick-started a smart revolution for the retail industry. It is SES-imagotag's mission to leverage these new technologies and help retailers connect the range of devices in their stores and improve operation efficiency while making more services available to consumers. VUSION Cloud is representative of SES-imagotag's work in this endeavor.VUSION Cloud is a smart IoT platform built on ESL technologies. By combining peripheral devices and equipment, it can digitize all information in a store, precisely position every product in the warehouse or on the sales floor, and provide store managers real-time shelf information. When orders need to be placed, VUSION Cloud can offer ordering suggestions based on recent sales records. Employees are also reminded to restock shelves when items run out. According to Portier, like a Swiss Army knife, VUSION Cloud provides a wide and comprehensive range of services for retailers to choose from and build a system perfectly fitted to their needs.Portier further noted the retail industry runs a delicate operation. A detail could pivot a shopper's decision. To make retail services more refined, the quality of store information that is available is critical. High-precision information not only can help improve a manager's operation performance but with smart implementations, it can also allow the system to make autonomous and automatic responses. This also enables store employees to concentrate on work only humans are capable of, for example, warm and thoughtful services, and thereby maximize their value.Commenting on the changes the retail industry have undergone in recent years, Portier pointed to the impact that e-commerce has imposed on physical retail. Under such difficult circumstances, for retailers to enhance their competitiveness, they need to strengthen their relationship with customers and in doing so, boost their service quality, to which customer information will be the key.Information on shopper behavior will be instrumental to physical retailers making smart transformation. According to Portier, the next-generation retailers have to use a wide range of IT devices to collect shopper information, including where they go after entering the store, where they stop and what items they look at. Such information should also encompass whether store staff provided any assistance when the shopper was browsing the merchandise and whether the shopper finally purchased what he was looking for. In the IoT era, all such information can be collected through IT systems. However, the quality of the information and how it is being put to use will be the key to the survival of retailers engaging in cut-throat competition in today's business environment.Microsoft builds a new-generation retail information platformJacob Hsiao, Senior Cloud Product Manager, Marketing & Operations Division, Microsoft Taiwan, gave an in-depth look into the application of big data analytics, IoT and cloud technologies in the retail sector. Digital transformation has become strategically important to the operations of wide-ranging industries over recent years. The retail industry representing a large share of the global economic value will particularly need digital transformation.With e-commerce and omni-channel marketing becoming a prevailing trend, which has completely changed the global retail business model, traditional department stores and big retail chains sustain a blow. However, according to Hsiao, the change did not begin today. He drew on Toys "R" Us for example. Its strategy was to simply sell all kinds of toys but it soon drove small toy stores out of business, making itself the leader in the market segment. However, Toys "R" Us closed all its US stores in 2018. Its rise and fall exemplified the changes the retail industry has undergone. The new wave of smart retail not only will incorporate more innovative and cutting-edge technologies but will also make retailers start to think differently.Hsiao was of the opinion that information, encompassing information on shopper behavior and retail worker experience will be key to the new retail business model. Microsoft offers a solution for the retail industry by providing an easy-to-use smart platform for business owners and consumers that combines the two types of information with high-performance computation and analysis.E Ink pioneers e-paper technology developmentElectronic paper (e-paper) displays have been instrumental to the smart retail revolution and e-paper technologies have been making leaping advances over recent years. E Ink, a leading innovator of e-paper technologies, produces 65% of the e-paper displays used in ESL worldwide. According to Jim Chang, AVP, Product Management Central Div., E Ink, e-paper brought about a revolution to the way people read. Since the launch of its e-reader in 2004, E Ink has been driving the advances of e-paper products and technologies.With the retail industry trending toward more digital driven intelligence, E Ink's e-paper products are increasingly used in retail applications. Chang indicated today's retail industry has never-before-seen needs. To cope with fierce market competition, prices of goods in stores are being updated faster and faster. This not only adds to store employees' workload but also introduces a higher possibility of errors such as missed or wrong price updates. ESL will be the ideal solution to address such problems. Network-capable ESL allows prices to be updated at the upper-level systems and can be installed anywhere. Their simple design also enables them to maintain reliable operation over long periods of time.In addition to ensuring ESL can maintain long-term operation through ultra-low power consumption and long battery life designs, E Ink's product also features a wide-operating temperature range to guarantee normal display under -25°C - 40°C, a wide viewing angle to create a free viewing experience, and color display to enable better usability for ESL on the shelf. With the retail industry rapidly moving toward digital intelligence, ESL holds promising potential. E Ink has years of experience in this field and has developed products and technologies that set itself apart from the competition, said Chang.Aruba helps businesses craft the new experience economyShelf edge devices including ESL should be convenient to use and operate precisely and reliably. The network communication module is fundamental. According to Magic Hsu, Sales Director and General Manager, Aruba Taiwan & Asia Emerging Countries, experience is the most critical thinking in designing retail systems. Consideration on experience should include not only shopper experience but it is also important to take into account store employee experience.Retail systems at brick-and-mortar stores are used by shoppers in addition to sales, logistics, warehouse, IT, procurement and other retail professionals. Experiences of all these users across different links of the retail operation must be taken into consideration when designing a smart logistics system. Aruba provides a solution in response to such needs.With a comprehensive product portfolio targeting the network communication sector, Aruba's architecture can be used in a complete range of network-capable retail systems including POS, inventory data collectors, and even automated guided vehicles (AGV). Hsu commented that Aruba provides high-performance transmission, stable and secure network communication quality and diverse applications enabled through integrations of partner resources. For example, by making use of indoor positioning technologies, Aruba can help shoppers pinpoint where the products being promoted on flyers are on the sales floor, which can further bring about a myriad of uses and values.Testrite Group precisely analyzes shopper behavior with smart implementationsIn addition to equipment providers giving an in-depth look into technological trends and product features, Taiwan's leading home improvement retailer Testrite Group also presented how the company makes use of smart IT systems to raise store operation efficiency and optimize shopper experience at the forum.According to Chunnan Chen, Vice President of Enterprise Data Technology & Customer Analysis, Testrite Group, the company began to introduce different systems to analyze shopper behavior at its TLW and HOLA stores around Taiwan a few years ago. First of all, it uses the Wi-Fi Listening platform to record the number of shoppers by day, month and year. The gathered data is then sent to the back-end "dashboard" for managers to analyze and evaluate the efficacy of marketing campaigns against the campaign budget. Aside from Wi-Fi Listening, AI cameras are also installed at TLW and HOLA stores to track shopper movement and analyze shopper flow. Store managers can then have a clear picture as to where the hot and cold spots are inside their stores and thereby arrange the merchandise accordingly to maximize shop floor efficiency.As an enhancement to shopper experience, HOLA makes use of a "smart pillow selection" system, which integrates big data analytics, AI and expert systems. According to Chen, compared to other products, consumers seldom buy bedding items such as pillows and mattresses without trying them out first. This is an area where brick-and-mortar stores have an advantage over online shopping sites and where HOLA excels as well. Aiming to optimize shopper experience, HOLA came up with the smart pillow selection system by performing AI model training on its sales records of pillows while incorporating doctors' expert opinions. People who shop for pillows at HOLA stores can enter their physiological data and the system will provide three recommendations for pillows that suit their needs.Strengthening smartphone uses and enriching shopper experienceCurrent market trends clearly indicate new technologies, both software and hardware, have reshaped the retail business. Jean-Christophe Solus, Global Innovation Director, SES-imagotag, highlighted the importance of smartphones to the new retail world in his presentation.Solus noted smartphones enable a richer range of products as well as faster and more convenient payment methods. They have completely changed people's buying behavior. From a macro perspective, such a trend will continue to develop. In view of this, SES-imagotag's next move will be to leverage close integration with smartphones and create even more engaging experience for consumers shopping in brick-and-mortar stores.Solus specifically talked about a new concept of smart retail - Pure Players Can't Do That (PPCDT). Through well-planned digitization designs, services that employees in physical stores may have difficulty providing are made possible. For example, ESL can serve as micro webpages to deliver a wealth of product information or can work in connection with smartphones to help shoppers find the products they want faster. Moreover, SES-imagotag is promoting a more convenient anonymous mobile payment system that is ready-to-use without having to download apps or register in advance. This can expedite the shopping process and ease store employees' workload.The PPCDT concept extends beyond smartphones to other devices. For example, by enabling smart shelves to display advertisements, retailers can boost sales and more than that, they can charge brand vendors for running ads on their smart shelves. Brand vendors, on the other hand, can effectively target their ads for specific products at specific audience, thereby getting the most out of their advertising budget.Digital intelligence enables differentiating shopping experience and enhances competitiveness of brick-and-mortar storesAt the forum, all the speakers highlighted how important it is for the retail industry to embrace digital intelligence. By building up IT systems and applications, not only can retailers boost the operation efficiency of brick-and-mortar stores but they will enable differentiating shopping experience. The digital intelligence trend is not a thing of the future. It is happening now. Meeting the retail revolution head on, system integrators and retailers have to pick up pace in order to maintain a leading edge amid the intense competition.Charming Su, APAC Director, Business Project & Solution, SES-imagotagGuillaume Portier, SEVP Business Development, Marketing APAC, SES-imagotagJacob Hsiao, Senior Cloud Product Manager, Marketing & Operations Division, Microsoft TaiwanJim Chang, AVP, Product Management Central Div., E InkMagic Hsu, Sales Director and General Manager, Aruba Taiwan & Asia Emerging CountriesChunnan Chen, Vice President of Enterprise Data Technology & Customer Analysis, Testrite GroupJean-Christophe Solus, Global Innovation Director, SES-imagotag