The IoT and Embedded Systems department at Fraunhofer IML can look back on many years of experience. In numerous projects with different partners and on various topics, prototypes could be implemented up to series production.
Pest control is essential in food establishments to prevent the spread of pathogens and to maintain hygienic standards.
The Endangered Species Act stipulates that rodent traps must be inspected once every 24 hours. Since the traps are often located in inaccessible places, this poses very high challenges for service providers. With the development of the first IoT camera that can transmit its images via narrowband mobile technology (NB-IoT), a solution has been created here that digitizes and automates this process. With a runtime of up to 2 years, the developed IoT cam can transmit images on a daily basis. These images are analyzed with the help of artificial intelligence, so that the targeted removal of the rodent from the target object can be ensured. In addition, thanks to AI, the image analysis of the cameras is automated. The inspection of the traps can thus be automated and decentralized, so that the service required (for emptying) can be reduced to a minimum. As a result, legally compliant inspection (for a large number of traps) is ensured.
However, series production of the IoT Cam has not yet been realized.
The Coaster® is a cyber-physical system (CPS): It can communicate with other machines via interfaces. It is also a true all-rounder: All logistics process steps can be mapped with it. It can thus combine many different individual systems: It can support and safeguard order picking as well as read out machine data, websites and all possible barcode formats. All it needs is the integrated camera. There are also four hardware buttons. Compared to a touchscreen, these have the advantage that they can also be operated with gloves. The Coaster® stands out here for its user-friendliness and intuitive operation. It is also robust and water-, oil- and dirt-proof.
More information about the Coaster can be found here!
Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML