Taiwan Innotech Expo 2018 to Harness the Energy of Innovation to Showcase a Diverse Future in the Technology Sector

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the world's premier annual events for showcasing exciting results from collaborations between enterprises and research institutions, Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) has also been striving to publicize Taiwan's strong advantage in the integration and commercialization of advanced technologies to the international community. Running from 27th to 29th of this September at Exhibition Hall 1 of Taiwan World Trade Center in Taipei City, TIE 2018, organized by Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), is expected to surpass previous editions by hosting exhibitions related to the 5+2 Major Innovative Industries that are the pillars of the new national economic strategy. The exhibitions will be organized under three thematic pavilions -- "Future Technology," "Innovative Invention," and "Sustainability." These cross-industry exhibitions that will be arranged by domestic and foreign companies aim to inspire visitors to imagine a wide range of future applications for newly emerged technologies.

Informative and Interactive Exhibitions will Present the Hottest Technological Concepts

The Future Technology pavilion of TIE 2018 will be presenting the fruitful results from R&D projects carried out by Taiwan's National Development Council and three agencies under the country's Ministry of Economic Affairs -- the Industrial Development Bureau, the Department of Industrial Technology, and the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration. A smart guidance system will be deployed in all three thematic pavilions to help visitors navigate through the exhibitions. This user-friendly guidance system intends to enhance visitors' experience with the high-tech displays and the futuristic atmosphere. Osense Technology Co. Ltd., a home-grown startup, has developed the guidance system to demonstrate the value of a new type of location-based service known as Vision-Based Indoor Positioning (VBIP). Specifically, VBIP combines computer vision, which is a rising sub-field within the research of artificial intelligence (AI), and the technologies of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). Traditional location-based services rely on AR effects that can only be triggered by specific images or QR codes. VBIP, on the other hand, has a key solution called tag-in app that assists in gathering detailed features of an indoor environment, such as a fully decorated exhiition venue. The computer vision and the AI components then recreate an algorithm version of the indoor environment and implement recognition functions at the precise locations within the setting. Osense's technology is thus the realization of the next-generation, AR-enabled location-based services that help users to navigate indoor venues without getting lost.

Event will Highlight Industry 4.0 Technologies 

The upcoming exhibitions in the Future Technology pavilion have been further organized into four categories with their own display areas -- smart manufacturing, digital services, smart life, and biotechnologies. Besides hosting various static and dynamic displays that will inform and interact with visitors, each category area will also display a highlight technology that complements the themes of the category and the pavilion. The social and economic values of these highlight technologies will be presented from various angles.

The smart manufacturing exhibitions in the Future Technology pavilion are devoted to the realization of the ideas under Industry 4.0. The highlight exhibition in this category will be the BC-Gateway (Block Control-Gateway) system designed by Chuan Yuan Information Co. Ltd. Resembling a set-top box, BC-Gateway assists in the automation of in-line equipment by performing the following seven crucial functions -- remote control/monitoring, real-time status report, network connectivity via mobile devices, smart maintenance scheduling, remote malfunction diagnostic, storage of big data, and recording/repetition of task sequences. BC-Gateway is an indispensable platform for small- and medium-size enterprises that are in the processes of digitalization of equipment and upgrading product differentiation capability. Companies, especially those in the traditional manufacturing sector, need to quickly establish network connectivity for their tools and machines. They also need to develop ways to visualize their production data, so that they can develop products for future smart applications. Ultimately, Industry 4.0 solutions such as BC-Gateway will be instrumental in helping them to gain a competitive edge in the international market.

In addition to solutions for businesses, the Future Technology pavilion will also be presenting innovations for the everyday life of consumers. For example, there will be an exhibition of the first smart garments specifically designed for triathlon athletes. These smart garments have features that enhance both comfort and functionality (e.g. light, flexible, quick drying, and retroreflective). More importantly, these garments can collect health and fitness data from wearers and then analyze them to improve athletic performances. This special function is made possible with the conductive fabric that is composed of stretchable silver nanowires and assembled by the latest 3D knitting technique. Wearable biophysical sensors, such as those for ECG and EMG measurements, can be stitched into the conductive fabric without affecting the garment's design or causing discomfort to the wearer. The combination of wearable sensors and conductive fabric therefore has the potential to replace traditional adhesive electrodes for medical applications as well.

Inaways Corp., a major domestic manufacturer of electronic components and medical devices, will also be at TIE 2018 to unveil its series of eating utensils for patients with tremor problems, which is a symptom usually found in those afflicted with Parkinson's Disease and elderly people aged 65 and above. A notable product in this series is a "smart spoon" equipped with a gyroscope and other mechanisms to dampen the unintended motions from the involuntary hand or wrist tremors (that may be caused by abnormality in the nervous system). By applying the latest concepts in the field of AIoT (AI plus the Internet of Things), the spoon also records the tremors and converts the information into digital data, which can then be used to track the severity of the condition and perhaps contribute to the patient's diagnosis in the near future.

TIE is a Major Platform for Global Exchanges and a Proving Ground of National R&D Strength

Apart from being a globally renowned trade fair for professionals in various industries, TIE also serves as a vehicle to promote Taiwan's own technology sector and support its development. This year's event will again gather the latest products and key technologies from around the world, thereby injecting vitality of the international market into Taiwan's economy. Hundreds of home-grown innovations displayed in the Future Technology pavilion of TIE 2018 will again demonstrate Taiwan's incredible drive for R&D. There will also be areas hosting exhibitions put up by some of the most successful multinationals, such as Microsoft, Nissan Motors, and Amazon. All in all, around 27 organizations will be joining this event and offering solutions from numerous fields, including energy, biotechnology, and IoT. Hence, TIE 2018 is going to be a hub for displaying latest R&D results and a bridge for technological exchanges between Southeast Asian and developed countries.

Going forward, technology trade fairs not only have to display the latest innovations but also instill in visitors a sense of futurism by combining design, aesthetics, human spirit, and other elements in the arrangements of the displays. The Future Technology pavilion of TIE 2018 will use the new concepts that have risen from the era of IoT to help visitors learn about new technologies. Visitors will be able to track their own movements and analyze their engagement with the exhibitions in a quantitative manner. They will also have a more personalized experience with the innovations that are on display and become the prophets of their own technological futures.

For more information about Taiwan Innotech Expo, please visit: https://tie.twtm.com.tw/WebPage/index.aspx

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180921/2244638-1

SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)

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