Prototyping Workshop for Remote Maintenance of a Display Case
Bielefeld-based company ST Vitrinen utilizes the format of the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL
Digital steles with large monitors are part of the cityscape at bus stops, train stations, or central hubs in city centers. The Bielefeld-based company ST Vitrinen Trautmann manufactures these digital signage products and is currently working on remote monitoring of the devices. The goal: By collecting and evaluating data on temperature, ventilation, and weather, maintenance is to be optimized and operating times extended. With the help of the Prototyping Workshop of the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL, ST Vitrinen Trautmann developed a first prototype at SmartFactoryOWL in Lemgo.
Remote Monitoring via LoRaWAN
“So far, we usually have to communicate with the devices via the internet,” explains Lukas Porombka, Head of After Sales Services at ST Vitrinen Trautmann and responsible for setting up remote maintenance. “There are often problems with access, also for data protection reasons.” LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is intended to solve these difficulties: The radio technology enables communication via radio masts, eliminating the need for internet access.
“To ensure that the technology is suitable for digital steles, we had to check to what extent transmitting and receiving units could be integrated into the products and how we could transmit device information with LoRaWAN,” explains Nissrin Perez, Innovation Manager at Fraunhofer IOSB-INA and employee at the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Ruhr-OWL.
Modern Laboratory Environment
For two weeks, she and her team from Fraunhofer IOSB-INA in Lemgo, in collaboration with ST Vitrinen Trautmann, conducted a feasibility study as part of the Prototyping Workshop. This format of the competence center supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing and testing new products. For this purpose, laboratory environments are available in the demonstration centers, offering various modern tools and assets such as 3D printers. “With SmartFactoryOWL, we can provide companies with a protected space to work on their prototypes,” says Nissrin Perez, referring to the team’s expertise: “Fraunhofer IOSB-INA also has extensive experience in remote maintenance, and, for example, our AI trainers support these processes.”
Prototype for Test Projects
The Prototyping Workshop with ST Vitrinen Trautmann was successful: The prototype is ready and functional, and it has shown the company a new option for remote maintenance of their devices. “Without this format, we would not have reached this point,” says Lukas Porombka. “We didn’t know LoRaWAN and would not have come up with this solution approach.” With the prototype, there is now a basis for possible implementation, and the Bielefeld-based company is currently working on it. Potential test projects are being examined, customer wishes are being considered, and test customers are being sought. Lukas Porombka: “This process will show whether and how we can use the prototype and, if necessary, further develop it.”