Combine AI and IoT to protect consumers

I joined Bosch in 2015 as the IoT Project Manager at Bosch.IO, mainly responsible for the IoT system architecture design. Bosch is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. Bosch aims to be the world’s leading IoT enterprise by 2025, which is the responsibility of Bosch.IO as the IoT enabling platform of Bosch. As the promoter and implementer of IoT projects, before each IoT system project is implemented, I need to conduct technology selection and architecture design for the system to ensure that the system meets the delivery requirements and is efficient and stable. Meanwhile, I have to calculate the resources, time and cost required for the project. We have to do a good job in every IoT project, so that we can assist Bosch in IoT transformation and promote the vigorous development of Bosch in the field of IoT.

Since 2018, I have been in charge of a product named “Secure Product Fingerprint” as the product owner. I am mainly responsible for the planning and development of the product, and determining the sales and promotion strategies of the product with stakeholders. “Secure Product Fingerprint” is an anti-counterfeiting traceability system based on AI computer vision. The system gives each product an “ID card” that cannot be copied, allowing both distributors and users to quickly identify the authenticity of the product and contact the brand. With “Secure Product Fingerprint”, consumers will greatly reduce the risk of buying fake products, and brands can better track and understand end customers’ use of their products.

At the beginning, “Secure Product Fingerprint” was just a research topic of AI computer vision, studying the detection of micro-texture on the surface of objects. But later we believed that this research had a high commercial value and could be applied to product anti-counterfeiting and traceability areas. As a result, Bosch. IO cooperated with Bosch Corporate Research to establish a product team. The team named the technology “Secure Product Fingerprint” and positioned it for anti-counterfeiting, product traceability and end-customer connection, and began productization and commercial promotion of the technology. In 2018, productization was launched. Our main work was to build a stable background system and start product verification in combination with AI algorithm. In the middle of 2019, the verification project was completed and the product was officially launched. In addition to continuously improving the functional attributes of the product, our work also includes assisting in external sales and marketing.

In the whole process, from the preliminary technology development to the later marketing, we have encountered many difficulties and challenges, such as adapting the product to different detection environments and dealing with the automatic image correction of different mobile phones. Finally, with the cooperation of the whole product team, we have overcome the difficulties one by one. Now, we are ready to meet new difficulties and challenges.

The development of the “Secure Product Fingerprint” project is inseparable from the cooperation of Bosch.IO, Bosch Corporate Research and Bosch Information Technology. Bosch Rexroth and Bosch Smart Life also put forward many professional suggestions as the application department. For example, the Marketing Department of Bosch Rexroth gave us many good suggestions from the perspective of product brand protection and marketing.

Cooperation is indispensable for the development, iteration and promotion of any product. Every time when a function is added to a product, we need to consider the technical feasibility, user demand, cost, market and other aspects. Therefore, with brainstorming and multi-dimensional analysis, the most appropriate solution will be finally decided.

I have always felt that I am engaged in a very meaningful job, challenging and interesting. For example, in the “Secure Product Fingerprint” project, we combine AI with IoT technology to escort authentic products, provide technical support to fight against fake and inferior products, and protect consumers from the infringement of fake and inferior products. The project is very meaningful. In 2019, we helped Bosch Rexroth successfully crack down on counterfeiting dens. We are very proud of it.

In the future, AI and IoT will enter every aspect of people’s lives. New technology will help people spend less time on the trivial things in life and improve the quality of life. We are also exploring how new technologies can be applied to more areas of life.

As a product manager, I need to consider many factors and communicate and coordinate with many stakeholders every step forward. We work out splendid plans to win victories in battles a thousand miles away. At the same time, the job requires communication with others, which is also a good opportunity to learn from others and improve ourselves.

I hope the products I manage can help customers all over the world. In the future, each product will have its own “ID card”, recording all kinds of information since its production, which cannot be copied or tampered with. People can easily check the information. They do not have to worry about buying fake goods, and can easily check the logistics and use of goods. Everyone can be assured to buy and use goods. Thus, we will live up to our promise, “Invented for Life”.