GeniusTex

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GeniusTex

Why GeniusTex?

Despite significant advances in both hardware and software technology and user interaction design, smart textiles have not taken off yet beyond prototype stage. To reduce entry barriers especially for small and medium enterprises, the GeniusTex project will create cooperation and collaboration opportunities to develop Smart Textile products, services and business models.

What is the objective of GeniusTex?

  • Generate a B2B business model between Smart Textile developers, producers and users based on an interactive innovation platform
  • Implement a platform to develop individualized services around Smart Textiles
  • Define a methodology for process design to integrate textiles and electronic components to Smart Textiles

How will the GeniusTex project work towards this?

  • Creating an innovation platform open for all players in Smart Textiles (textiles, electronics, designers, app developers, users) and their contributions (e.g., by software development kit)
  • Defining a common language for Smart Textile components to structure offerings on the platform
  • Using platform and structured language to bring together ideas and partners for their implementation
  • International setup (e.g., USA, South Korea) to ensure both platform architecture and structured language are globally accessible

 

Solution

Overview

With our research project, we aim to create an innovative and open collaboration platform for all actors along the value added chain of smart textiles. We intent to support manufacturers, suppliers as well as service providers. With our platform, it will be possible for end-users to participate in the generation, discussion and enhancement of new product ideas. Service providers should be supported by giving the opportunity to develop networked IoT services for smart textile products. Therefore, we will develop the GeniusTex platform and the integrated GeniusTex SDK during the project.

Approach

The overall project can be divided into four stages:

  1. Conception of the interfaces in the application fields of the innovation process
  2. Implementation of the open innovation platform
  3. Product modularization and product oriented design of cyberphysic production processes for smart textiles, implemented as a Semantic Web Ontology
  4. Testing of the platform on industrial application fields by the users

Platform

On the GeniusTex platform, manufacturers of smart textiles, as well as their suppliers will be enabled to work together on innovative product ideas. Creating a common understanding by identifying common terms, we aim to facilitate the collaboration between the different players and enhance the development of sustainable business models. For that, a common language for the platform will be defined using an ontology and data structuring. Together with the feedback of end users, it will generate the opportunity to consider the market needs in an early stage of the product development.

SDK

The GeniusTex SDK addresses to service developers to connect inhomogeneous sensors and to develop intelligent smart textile services. A web based graphical editor will be created to simplify the selection, crosslinking, definition of trigger events as well as the selection of actuators.

Activities & Events

01.10.2019: GeniusTex @ smarter_mittelstand

We presented GeniusTex on the "smarter_mittelstand digitalisierung 4.0" event on 01.10.2019 in Cologne. It was an interesting opportunity for SMEs to get information on new trends and future topics concerning digitalization. Our booth was located next to the "Smart...

9. – 12.09.19 GeniusTex at SEMANTiCS 2019

Great workshop on how to operationalize knowledge graphs in complex industry settings, such as the smart textiles domain, at the SEMANTiCS Conference in Karlsruhe, Germany.

26. – 30.08.2019: Smart Wristband for Voting at the Infineon Summer School

A first demonstrator of the Smart Wristband for Voting was presented at the Infineon Summer School in Villach. With the topic “Sensor Systems”, the Infineon Summer School is a great opportunity for BSc-, MSc-, or PhD-students to gain knowledge directly from experts...

14. – 17.05.19: Texprocess

At the Texprocess/Techtextil on May 14-17th in Frankfurt, we show how GeniuTex brings the smart textile innovation to live: with a Smart Textile Microfactory. The microfactory produces a ‘smart’ pillow which, with the help of integrated LEDs, provides new ways of...

12. – 19.04.19: Partnership with South Korea

Internationalization plays an important role in the GeniusTex project. From the 12th to the 19th of April 2019, we visited several partners, like Lumens, Kwangrim Textile and the Korea Textile Trade Association (KTTA), in South Korea and evaluated possibilities of...

05.04.19: Hannover fair

Together with other projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, the GeniusTex project was present at the Hannover fair. In a interview, we shared insights on the challenges of smart textiles development and production and how the GeniusTex...

21.03.19: LOPEC 2019

The GeniusTex consortium presented the concept of a Smart Service platform to the audience of LOPEC on March 21st in Munich. LOPEC is the leading conference for printed electronics covering research, development and processing topics. It hereby provides an environment...

22. + 23.11.18: S3 – Smart Service Summit Berlin

The GeniusTex research project is part of the "Smart Service Welt II" ("Smart Service World II") program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. All projects of this program, as well as those of its predecessor "Smart Service Welt I", were...

GeniusTex at the Aachen Innovation Platform

On September 25th, the GeniusTex consortium presented its approach to creating innovation in Smart Textiles at the Aachener Innovationsplatform (AIP). The AIP is an open networking conference by the RWTH Technology & Innovation Management Institute. Its objective...

19. + 20.06.18: WearIT Berlin

We were at the WearIT festival at Berlin, which took place from 19th to 20th of June 2018 in Berlin. Our main goal was to get in touch with the smart textiles industry and to get some new input for our requirements analysis. The Wear It Festival in Berlin showed the...

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  • Participate in interviews, design workshops or trial periods and provide us with your demands and feedback to shape the GeniusTex platform
  • Become an early adopter by collaborating in the implementation of one or more Smart Textiles for one of the first two use cases
    • Smart Orthosis
    • Smart Band

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Smart Orthosis

Smart Band

Further Illustration how GeniusTex Platform enables Smart Textiles Services

The GeniusTex research project is part of the “Smart Service Welt II” (“Smart Service World II”) program funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. In the video all projects of the cluster “Medicine” are presented, GeniusTex is shown starting at 1:18.

Video by LoeschHundLiepold Kommunikation GmbH

Partners

These partners are involved in our research project. Click on a logo to get to the partner’s website.

Institut für Textiltechnik Aachen

The Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) at RWTH Aachen University has many years of experience and sound technical knowledge in product development and production technology for Smart Textiles. The ITA will bring its cutting-edge research on the implementation of “Industrie 4.0” and digitalization along the textile process chain and its network in industry, science and politics to the project. In addition to its role as project coordinator, the ITA will work on creating a modularization for smart textiles and develop a methodology for product-oriented design of production processes for integrating textiles and electronics.

TIME

Since its inauguration in 1990, the Technology and Innovation Management Group at RWTH Aachen University (RWTH-TIM) has developed into a leading European institution in the field of innovation, technology, business model development and customer-centric value creation. Today, as a large interdisciplinary team under the leadership of Prof. Frank Piller, we teach and research in close cooperation with the RWTH engineering schools as well as with the humanities and social sciences. Our close cooperation with the other research groups at the Research Area TIME allows us to cover a broad spectrum of methods and topics.

Fraunhofer FIT

For about 30 years now Fraunhofer FIT has been conducting R&D on user-friendly smart solutions that blend seamlessly in business processes. Building on its long CSCW experience, social computing, and IoT concepts the Cooperation Systems department develops and evaluates novel groupware, community and knowledge management systems for distributed organizations and teams. In GeniusTex, Fraunhofer FIT is the main development partner and will realize the GeniusTex plattform.

Infineon

Infineon Technologies AG is a world leader in semiconductor solutions that make life easier, safer and greener. Microelectronics from Infineon is the key to a better future. Infineon brings know how to GeniusTex. This means how to get components i.e. sensors and how to build up a platform where ideas find solution with semiconductors e.g. based on semantic web technologies.

Ottobock

For people with limited mobility Ottobock develops medical technology applications and fitting solutions in the departments of Prosthetics, Orthotics, Mobility Solutions (wheelchairs and rehabilitation aids) and Medical Care. Subsidiaries in more than 50 countries are proud to offer quality “Made in Germany” to users worldwide while employing some 6.500 people. Since its founding in 1919 Ottobock is family-run business that has been supporting the Paralympic Games since 1988 with its long term expertise.

eccenca

eccenca is a leading German company in the field of semantic data catalog technologies (knowledge graph). The company provides enterprise-ready solutions for the comprehensive, scalable automation of big data integration. Facilitating the vision of Turning Strings Into Things, eccenca enables enterprises to profit from the integrative interpretation of heterogeneous data by means of machine-interpretable knowledge networks.

In the context of the GeniusTex project, eccenca provides its experience in ontology development and semantic data integration. eccenca is responsible for the quality and development of all ontological artifacts as well as its exploitation by integrating sensor, process and product data into an executable
knowledge graph which is used inside of the GeniusTex portal.

Asys

The ASYS Group is a global technology company and leading supplier of machinery and equipment for the electronics, solar and life science industries. The corporate group offers a globally unique product portfolio across different fields of technology, such as handling, marking, depaneling, final assembly, testing, printing and dry storage.
Special systems, software solutions and material logistics solutions complement the standard processes.
Consequently ASYS can offer its customers comprehensive solutions from a single source and can realize the intelligent factory of the future.