Many interesting consumer gadgets and gizmos have debuted at Berlin’s IFA 2017. Bosch added to the mix, showcasing a concept tool that could help many future consumers with any fabric-cleaning woes.
The X-Spect is a portable, handheld device that can scan a stain on your clothes or any ordinary piece of cloth. The device can determine the specific material of the fabric and source of that pesky stain. To sweeten the deal, the scanner can send specific cleaning directions based on the results, to an Internet-enabled Bosch washing machine.
X-Spect’s ability don’t stop there. Bosch predicts the device will have dual-mode capability with the potential to scan pieces of food, displaying nutritional content and level of ripeness.
This consumer concept was led by Bosch’s Head of Advanced Sensor and Food Technologies Dr. Arndt von Bieren. The device is based on two optical scanners and took a total of five months to put together, according to Dr. von Bieren. The results of the scan are sent to the cloud, where an algorithm sifts through the data and sends answers back to the scanner.
Currently, the scanner is focused on reading the makeup of stains and pieces of fabric. However, Dr. von Bieren believes this technology could be built into other smart home appliances, such as refrigerators and ovens. If this is the case, a host of helpful applications are possible, such as reporting on fridge food content, nutritional proportions, preparation tips, and ovens that do all the cooking work for you.
Since X-Spect is still in the concept phase, potential prices and launch dates are not yet available.