Bavarian handicraft should conquer the world market.
On Wednesday, the Herrsching-based start-up “Wearable Technologies” and Bayernwerke presented their joint development: a device on the wrist that will make working on medium-voltage lines safer in the future.
Herrsching - Dr. Egon Leo Westphal, the new CEO of Bayernwerk AG, handed over the first sensors to Bayernwerk employees in Penzberg on Wednesday. From there he rushed straight to Herrsching to present the world novelty. The joint venture “Peek”, a corporate cooperation between Bayernwerk and the Herrsching start-up “Wearable Technologies” (WT), has its headquarters on the second floor of one of the oldest commercial buildings in Herrsching with a spacious staircase. The latter specializes in wearable technologies like this wrist sensor. It detects electrical fields and, like a distance meter in a car, uses a high-pitched tone to draw attention to dangerous areas. Christian Stammel, one of the two managing directors of “Peek”, speaks of a sixth sense. Because people have five safety ruleswho work with electricity, so to speak in their blood: disconnect them, secure them against being switched on again, determine that there is no voltage, earth them and cover parts that are under voltage in the vicinity.
Westphal knows from painful experience that working with medium currents is dangerous.
Two years ago, Bayernwerk AG lost two highly qualified employees to electric shocks in just three months.
“You can't see, hear, or smell whether there is still voltage,” said Westphal in Herrsching.
The sensor does not replace the safety rules, emphasized Roland Leuchtenberger, who shares the Peek management as a representative of Bayernwerk AG with Stammel.
The device - compact and only slightly larger than a smart watch - admonishes, however.
And warn.
It can save lives and is designed in such a way that the software can be continuously developed.
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The peek sensor can be worn like a watch.
The battery is designed for extreme temperatures.
© Sebastian Tauchnitz
Westphal recalled the inventive spirit that the founders of Bayernwerk AG had 100 years ago. This continues in this development. "We're trying to combine what we can with modern technology and send it out into the world," he said. This is exactly what is supposed to happen with the peek sensor. As a global player in the field of wearable innovation, WT turned out to be an ideal working partner. Stammel said that he always spoke of the region to international partners as "Bavarian Bay Area", "there is no place in Bavaria with so much high-tech in the area". With “Peek” he is now actively contributing to this.
The boxes are stacked in the new offices in the Herrsching industrial park. 1500 devices are already there, despite the component backlog. Produced by TQ Systems, and except for the magnetic field sensors, which are made in the USA, real regional handcraft, packaged using 3D printing technology. The first devices are to be delivered at the end of August and beginning of September. 500 of these are to be used within Bayernwerk AG. The current high price of 500 euros is also due to delivery problems, said Leuchtenberg. But he hopes that the price will be lower under normal conditions.
Nobody doubts the success of this novelty, the development is unrivaled worldwide. “There is a lot of interest,” Westphal knew. “We want to leave a significant mark on the world market in 2023.” Not only the shareholders were delighted at the first product presentation, but also District Administrator Stefan Frey, economic promoter Christoph Winkelkötter and Mayor Christian Schiller.
