The WunderBar of sensors from Relayr. Photo via Relayr on Facebook
Berlin start-up Relayr built a WunderBar of sensor technology to provide developers with easy access to internet of things (IoT) data, earning the company top honours among over 400 international competitors.
Relayr was selected among 10 finalists from over 400 applications for Code_n15, a start-up competition held at business IT conference CeBIT in Hanover, Germany this week.
The theme of the contest was ‘Into the Internet of Things’, and the WunderBar’s ability to enable software developers with no knowledge of electrical engineering to connect with data from everyday physical objects captured the judges’ attention.
“WunderBar makes it very easy for programmers to grasp and apply the internet of things. And this is also important, for although everyone is talking about IoT – especially at CeBIT – the perceived hurdles for developers are still very high. Relayr removes these hurdles. A lack of hardware knowledge is now no longer an excuse,” said Ulrich Dietz, CEO of the GFT Group and initiator of CODE_n.
“The simplicity of the solution and the implications for IoT left the jury in no doubt,” Dietz added.
Sweet sensors
WunderBar is Relayr’s flagship product and, while it looks like the produce of Willy Wonka, turning the ‘chocolate bar’ over reveals segments of sensor technology to measure things such as temperature, humidity or movement.
Jackson Bond, CPO and co-founder of Relayr, pitches with a WunderBar sensor at CeBIT. Photo via Code_n
Each of these sensors can be broken off – as one would a piece of chocolate – and attached to physical objects in order to relay information. Communication between the hardware and software is enabled through Relayr’s open sensor cloud platform, allowing developers to access and analyse data from real-world objects quickly and easily.
Examples of how these modular sensors can be applied include an app to control the temperature of a wine cellar or one to control the humidity level of a greenhouse.
Code of the new
The Code_n Award and prize of €30,000 was presented to Relayr on Wednesday, while the Code_n showcase of 50 selected start-ups continues today in Hanover.
Relayr is presented with the Code_n Award at CeBIT 2015. Photo via Code_n
Code_n stands for ‘Code of the New’ and Relayr is the fourth recipient of the start-up award. Other business ideas in contention included a platform for the efficient networking of machines, a cloud-based IT security system, intelligent sensors for temperature-sensitive drugs and an indoor navigation solution for smartphones.
