Press releases | 2016/09/01

Liebherr presents the intelligent refrigerator of tomorrow

The Internet of Things is all around us and now also has arrived in the modern kitchen environment. Liebherr-Hausgeräte is taking a logical step forward in the direction of digitalisation: refrigeration and freezer appliances being able to network with mobile devices via the new generation of the SmartDeviceBox, enabling innovative household grocery management at home and on the move. In the process, open standards and modular units create the prerequisite that Liebherr’s long-life appliances are also expandable and adaptable well into the future.

Pioneering food and groceries storage employing innovative refrigeration and freezing technologies has long been part of the core competences of Liebherr. This year Liebherr is going one step further, setting course for domestic groceries management with the help of digital offerings and mobile services.

Digitalisation for daily routines

Digitalisation and the networking of domestic appliances alter consumers’ expectations. It’s no longer simply about buying an individual refrigerator or freezer appliance; it’s now about the intelligent interplay of networked solutions that simplify household routines. In this sphere Liebherr places the convenience of the customer at the forefront with digital products and services which offer real added value.

“Technological progress is not an aim in itself. Not every technical possibility has to have an application in daily life,” asserts Steffen Nagel, Managing Director of Liebherr-Hausgeräte GmbH. “When it comes to digital offerings, we are very close to the consumer and we constantly ask ourselves: What do new living concepts and circumstances, such as mobility, urbanism and the desire for healthy nutrition mean to the consumer and how can technology specifically support them?”

In the future Liebherr refrigerators will help with daily shopping and meal planning. Stored groceries can be recorded and monitored by using cameras with object recognition and a voice module MIA „Media Intelligence Assistant“. In this process cameras not only show images, they also recognise the individual foods inside the refrigerator. This information then flows automatically into an inventory list. This list allows the customer to see quickly and clearly what is in the refrigerator. Using the voice module they can then add additional groceries, thus creating their shopping list. Using an app for iOS, Android or Windows they can also access their shopping lists while they are on the move.

Microsoft as a strong partner in the digitalisation offensive

The cooperation with Microsoft is a component of the Liebherr household appliances division’s digital offensive. Microsoft is a strong partner to complement Liebherr’s competence in the field of refrigeration and freezing technology and it brings the latest technologies into the digital offerings. The new generation SmartDeviceBox is one result of this cooperation. The high-performance hardware and the Windows 10 IoT Core operating system augment the appliances and equip the consumer for future digital scenarios. The system is designed to have a long life: Modular units can be integrated and upgraded at any time in existing SmartDevice-capable appliances. The open standards enable adaptation for future offers and services. With this Liebherr offers the widest range of intelligent refrigeration appliances on the market.