From 4 to 7 September 2018, SMM – the leading international maritime trade fair – will once again welcome 50,000 industry visitors from more than 120 nations to Hamburg. At the Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC) fair complex, more than 2,200 exhibitors will showcase the entire value chain of the maritime sector. From digitalisation on board and on land and new environmental standards to cost efficiency and new markets, SMM 2018 will provide answers to all key questions facing the industry today, including innovative product solutions and a comprehensive conference programme, plus numerous networking opportunities. Here you can watch the advance press conference from May 25th, 2018.

Superconductors are materials which below a certain temperature can “freeze” the field of a permanent magnet at a predefined distance and can thus hold it in suspension. With its three current SupraMotion exhibits, Festo is further extending the spectrum of possible applications:

•    SupraTransport: movement with a large levitation gap

•    SupraSensor: measuring and weighing without contact

The biological model for the BionicWheelBot is the cyclist spider, which was discovered in the Erg Chebbi desert at the edge of the Sahara in 2008 by Prof. Ingo Rechenberg, Bionics Professor at the TU Berlin. Like other spiders, the cyclist spider can run, but it can also move forwards using a combination of somersaults and rolling along the ground. Since its discovery, Prof. Rechenberg has been working on transferring these movement sequences to technological applications. The kinematics and the drive concept have now been developed together with the bionics team from Festo. The BionicWheelBot rolls along the ground by forming a wheel with three legs on each side of its body. Two more legs, which are retracted during running, are then extended; they push the spider (which is in the shape of a ball) off the ground and propel it forwards in a continuous rolling motion. 

The future-oriented working environment BionicWorkplace consists of collaborative robots that are connected to IT systems from the field of artificial intelligence; these are able to understand and interpret questions spoken by humans. The operator can thus cooperate intuitively with the robot. The learning system can also process and interlink images from the connected camera systems, along with positional data and further information provided by other devices in the working environment. A so-called semantic map is thereby generated, which constantly grows with machine learning. The system then appropriately distributes the tasks to the robot and the other tools in order to provide ideal support for the human in his or her work. 

An elastic, airtight skin stretches from the fingertips to the feet of the BionicFlyingFox – just as with its biological model from nature. The on-board electronics regulate the flight behaviour of the BionicFlyingFox with the aid of inertial sensors and complex algorithms. An external camera system provides the control commands and the positional data required for the flight path planning: two movable infrared cameras are sufficient to keep a constant track of the flying fox, which is equipped with infrared markers. 

Heimtextil is the biggest and most important international trade fair for home and contract textiles and will next be held in Frankfurt am Main from 10 to 13 January 2017. Heimtextil opens the season for new home, working and lifestyle trends. Whether wallpaper, bed linen, curtains, bathroom textiles or carpets. Whether for the home, hotel or the office. Whether design-oriented, functional or both. The fair kicks off with our press conference in the lecture area of the new ‘Expo’ in Hall 4.2. The guest of honour and key-note speaker this time will be renowned designer and interior architect Ms Ushi Tamborriello. Language: German with English translation.

Key Note: Arnold Donald, President  & CEO Carnival Corporation & plc.

Carnival Corporation, the world's largest leisure travel company, will be holding a virtual keel laying ceremony for the next generation of LNG Cruise ships. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday 6 September 2017 at Hamburg Messe und Congress as part of the Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Cruise Convention conference opening session. Representing a major environmental breakthrough, the seven new ships for four Carnival Corporation’s global brands – Carnival Cruise Line, P&O Cruises UK, Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises – will feature a revolutionary “green cruising” design and will be the first in the cruise industry to be powered at sea by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) – the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. The ships with delivery between 2018 and 2022 will be built by the German and Finnish shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku.  Language: English

The Heimtextil Theme Park 2018 explores how our urban future will shape the spaces in which we live, work, shop and socialise. In an international live broadcast of a discussion between representatives of the Heimtextil and members of the Trend Table, you can discover tomorrow’s driving forces. Language: English with German translation.