xplore Technology Award 2023 for a sustainable world

xplore Technology Award 2023 for a sustainable world | Phoenix Contact

Foreword to the 8th xplore Technology Award 2023 for a sustainable world Contributions to a sustainable world Dear readers for 100 years, Phoenix Contact has stood for tech- nological innovation. This has been, and continues to be, the core of our xplore competition, now in its eighth edition. For 25 years, young people have been demonstrating their passion for technology and de- veloping creative ideas that are inspiring and innova- tive. What started in 1998 as a purely German compe- tition has now evolved into a global initiative. With financial and organizational support from Phoenix Contact, participants from over 50 countries have developed 700 projects. Consistently investing in young people results in positive outcomes. In 2023 it is a very special award because it is a cen- terpiece of our 100 years anniversary ceremony. The topic is specifically how can technology and innova- tive solutions create a sustainable world. In addition to the central aspect of technical inno- vation, xplore is characterized by international co- operation and diversity. We create an environment in which young people can benefit from technolo- gy transfer from industry and learn from each other. Ultimately, mastering the important challenges for a sustainable world requires passion. Only then is it possible to implement solutions to the end. We are looking forward to many more explorations for a sustainable world! Frank Stührenberg Chief Executive Officer, Phoenix Contact Phoenix Contact 5

The patronage of the xplore Technology Award 2023 The climate crisis is one of the most important and most urgent challenges of our time. Only if we pro- tect nature as the basis for life on our planet and re- spect planetary limits can we continue living in free- dom and prosperity. We must accelerate the energy transition in order to achieve the necessary pace of change. New techno- logies are needed on a large scale in order to shape our future in a sustainable way, and to make it more innovative, smarter and a more attractive place to live in. For this, we need people who think out of the box and who are dedicated and creative when imple- menting their visions. However, we lack around 280,000 skilled professionals, especially in the STEM occupations that are so necessary for this eco- logical transformation. And demand will continue to rise. By taking part in this competition, you have a unique opportunity to help us find the technological solutions we need for a sustainable world. I wish all the participating technology enthusiasts from all over the world much fun, creativity and suc- cess and wish to thank Phoenix Contact and ever- yone involved for making this competition possible. We at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action are very much looking forward to the presentation of your ideas at the award ceremony. Sincerely yours Dr. Robert Habeck Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Phoenix Contact 7

xplore Technology Award 2023 for a sustainable world The xplore Technology Award is an international technology and training competition held periodically by Phoenix Contact. It is aimed at pupils, apprentices, and students who can submit their creative ideas on the subject of technology and education solutions for the world of tomorrow to the Phoenix Contact organization team. The 100 best projects receive technical components and support from Phoenix Contact and the project teams are invited to implement their ideas. In addition to being awarded outstan- ding prizes, the 25 nominated teams also have the opportunity to present their innovative solutions to a large expert audience. 8 Phoenix Contact

Table of Contents Forewords xplore Technology Award 2023 for a sustainable world xplore Award – an essential component of the Phoenix Contact‘s strategy Smart Technology Aqua Synchrono-X Dream Boys Cryotech@ic3 Social & Health Robotium FiRex Hogwarts in reality AMI-CI Environment Smart Aquaponics H2HU Aquaponics Automation AI2CF ketran agrobot v2 Holus RADiSh Education TED-MVR WTP and AR-Interface CPUT VR@Train Energy Efficiency Competition (E-es) 05 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 20 24 26 28 30 30 34 36 38 40 40 44 46 48 50 50 54 56 Smart Energy 58 60 Karya 62 Energy Measurement, Analysis and Management Smart Energy Storage 64 Intelligent Air Handling Unit Based on Digital Twins 66 68 AI-Nergy GESIC Next 70 Jury Active Support from Phoenix Contact subsidiaries Special honor for the winning teams – Berlin, Germany Outlook 72 76 78 80 Phoenix Contact 9

xplore Award – an essential component of Phoenix Contact’s strategy The xplore Award, the Technology Award for a sustainable world, marked a significant milestone in Phoenix Contact’s 100th anni- versary. In its eighth edition Phoenix Contact supported 100 pro- jects from 30 countries with components and expertise. After 20 months of dedicated work and two preliminary rounds the com- petition culminated in a final event at the Bad Pyrmont site, whe- re over 3,500 kg of technical equipment were transported. The 25 finalists showcased their completed projects to a panel of distinguished judges. Each presentation was followed by a Q&A session, allowing the jury to delve deeper into the tech- nical aspects and potential applications of the projects. The competition concluded with a celebratory awards ceremony, recognizing and honoring the most outstanding projects in five categories. Additionally, the top five teams were invited to Berlin, where they received a special award from the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action. 10 Phoenix Contact

AQUA 1st place FISAT Mookkannoor, Kerala, India The proposed system can monitor and control the usage of water in residential areas through various sensors, actuators with the help of Internet of Things. Through a mobile application, the five subsystems at home are monitored or controlled. The automatic water system will automatically turn on the tap by sensing temperature and humidity of the garden. The hand gestu- re shower is placed at the periphery of the shower which will con- trol it using specified hand gestures. The rain water harvesting system will collect the rain water using a separate tank. With the help of mobile application, we can manually switch which source of water needs to be used based on the real time water level of tank. Water wastage happens mainly because we are not aware or are not monitoring our usage. If an alert is generated based on our usage, there can be signifi- cant changes in our behaviour for better utilization. Overflow pre- vention system intended to reduce the wastage of water due to overflow. If someone forgets to turn off the tap in the house, this system will automatically turn off the tap when the water level reaches 90% of the container. 14 Phoenix Contact

Synchrono-X 2nd place BBS1 Mainz, Germany Here we are: Synchrono-X. Our primary focus revolves around two cranes designed to significantly simplify the daily handling of loads. These cranes are horizontally mobile and equipped with trolleys and lowering mechanisms, enabling them to move loads flexibly in any direction. What sets them apart is the remarkable ability to control them either manually or in a synchronized fashion, and to use recuperation to recover energy through lowering heavy loads and directly utilizing the energy for other motion operations. This technically advanced flexibility facilitates the trans- port of heavy loads and their precise placement at the desired destination. 16 Phoenix Contact

Dream Boys 3rd place Harbin Engineering University, China The Dream Boys team developed a marine exploration equip- ment named Pioneer, designed to explore mineral and biological resources. ‚Pioneer‘ is independently designed and constructed with water- proof features, ensuring optimal material utilization efficiency. It integrates a cloud interface and an operator human-machine interface, which incorporates Underwater IntelliSense, Manipula- tor Control, and Thruster Control. We can control the movement of Pioneer through the Thruster Control, and the manipulator achieves a transition between manual and automatic modes to capture samples. The goal is to explore more available energy resources while pre- serving the existing marine ecosystems. 18 Phoenix Contact

Robotium 1st place Heriot Watt University Dubai, UAE The NurseBot project is designed to address critical challenges in the healthcare sector, such as nurse burnout, the spread of infec- tious diseases, and staff shortages, issues highlighted by recent global events. NurseBot aims to improve patient care and support healthcare workers. With ongoing development, it promises to become an integral part of modern medical facilities, enhancing healthcare delivery worldwide. At its core, NurseBot employs Transdermal Optical Imaging (TOI) technology from NuraLogix Corporation for non-invasive vitals data collection. This feature allows for efficient, accurate moni- toring of patient health without direct physical contact, reducing the risk of disease transmission. In addition, the robot is equip- ped with an Ouster OS0 LiDAR system, enabling smart, safe navi- gation within hospital environments. Its design is focused on a low-cost approach, making it accessi- ble and adaptable to various healthcare settings. 24 Phoenix Contact

FiRex 2nd place BBS 1 Mainz, Germany „What’s left from the fire gets destroyed by water.” – this quote from a coworker left us thinking that there has to be a better so- lution for fires in automated high bay warehouses than just an or- dinary sprinkler system. So, for our final project on our way to be- come state certified automation technicians at the BBS1 Mainz, we decided to look for just that. After some thinking, we came up with fiREX, the smart fire extin- guisher! In order to detect fires before the sprinkler system trig- gers, we work with temperature sensors across the warehouse. If a fire on a palette is detected by the sensors, the stapler crane fetches a moveable chamber that contains the fire and puts it over the palette. The burning palette then gets moved to the nearest extinguishing chamber that puts the fire out with e.g., CO2 or a fire extinguishing foam. This system can be easily integrated into existing auto- mated high bay warehouses, you just have to trade some of your storage space to add the chambers across the warehouse. But if you have to choose between losing all of your goods or just some storage space, we think that the decision is quite simple. 26 Phoenix Contact

Hogwarts in reality 3rd place Tongji University, China The Chinese team developed a gesture controlled household sys- tem, which aims at serving the ones who can‘t use the smart pho- ne proficiently and avoiding the influence of dialects and accents with acoustic control system. The whole gesture recongnition system is integrated in the em- bedded Linux system of PLCnext, which means it‘s unnecessary to configure any other CPU or GPU device. The gestures are de- fined by computing the relative positions of the 21 key points by MediaPipe hand recognition. Through modbus protocol, HMI can display the real-time control and operation status of each furnitu- re. And with the support of eHMI technology, similar functions are also realized on the web page. To give an intelligent transforma- tion to normal furniture, The drawers are fitted with electric cylin- der, enabling them to be pushed out and pulled back. The shutter is driven by the magnet slider at the end of the electric cylinder and coordinates with the magnetic switch to achieve in-position detection. 28 Phoenix Contact

AMI-CI 4th place Universidad de Concepcion (Chile), Universidad de Oviedo (Spain), Phoenix Contact Chile, Phoenix Contact Spain The team distinguished by a Spanish-Chilean collaboration de- veloped a data decision structure that is necessary for getting the electrical data in order to identify the possible behaviours of customers. They got the data from clients using different communication protocols combining also solutions of emobility or of sustainability in order to achieve the all electric society. The main feature of the project is the flexible management to analyse the different ways how the customers behave. 30 Phoenix Contact

Smart Aquaponics 1st place Heriot Watt University Dubai, UAE Addressing the global priority of ensuring food security, signifi- cant efforts have been dedicated to advancing farming methodo- logies. However, the irrigation system and environmental conditi- ons stand out as pivotal elements determining crop yield. As a result of this necessity, “Smart Aquaponics System” project emerges as a ground-breaking endeavour, to offer society a sus- tainable and highly efficient approach to farming–applicable both indoors and outdoors. This innovation leverages automation and embraces organic farming methods to revolutionize agricultural practices. The project‘s unique adaptability lies in its ability to blend in with a variety of irrigation settings, making it a flexible solution that can adjust parameters to suit a wide range of crops. 34 Phoenix Contact

H2HU Aquaponics Automation 2nd place Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Street, USA The H2HU Aquaponics Automation team competed in the En- vironmental Category and has been working towards impro- ving aquaponics production through optimized waste treatment processes. Aquaponics merges recirculating aquaculture fish production with soilless hydroponic vegetable growing. It uses much less water and has faster and denser yields than traditional agricultu- re, making it an excellent way to support food deserts limited by water resources or farmable land. A primary limitation to aqua- ponics is the consistent generation of a nutrient dense effluent of fish manure that is harmful to natural waterways if discharged without undergoing expensive treatment. The team has developed an in-line automated sensor system that reports real time data to a human machine interface to allow more frequent and accurate data collection while removing the potential for human error. Since anaerobic mineralization is a wide-spread waste treatment method, this work will not only support aquaponics research, but many forms of sustainable food and energy work as well. 36 Phoenix Contact

AI2CF 3rd place Université Orléans, INSA Centre Cal de Loire, Laboratoire Prisme, France 10 million tons, 10 billion kilos: this is the estimated annual weight of food waste in France. This disconcerting waste occurs at all levels, from production to consumption, via processing, distribution, and catering. Worldwi- de, this data is astronomical. The work presented in this chal- lenge relates the technical validation of the automatic sorting of potatoes. Potatoes classified as „good“ will be used for human consumption. Potatoes classified as „bad“ (black spots) will be revalued for animal feed. This classification, which is possible af- ter a learning phase, is achieved using a camera housing an artifi- cial intelligence solution. After an initial selection phase to qualify for the international challenge xplore 2023, it took eight months of work to reach the final. The project team was made up of seven people, two teacher-re- searchers (supervisors) and five students. Various industrial and institutional partners supported the project. Today with this 3rd place, it‘s a real success story. Sa volorem exeruptia ipsam vollit [max. 60 characters] 38 Phoenix Contact

ketran agrobot v2 4th place DUOC UC, Chile The team from the DUOC UC redesigned a robot capable of gro- wing and caring for vegetables, flowers and fruits, reducing the intervention of toxic agrochemicals or fertilizers and reducing the time required for human intervention by 90%. They modified the Genesis robot as members of the Farmbot community, and incorporate a new self-sustaining displace- ment device that increases the production capacity from 20 m2 to 2,500 m2. In the same way, add products and national variab- les to the database, creating a library that supports and meets the needs of all those who can acquire this device at the natio- nal level. Crop inspection and the use of intelligent vision now depend exclusively on inspection methods with Phoenix Contact technology. Being a relevant contribution as a country to the Farmbot Inc community, and facilitating access to new technologies for the agricultural sector, is one of the main motivations. 40 Phoenix Contact

RADiSh 6th place Purdue University USA This project is a low-cost, easy to use, fully automated plant growing system that uses big data to generate optimal growing profiles for a wide range of edible plants. It is designed to help address the growing issue of food insecurity by providing a sca- lable solution capable of supporting the nutritional needs of a community. Additionally, to ensure the system supports the movement to- wards sustainable food production, the design prioritizes ener- gy and water efficiency. The unit presented is a scale model of a larger universal unit that could be easily linked with other units to scale with the needs of the local community. 44 Phoenix Contact

TED-MVR 1st place PRESENCE xR SOLUTIONS, S.L., Valdes (Asturias), Phoenix Contact Spain Together with the University of Oviedo, Phoenix Contact Spain, and PXR from Spain, an educational tool was created that blends the virtual world with the real world for E-Mobility. Thanks to the PXR camera a live training was recreated and stu- dents from anywhere in the world can feel as if they were next to the teacher interacting with Phoenix Contact components. On the other hand, for on-demand training, a procedural platform is used for the creation of training courses supported by GPT-4 that acts as a teacher providing textual resources, images, videos and, of course, a natural conversation in any language. 48 Phoenix Contact

WTP and AR-Interface 2nd place David-Roentgen-Schule Neuwied, Germany The team from the David Roentgen School Neuwied developed a model of a water treatment system for teaching. The process from water extraction through water treatment to use by the end user is presented here. Decentralized control of the system using augmented reality is also shown here. The system uses a wide variety of sensors and actuators, which can be used in lessons to better understand how it works. Up to 12 classes are currently working regularly at the facility to better understand the various areas of measurement technology, cont- rol technology and regulation technology. 50 Phoenix Contact

CPUT 3rd place Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa The project is an initiative from South Africa that addresses issu- es related to energy consumption, environmental sustainability, and electricity supply reliability, and revolves around the concept of Demand-Side Management (DSM), which focuses on educa- ting and sensitizing individuals, especially school learners, about energy use and its environmental consequences. A unique element of this system is the harnessing of ener- gy through play and the introduction of a competition among schools to promote energy savings. By measuring and comparing their current energy consumption with the previous month‘s data, schools are motivated to compete against themselves, making it a fair contest irrespective of school size. 52 Phoenix Contact

VR@Train 4th place Burapha University, Thailand In the PLCnext VR Training System project, the team utilized Vir- tual Reality (VR) technology to provide educational experiences that are both effective and engaging. The VR setup simulates a real industrial environment allowing trainees to interact with PLCnext systems in a safe and controlled virtual space. This trai- ning method is designed to encourage hands-on training and it can reduce the training costs at the same time. One of the advantages of our VR training system is the sophistica- ted didactics strategy that simplifies the complex concepts, espe- cially for IT students. By immersing the trainees in a virtual world, they can understand how PLCnext systems function and opera- te easily. Furthermore, the training system provides immediate feedback enabling trainees to quickly grasp where they need an improvement. In summary, the PLCnext VR Training System delivers an acces- sible hands-on training experience in Automation and Industrial 4.0. They do believe that this system will significantly improve the industrial training in Thailand. 54 Phoenix Contact

Energy Efficiency Competition (E-es) Winner Inspiring Award Jelgava Secondary School of Technologies, Latvia Energy Efficiency Competition (E-es) is about making self-made electric vehicles from sustainable materials and waste. E-es community was formed from 2nd graders to university stu- dents, which went through all the stages of design thinking, got firsthand experience in a wide variety of engineering skills, prin- ciples of physics, programming and knowledge of a different ma- terials. It‘s all about self-development and a great start to find a participant‘s interests in further education. Competition itself took place in June 2023 when 9 teams, 8 hours compeeted in 5 disciplines (drag racing, handling, braking, the most economical driving, speed) in go-kart track. 56 Phoenix Contact

Karya 1st place Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Türkiye In this project, the Karya Team from Turkey has proposed a de- tection method for PV panel power losses caused by dust, soil, shadow etc. using a Multimodal Neural Network (MNN) architec- ture that can analyze both RGB images and environmental data together. The proposed MNN was trained with 45000 images and solar ir- radiance data. Then, the offline trained MNN was installed on a PlcNext Controller with machine learning extension module to perform a fast real time prediction (under 200ms) in a Ground Control Station. Also, a quadrotor platform was developed to ac- celerate the collection of PV panel photos and environmental ef- fect such as irradiance values. In the results, the MNN achieved 95.9% accuracy in offline tests by using 2000 cases. Additionally, the proposed system was tes- ted with five real-time experiments and predicted power loss stages correctly (low, medium, and high-power losses) for diffe- rent time, weather, and environment conditions. 60 Phoenix Contact

Energy Measurement, Analysis and Management 2nd place School of Technology and Management (ESTG), Portugal The Portuguese team developed a system to measure electricity, water and gas consumption with the aim of reducing energy de- pendence and energy bills. A framework was developed to have comsumption data gathered and stored. A main objective of the project is the use of Machine Learning techniques to analyzes the data. On the one hand it becomes possible to use clustering al- gorithms to derive consumptions profiles for different day types. On the other hand, a model can be created to allow the forecast of future consumptions. With this kind of applications, it will be possible to identify anomalous consumptions in the buildings and to trigger alarms for the building technical management. Further- more, in some cases it would be strategic to anticipate some de- mand response actions. The main goal for this project is to provi- de information accessible to anyone, in order to raise awareness of a greener future with dashboards adapted to everyone. 62 Phoenix Contact

Smart Energy Storage 3rd place Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina The Smart Energy Storage project is an innovative solution that revolutionizes the storage and management of electrical energy. Most of the world‘s energy production comes from plants powe- red by fossil fuels. This is especially the case during peak load hours, when these plants must be activated for short periods of time. The system works by first lifting blocks to the top of a building when demand is low, using electric motors. This converts electri- cal energy into potential energy. When demand is high, the blocks are lowered, and the potential energy is converted back into elec- trical energy by the same machines that now act as generators. The system is controlled by a PLCNext that monitors the height of the blocks and the power demand, and decides how many blocks to raise or lower, based on demand. “Smart energy storage” has several benefits. It reduces consumption costs, minimizes the need for multip- le generation plants in periods of high demand and reduces the start-up of thermal generation plants and their carbon emissions. It also smoothes consumption curves, facilitating the energy ma- nagement of the electrical network. 64 Phoenix Contact

Intelligent Air Handling Unit Based on Digital Twins 4th place Tongji University, China The team from China developed an Intelligent Air Handling Unit based on Digital Twins technology. In the project, real-time moni- toring and regulation of the air-conditioning system is achieved through digital twins, and intelligent control of each actuator in the system is achieved based on neural networks, thus optimizing the efficiency of energy use during air-conditioning operation. In the physical part the AHU consists of a water circuit using a pump and an air circuit with fresh air fan, return air fan and sup- ply air fan. All the fans and pumps can change the speed accor- ding to the PWM signal the plc give to them. There are several sensors to do the data collection and optimization process. In digital part there is a digital model built by artificial neural network to learn the relationship between parameters. Then the optimization of control strategy is achieved by using genetic algorithm. 66 Phoenix Contact

AI-Nergy 5th place BBS 2 Wolfsburg, Germany Why was this project initiated to save energy using artificial in- telligence? On the one hand, energy is relatively expensive, and on the other hand, its production often has negative effects on the environment and climate. To save money and minimize ener- gy consumption, it has become more important than ever, both in private households and in industry, to save energy wherever possible. A simple example can be observed in the heating of rooms. In office, school, and private spaces, the heating is turned on when people are present. However, when people leave the room, turn- ing off the heating is often forgotten, resulting in it running over- night while it is not necessary. In this case, energy is being con- sumed without any benefit. The AI-Energy project emerged from this issue, serving as a demonstration of how energy and costs can be saved smart. What does the project offer? The project AI- Energy presents an opportunity to save both energy and costs, in private and office spaces or similar environments. By promoting sustainable energy use and environmental con- servation, an important step is taken towards combating climate change. All details are published on www.xplore-dna.net Our mission: Let’s create our future together! 68 Phoenix Contact

GESIC Next 6th place Universidad Tecnológica Nacional FRSN, Santa Fe, Argentina The Argentine team developed an energy management system for buildings with distributed green energy generation. The sys- tem allows the user to manage energy consumption to optimize the use of self generation avoiding the use of expensive batteries which harmful to the environment. For this a PLCnext controller is used which is interconnected via MODbus to a EMpro Energy Monitor, a solar generation inverter and through OCPP to an electric car charger. In addition it has the possbility to control IOT devices through MQTT to washing ma- chines, air conditioners or other programmable devices. In this way the controller decides when prioritize consumption based on generation, availibility and user requirements. To interact with the user the system has interconnectivity with the cloud allowing remote access thorugh mobile devices and maybe a local HMI. 70 Phoenix Contact

The jury of 2023‘s xplore Technology Award The jury for our international technology and education compe- tition is composed of distinguished experts from various fields. Each member brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, ensuring a fair and comprehensive evaluation of all entries. These professionals lead digital transformation initiatives, driving innovation in automation and robotics. They shape vocational education policies and support startups in the high-tech sector. Their collective expertise ensures a thorough and impartial eva- luation of each project, fostering innovation and excellence in the fields of technology and education. Throughout the competition, the jury has shown remarkable dedication and diligence. They reviewed approximately 10 hours of video footage, analyzed 170 applications and 100 projects, and selected 25 projects for the final round, which they evaluated onsite in Bad Pyrmont. Ultimately, they awarded the top three projects in five categories. Their commitment to excellence has been instrumental in identifying and recognizing the most innova- tive and impactful contributions. Phoenix Contact 73

Jury members „This anniversary competition particularly stands out to me due to the combination of a simple application process, valuable topic selection, and the support with materials and know-how from Phoenix Contact.“ Dr. Susanne Franke, Don Bosco Mondo e.V. Hubert Romer WorldSkills Germany e.V. Dr. Susanne Franke Don Bosco Mondo e.V. Anja Moldehn Centrum Industrial IT (CIIT) e.V. Dr. Tanja Emmerling High-Tech Gründerfonds Prof. Dr. Xiao Feng College of Applied Sciences, Tongji University Prof. Dr. Martina Lehser htw saar 74 Phoenix Contact „From the competition, not only from the final result but rather from the entire process — from finding the project idea, planning the realization, to implemen- ting the project — participants can learn a lot and gain momentum for their further development.“ Prof. Dr. Xiao Feng, Tongji University

Dr. Frank Possel-Dölken Phoenix Contact Dr. Reinhard Hüppe New Automation e.V. „The xplore Award motivates young people around the world to develop ideas and applications in the vast field of automation for their own benefit and for the All Electric Society.“ Dr. Reinhard Hüppe, New Automation e.V Dr. Gerd Zinke Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training Gunther Koschnick ZVEI e.V. Selina Kerscher University of Oviedo „The competition combines the meaningfulness of wanting to shape a sustainable future, the internatio- nality to achieve a common goal as a global commu- nity, and the creativity to solve the diverse problems of our time with technology-based innovation.“ Selina Kerscher, University of Oviedo Phoenix Contact 75

Active support from Phoenix Contact subsidiaries The success of the international xplore Technoloy Award 2023 would not have been possible without the outstanding support of our subsidiaries. Their contributions were invaluable and played a crucial role in making this competition a resounding success. The subsidiaries demonstrated the importance of teamwork and global connectivity through their close collaboration and tireless commitment. They not only provided their technical skills and re- sources but also their local expertise and cultural understanding, which greatly facilitated the smooth execution of the competition. Their support not only contributed to the success of this compe- tition but also showcased the strength and effectiveness of our global collaboration. 76 Phoenix Contact

Special honor for the winning teams Berlin, Germany After the festive award ceremony in Bad Pyrmont, the winning teams from the five categories traveled to a special highlight in the Embassy of the West of the State Representation of North Rhine-Westphalia in Berlin. There they showcased their award-winning projects shared their vision to a select audience of state ambassadors and ministerial officials. Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Berlin, honored the winning teams for their outstanding achievements as pa- tron of the xplore Technology Award. 78 Phoenix Contact

The 100 Teams of xplore 2023 4Tufting | Universidad de Oviedo (UNIOVI), Spain A Designing of mobile IIOT Data Acquistion System | Northeast Petroleum University, China A worry-free vegetable shed with a brain | South-Central Minzu University, China Advanced Metering Infrastructure for Customers Identification | Universidad de Oviedo & Universidad de Concepcìon, Spain Agrowater | Instituto tecnologico San Bonifacio, Argentina AI-Nergy | BBS 2 Wolfsburg, Germany Analog filling equipment project | Rui De International School, China AquaponicsAutomation_projectConcept | Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Street, USA AR interface | David-Roentgen-Schule Neuwied, Germany AR_Next | Chinesisch-Deutsche Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, China Artificial intelligence to counteract food waste | Université Orléans, INSA Centre Cal de Loire, Laboratoire Prisme, France ATC Calibration | Alexandria Training & Engineering Services Center, Egypt Atmospheric corrosion montoring | Universidad de Oviedo - Area de Proyectos de Ingeniería, Spain Augmented reality glasses | Instituto Nacional de Aviación Civil (INAC - CIATA), Argentina Band Aid | Heriot Watt University Dubai, Dubai Beeenology | Oskar-von-Miller Schule Kassel, Germany Bionic Bird | Nanjing Vocational University of Industry Technology, China Brick Recycling | Ugent Campus Krtrijk, Belgium Cargorriel | Instituto Tecnológico San Bonifacio, Argentina Classroom Energy Management System | David-Roentgen-Schule Neuwied, Germany Control system of industrial marking machine scaling new heights | Zhengzhou University of light idustry, China cryotec@ic3 | TH Wildau, Germany Design of Lighting System for Outdoor Track and Field Stadium | Anhui University, China Developing a Compact Automatic Cultivato | International College of Technology Kanazawa, Japan Eco Waste Sorter | Heriot Watt University, Dubai 84 Phoenix Contact ECOM | Colegio Corazón de María, Spain Econavipesca | University of Cauca, Colombia Electro infinity | Mugla Sitki Kopcman University, Türkiye Energy Awareness System for Young Learners | Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa Energy Measurment, Analysis and Management | School of Technology and Management (ESTG) - Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Portugal Esante | Esante Company LLC, Burkina Faso Finger-joined wood detection and classification device | Yantai University, China fiREX | Berufsbildende Schule 1 Mainz, Germany Flexible visual sorting stations | Nanjing Vocational University of industry Technology, China GESIC Next | Universidad Tecnológica Nacional FRSN, Argentina Healing Cabin | Tongji University, China Henry | Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentina Hogwarts in reality | Tongji University, China Holus | Universidad Tecnológica Nacional Facultad Regional San Rafael, Argentina Home of Tomorrow | GF Machning Solutions AG, Switzerland Implementation of a disassembly additional station for pieces recovery | Valahia University, Romania Inacap Puente Alto | Inacap Puente Alto, Chile Intelligent Air Handling Unit Based on Digital Twins | Tongji University, China Intelligent infrastructure system for pharmacy automatic replenishment based on PLCnext platform | Shanghai DianJi University, China Intelligent rescue robot based on OPENMV | Yantai University, China Intelligent Ventilation Window | Tongji University, China Interactive Board | Escuela Cooperativa Técnica Los Andes, Argentina IoT-based Smart Net Energy Meter with advanced billing feature for residential buildings including PV System | American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Bangladesh Jelgavniekiem | Jelgava Secondary School of Technologies, Latvia Ketran Agrobot | DUOC UC, Chile Learning solutions with eletronic waste | Universidad del Bío Bío, Chile

Machine Learning based electronic measurement device for non- intrusively determining the volume of liquid in a resonating chamber using acoustic resonance phenomena | University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Manufacturing method of composite material stator B.L.D.C motors | UTN-FRBA, Argentina microCHPNext | CPOH-UPV, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia , Spain Modular house | Cracow University of Technology, Poland NurseBot | Heriot Watt University Dubai, Dubai OCS | Escuela Cooperativa Técnica Los Andes, Argentina Off-grid IoT Composting System | Institute of Technical Education, Singapore Pick & Place | David-Roentgen-Schule Neuwied, Germany „Pioneer”-Marine Exploration Equipment | Harbin Engineering University, China Planergy Solutions | Planergy Solutions, Hungary PLCNext Application in Robotic Arm Control | Da Nang University of Technology, Vietnam PLCnext -based UAV Multi-Target Tracking and Supervision System | Shanghai DianJi University, China PLCnext Virtual Training System VR@Train | Burapha University, Thailand Poles Of Power | American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Bangladesh Portable H2O Power | GF Machning Solutions AG, Switzerland PXR Phoenix Contact Metaverse| PRESENCE XR SOLUTIONS, S.L.,Spain RADiSh | Purdue University, USA RHEA | UTN Facultad regional San Rafael, Argentina ROV-S | Duoc UC, Campus Puerto Montt, Chile Said | Ensa tetouan, Morocco SANIR | Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, IUCAA, India SBS Signal Behavior Supervisor | Universidad Tecnologica Nacional Facultad Regional del Neuquen, Argentina Seed Masters | Lycée des Arts et Métiers BTS CBC & BTS GT, Luxemburg Sensory based Identification | David-Roentgen-Schule Neuwied, Germany Separator | Cracow University of Technology, Poland Smart Aquaphonics | Heriot Watt University Dubai, Dubai Smart Energy Storage | VFacultad de Ingeniería - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina Smart Gains | Berufsbildende Schule 1 Mainz, Germany Smart Guide Glasses | Tongji university, China SMART PRE-PAID COMMS | NIMT, Namibia smart supply | David-Roentgen-Schule Neuwied, Germany Smart technology for saving live | Cracow University of Technology, Poland Smart Recycle and dog food dispensing machine | DPM_Automation, DUOC UC, Chile Social Pillar | Colegiul Național „Mihai Viteazul“ Turda, Romania Solar Powered Street marking robot | Alexandria Training & Engineering Services Center, Egypt SVAKO TEAM | Šiauliai State University of Applied Sciences, Lithuania Synchrono-X | Berufsbildende Schule 1 Mainz, Germany Tech Education for Inclusion | Instituto Profesional Duoc UC, Chile The unbreakable synergy | ENSAM Casablanca, Morocco Tree maintenance robot based on visual recognition system | Yantai University, China Tsuz&Matz Lab. | National Institute of Technology, Toyota College, Japan UAV Based PV System Inspection „Karya“ | Mugla Sitki Kocman University, Türkiye Unmanned Ground Vehicle | Edith Cowan University, Australia Visual guided detection combined with manipulator | Tiangong University, China Water Management at Home for sustainable world using iot | Federal Institute of Science and Technology (FISAT), India Water treatment plant for teaching | David-Roentgen-Schule Neuwied, Germany WCC Engineering Design Team | Walker Career Center, USA Wolfast Uniovi Racing Team | Universidad de Oviedo (UNIOVI), Spain Yturok | Yildiz Technical University, Türkiye Phoenix Contact 85