Column Judith Witte: 'Heating and cybercrime'

I really don't consider myself a digital illiterate, to put it bluntly. I am an expert in Word, I can e-mail, instagram, do digital banking and buy train tickets at an ns ticket machine. However, everything is relative. My children probably think otherwise, as witnessed by the rolling eyes when I am fiddling with some electronic 'device' and they impatiently sigh, "Come, give it to me".

They are sitting at the kitchen table, my trio. The eldest two both have to present an innovative solution to an existing problem in a short pitch for their studies. The youngest wants to go into IT soon and is amazingly aware of what is possible.

When it comes to automation, robotisation and digitalisation, we often hear that developments in the food industry are slower than in other sectors. The automotive industry, on the other hand, is still at the forefront. Now I recently read that Tesla will stop using ultrasonic sensors (USS) in new Model 3 and Y cars. "Along with the removal of USS, we released our vision-based occupancy network at the same time. This system is currently being used in Full Self- Driving Beta to replace the inputs generated by USS. With the current software, this approach gives the Autopilot high-definition spatial positioning, visibility over a wider range and the ability to identify and distinguish objects."

I see! No, I have to be honest: "Uh..., sorry...? This kind of language makes me feel like a digital illiterate, I completely lose track. Although wireless is again the ultimate at the moment. Witness the humanoid robot that Tesla presented earlier this month. Optimus is his name (m/f) and he looks like a man. The robot supports audio for communication purposes and also includes Wi-Fi and lte modules. Tesla mentions that the chipset also includes hardware security features "to protect both the robot and bystanders". In which scenarios that may be necessary, they don't say, but they do say that this prototype can walk around without supporting cabling. And that is good news, because power and data cables are now the backbone of our interconnected economies, and they make us vulnerable to sabotage. Whoever can sabotage a pipeline can also strike power cables to offshore wind farms and data cables. On the other hand; cybercrime is also increasing. I am struck by silence.

Back to the conversation at the kitchen table, things are anything but quiet there. They are getting well on track, the discussion is getting heated. 'Go ahead,' I thought. 'Fire it up! It will help reduce my energy bill'.

Judith Witte
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