Interview with Konrad Steblovnik

Only digitalisation of the world is missing

We have talked to Mr. Konrad Steblovnik, the head of R&D ‘Intelligent Home’ program at Gorenje Point, leading the Development Project of User's Interface designed on the basis of graphical LCD, sensitive to touch and suitable for application in domestic appliances.

Konrad Steblovnik was born on 22 December 1951 in Celje. In the year 1975 he graduated from Industrial Electronics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, , and after two years he got employed with Gorenje as R&D Engineer for TV (CRT) and Computers. In 1981 he headed the group for Microcomputer Systems. In 1985 he attained the master's degree in computer and information science and got employed with Iskra Delta as the head of R&D Group for Computer Peripheral Equipment. In the year 1989 he returned to Gorenje as the head of R&D project of Digital TV and Electronic Assembly Development and three years later became the head of R&D in Gorenje Elektronika /Gorenje Electronics. Since the year 2000 he has been employed with Gorenje, d.d., as the Head of R&D Group for Smart Home. Since 1996 he has been actively engaged as lecturer at the Higher School for Electrical Engineering at Velenje. In 2004 he filed an application for doctor’s studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Maribor. He is the author and co-author of numerous innovations. He is the author of the patent for a safety universal remote control key for DBV devices. He cooperates in a number of development projects lead by the government of the RS. For his work in the computer technology he was also awarded several acknowledgements, among other the title: Innovator of Gorenje 2003.

User’s interface known as Touch screen was designed and developed in Gorenje for new generations of high-end appliances – washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, ovens and hobs. What type of the unit is actually in question?

We talk about the user’s interface based on a graphical LCD, sensitive to touch by finger and suitable for application in domestic appliances. This type of technology offers us a high flexibility level in designing user- friendly appliance controls, the price of which is reasonable and offers possibilities for implementation of a great number of additional and applicable functions for a target system, which in generally cannot be offered by a standard electromechanical control. The interface is a simple, user- friendly technological solution offering at the same time highly friendly ergonomic control of program menus. In technical words, the interface is the implementation of the electronics with three embedded micro controllers, and LCD of resolution 240x128 pixels enabling optimal execution of application, which is as such ready also for a remote connection.

Where is Gorenje positioned in the development of new technologies?

Actually we are ranked among the world top manufacturers in development of new technologies. News about our solution of user-friendly touch controls is spreading fast and laic as well as professional public wants to learn about our achievements. For user friendly touch controls built in the appliances we have already obtained three international awards, which additionally strengthen the information about our user interface. Moreover, this is additional sign for our work in the R&D that we are on the right road doing well.

What was the development of touch control like from its very concept up to its implementation?

I could say that the turning point was the presentation of smart home at the Hometech fair held in Berlin 2002. The response to the concept of the smart home highly exceeded our expectations. In a positive sense, of course. And that convinced even last sceptics that the future is in sophisticated technologies. We were also aware that the competition follows development trends as well, and that they have been and will be trying to introduce smart technologies in the development of appliances.

What is actually the touch control if we peep under the mask of control panel?

The LCD screen is coated with a touch sensitive foil sensitive, thus taking the role of a graphical interface through which the user controls the appliance. It is particularly this implementation of LCD screen, which is unique and first in the world of white goods. Wintek Company from Taiwan manufactured it according to our requirements and from where it is also supplied. Our joint development up to its final acceptable version took us more than a year time. The implementation of this screen and how to manufacture it was for both of us a great challenge. The electronic module on the back side of the control panel was also the product of our own development and based on our documentation it is manufactured for us by Elrad International Company from Gornja Radgona.

What was the development of touch control like from its very concept up to its implementation?

Is therefore the development completely the product of Gorenje’s experts?

In this place I would like very much to point out that the design and development of touch controls is a team work of diverse expert services inside Gorenje. The control of washing machine menus was developed by R&D Washing Appliances, the visual solution of icons was developed in cooperation between R&D Washing Appliances, Design Centre, and Marketing, the technical solution and software was made in the R&D of Smart Home, while the aesthetic design for interface was made by the Design Centre. Now we acooperate too in a similar way with R&D services in the production of Refrigerating and Cooking appliances, and we developed the electronic control units with the similar graphical user interface for the refrigerator Premium and oven Pininfarina.

The touch control is dynamic and state of the art graphical interface, which can be applied to all white goods. Has it been deliberately developed as well?

Certainly. It was developed on purpose. The washing machine was just the first appliance to which it was applied, as at that time we worked on the development of a new generation of washing machines. Consequently, it was not just coincidence to cooperate with the R&D Washing Appliances in developing the interface. Today, we have the know-how about this technology and solution, and can be upgraded and applied wherever we want to. The new generation of refrigerating-freezing and cooking-backing appliances has already been launched to the markets worldwide, and these appliances of new generation have the touch controls installed in them the same as washing machines have. Applications have already been upgraded and prepared for remote control of appliances.

How the remote control of appliances is observed through your eyes of an expert, and last but not the least, through the eyes of consumers? Is it a technology of the future?

Nowadays, the remote control is not a novelty in certain fields of techniques, and such solutions are being developed in white goods worldwide. The subject we talk about is the availability of domestic appliances for remote access, especially through internet, and this is in my opinion the technology of the future in our branch. Through the eyes of an expert, as you call me, I would say that the remote control is so simple that one needs not to be an expert to understand it. However, it is true, if observed through the eyes of the user that sometimes the subject matter appears as a very sophisticated and demanding. But indeed, all new technologies are generally made user friendly and easy to use. We, as the manufacturer, are the ones who have to inform users that new technologies are simple to control the appliances, the same as the mechanical ones are. I believe that in controlling domestic appliances we will become more and more demanding, because whatever the market offers us today, will seem rather trivial tomorrow. We miss only connected appliances, which we are preparing already. All our new solutions are based on implementation of new digital and microcomputer technology, more and more established in the world.