BSH, the home appliance group behind brands like Bosch, Siemens, Gaggenau and Neff, partnered with PDD to develop an innovative wireless Household Voice Navigator (HVN) to support its customers in China. The result is Xiao Yu, a voice-activated personal assistant that controls domestic appliances and offers advice on cooking, cleaning and washing for better home living.
Informed by research and with striking visual appeal and functionality, Xiao Yu is the first device of its kind to combine voice interaction and housework knowledge to assist consumers around the home in an easy, delightful way. The BSH and PDD teams carried out extensive consumer research in people’s homes to identify the unmet needs of time-poor, multigenerational urban households in China.
Building on the research insights, we developed a voice-activated solution that is small, smart and appealing. With slick lines, a luxury finish and an understated look and feel Xiao Yu blends comfortably in a diversity of home environments.
The design puts people at the heart of the smart home. In an industry where differentiation is hard to come by, Xiao Yu stands out as an example of contemporary, appealing, human-centred design.
Designed for inclusion. Designed to address the needs of multi-generational households, Xiao Yu appeals both to tech-savvy users and those who are not so comfortable with smart devices – a balance that is often hard to strike when developing a product and service experience.
Beyond the kitchen. With an understated look and feel that suits a variety of living spaces, Xiao Yu’s design features enable flexibility of positioning and use beyond the kitchen environment – a move that challenges industry conventions.
A world-first knowledge platform to enhance the user experience. Xiao Yu’s seamless, voice-activated consumer experience is enhanced by a powerful unique knowledge platform – a world-first in the home appliances industry. Conceived and developed by the BSH China team, the platform compiles over a century of knowledge in home appliances and housework practices, giving consumers access to the best, most relevant advice, as and when they need it.
Launched in December 2020, Xiao Yu will act as an innovation platform for BSH Group globally to develop services and experiences that put people at the heart of the smart home.
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