3D House for the Energy Manager by Bosch Thermotechnology
Background information
As part of several website projects, Kittelberger developed an interactive 3D application for Bosch Thermotechnology to accompany the new Energy Manager. By connecting to product data from advastamedia®, product details can be displayed directly within a 3D house. Kittelberger was responsible for the design, concept, and implementation. The result is a multi-touch capable and interactive 3D application with an optimized user experience design.
Key data
The new Energy Manager from Bosch Thermotechnology is a smart software solution that connects heat pumps and photovoltaic systems to manage a home’s energy needs. To make the Energy Manager tangible for users, Kittelberger designed a 3D house that can be explored virtually from the website.
The house is divided into various rooms such as kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom, attic, and basement. Outdoor areas like the front door, garden, and garage can also be explored.
Users begin their virtual tour by entering a room. In each room, a selection list of products is displayed, which can be added and freely positioned with a simple click.
Once a product is placed in the room, users can click or tap an info button to view product details or go directly to the product detail page. Additionally, relevant Bosch dealers can be displayed dynamically.
Integration of Product Data and CMS Elements
The project required an intensive concept and planning phase. A major advantage during implementation was the integration with the advastamedia® product database: product images and information in each room are fully customizable. This is especially useful for country-specific adaptations – for instance, if a heating unit is placed in the attic instead of the basement in some regions.
The different rooms can be managed within the CMS (Content Management System), allowing Bosch to make country-specific adjustments independently.
Initially, only static images of the house were available for the animation. These were processed by Kittelberger, Bosch Thermotechnology product images were placed into the rooms, and all content was fully rendered. Finally, images, texts, and videos were combined into an interactive application.
“A great application that visualizes energy flows in and around the house and shows which devices the Energy Manager can control efficiently,” praises Patricia Rieth, Marketing Brand Management at Bosch Germany.
In addition to user-friendliness, the 3D house also contributes to better product understanding: products are displayed in the context of the home and in relation to one another.