FAS graduate leads P.V.A. systems to innovation in automation

In May, the first ever self-service container shop opened on the WBU campus. The credit for its launch goes to colleagues from the Department of Cybernetics at the FAS and the company P.V.A. systems. Patrik Nachtmann, a FAS graduate, has been involved in the project from the beginning.

Patrik studied Systems for Identification, Security, and Communication at the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS), but he found project management and business development more appealing. He started working at P.V.A. systems, a company founded by his father and other graduates of the University of West Bohemia, during his studies. After completing his master's degree in Germany, he fully dedicated himself to new projects.

PVA develops cash register and business systems. "Based on customer demand, such as from the COOP group, we expanded our systems to include order automation, electronic price tags, self-service checkouts, and more," says Patrik Nachtmann.

Over a year ago, the idea of a fully automated container store emerged. Meetings with Luboš Šmídl, Jan Švec, and Martin Bulín from FAS, with whom PVA had collaborated on fruit and vegetable recognition, led to the idea of a self-service checkout with a camera that recognizes the product and offers it to the customer. "We thought about how to approach it. Then we came up with the idea to use the university campus as a testing site," explains the graduate.

The campus is a strategic place for testing new algorithms and improving technologies. This idea was supported by the ZČU bursar Petr Beneš. "He liked the idea and saw its potential. There is no similar store in the Czech Republic," appreciates the approach of the ZČU management.

Patrik collaborates with other FAS graduates, such as Martin Jandík and Adam Klečka. Martin is involved in programming the self-service checkout, while Adam focuses on fruit and vegetable recognition. Patrik concentrates more on business activities, attending conferences, and developing projects in foreign markets.

PVA plans further collaboration with the Department of Cybernetics, focusing on customer behavior classification and the use of voice synthesis for communication. "Our customers come up with new ideas that need to be realized. As the number of customers grows, so does our team, and with the advent of 24/7 stores, we have new opportunities and challenges," concludes Patrik Nachtmann