Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden have developed a new production process with the aim of efficient and environmentally friendly future battery production. They coat the electrodes of the energy storage cells with a dry film instead of liquid chemicals. This simplified process saves energy and eliminates toxic […]
Artificial Intelligence Automatically Detects Disturbances in Power Supply Grids
The grid is changing as the big, centralized providers of the past are replaced by smaller, distributed suppliers. Keeping such complex networks running stable requires high-resolution sensor technology – AI provides a way to make accurate predictions and automatically detect any disturbances or anomalies in real time. Here is how Fraunhofer researchers developed the compression […]
Novel Color Sensors Are Less Expensive to Manufacture
In the FOWINA project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg have developed novel color sensors with a special microlens arrangement. The sensors can be realized directly on the chip and combine multiple functions in a minimum of space. Their extremely slim design […]
The Robot Eye with an All-Round Field of View
Where am I? Like humans, robots also need to answer that question, while they tirelessly glue, weld or apply seals to workpieces. After all, the production of precision products depends on robot control systems knowing the location of the adhesive bonding head or welding head to the nearest millimeter at all times. This means the […]
A Sentinel To Watch Over Ocular Pressure
Fast, easy and uncomplicated – that sums up the EYEMATE sensor system developed jointly by Duisburg’s Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS and Hanover’s Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH (Implandata). It is a real innovation in intraocular pressure measurement. EYEMATE is sure to make life easier for glaucoma patients and their eye doctors. This […]
Autonomous Trucks For Logistics Centers
Spatially demarcated areas such as company premises are ideal test areas for autonomous driving: the vehicles do not require road registration, traffic is manageable, other people who use the road are informed and unauthorized individuals are not allowed access. In the collaborative project AutoTruck, Fraunhofer is cooperating with industry to develop technologies for autonomous trucks […]
LED Stool To Combat Back Pain
Sitting down for hours on end is hazardous to our health – whether it is in the office, at school, in the car or on the sofa. Backaches, obesity, diabetes and other conditions are the consequences of a lack of movement. It is important, therefore, to integrate dynamic sitting into our everyday lives. In a […]
Lightweight Robots Harvest Cucumbers
Automation-intensive sectors such as the automotive industry are not the only ones to rely on robots. In more and more agricultural settings, automation systems are superseding strenuous manual labor. As part of the EU’s CATCH project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK is developing and testing a dual-arm robot for the […]
Low-Latency Image Data Compression
The number of cameras in cars is increasing. However, through the flood of data the internal networks are being pushed to their limits. Special compression methods reduce the amount of video data, but exhibit a high degree of latency for coding. Fraunhofer researchers have adapted video compression in such a way that a latency is […]
Sensor The Size Of A Nitrogen Atom Investigates Hard Drives
To connect components with each other, gluing is preferred today instead of welding, riveting or using screws. That makes cars, planes and agricultural machines lighter. The requirements placed on the adhesive are high, though: it has to be flexible enough to compensate for stress peaks in the joint zone while still providing a rigid connection […]