From Research to Application: Projects at Fraunhofer EMFT

Lunar dust is a central challenge in lunar exploration. Fraunhofer EMFT is part of the DEAR research project of the European Space Agency ESA and is working with its partners specifically on the systematic development and testing of strategies for removing lunar dust from optics, mechanisms and astronautical components. Of particular interest are risk assessment, avoidance and cleaning techniques, such as the use of electric fields to remove lunar dust from surfaces.

Fraunhofer EMFT is developing intelligent plasters for the early detection of pressure ulcers in nursing care. For this purpose, work is being done on an AI-supported prophylaxis that can initiate preventive actions through early detection, thus making life easier for nursing staff and the person treating the patient.

Whether in automobiles – especially in the context of autonomous driving – or future industrial manufacturing: plugs and electrical connection technologies have a key role to play in digital networking. They are the main interface between machines, control units and data processing systems and so they provide the basis for the functionality, simple handling and reliability of automation technology.

Aquaplaning and black ice turn streets into dangerous slides, which often leads to serious accidents. Within the framework of the high-performance center »secure intelligent systems« (LZSiS), Fraunhofer EMFT and Uedelhoven Studios are working together on a solution to the problem. A real-time warning system shall identify the potential danger due to water or ice on the road surface, thus enabling a predictive detection of the road conditions. Such an early warning system would increase the road safety for all traffic participants.

Microrelative movements can lead to crack formation and crack growth in press-fit connections. Together with the Institute of Materials Engineering and the Institute of Drive and Vehicle Technology, both at the University of Kassel, Fraunhofer EMFT researchers are working on a suitable accelerating model to better understand how these undesirable effects occur.

Autonomous driving has a strong position in almost all concepts for tomorrow's mobility. Since automated driving no longer involves human intervention, the corresponding sensors and electronics must meet the highest reliability requirements: The system must be able to respond to unforeseen events as well as remain stable in case of faults or functional impairments - for example, delayed or missing information, the failure of a component or the loss of the electrical power supply.

In the LEO project (platform technology for the resource-efficient production of conductive tracks on large-area surfaces equipped with electronics), Fraunhofer ISE and Fraunhofer EMFT are bundling their expertise in fine-line metallization and roll-to-roll processing as well as thin-chip integration in foils.

Air filtration systems are considered an effective measure to reduce the risk of infection by SARS-Cov-2 in enclosed spaces. However, the HEPA filters commonly used to date are maintenance-intensive and costly. Researchers at Fraunhofer EMFT, together with Helmholtz Zentrum München, ams OSRAM International GmbH and MANN+HUMMEL GmbH are developing self-sterilizing filter elements using integrated LED chips to clean the air.

In the StroBA project, a Fraunhofer EMFT research team at the Oberpfaffenhofen site is taking a closer look at the effects of environmental impact on connector systems in cooperation with Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences: the aim here is to look at how damage and aging response is influenced by different types of micromotion (rotation and translation) and by design features and line routing.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in Europe - with more than 6 million new cases every year within the EU. Reliable monitoring systems that detect intermittent abnormalities and recognize critical cardiac behaviors would be an effective means of preventing the feared sudden cardiac death. The goal of the EU SmartVista (Smart Autonomous Multi Modal Sensors for Vital Signs Monitoring) project is to develop and demonstrate a next-generation, low-cost, intelligent multi-modal sensor platform to reduce the incidence of sudden death from cardiovascular disease.