Research projects for the Scientific Year 2024

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Alongside climate change, the loss of biodiversity is one of the greatest threats to humanity. The protection of biodiversity is currently and in the future one of the most urgent tasks facing our society. Monitoring biodiversity is crucial for providing advance warning of impending species decline and/or extinction, for establishing management measures, for quantifying the effectiveness of management practices to conserve biodiversity and for providing the data to underpin metrics that reflect the status of biodiversity. Effective and comprehensive biodiversity monitoring requires a broad range of methods and approaches. The most promising sources of new monitoring data in the future will be automated and semi-automated data collection and analysis methods that cover large spatial scales. Artificial intelligence will play an indispensable role here.

The AI research group will develop methods and technologies that enable efficient, fast and automated monitoring of biodiversity in various habitats and landscapes in order to track the development of ecosystems, species communities and populations and analyze the causes of changes. The sub-project based at TU Ilmenau will focus its research primarily on the further development of network architectures and methods:

"The further development of AI methods will create key impetus for environmental and biodiversity research"

Contact: TU Ilmenau Data-intensive Systems and Visualization Group (dAI.SY) Prof. Patrick Mäder E-mail | Project website

Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)

Sorting and actively influencing liquids and the tiny particles or cells they contain is important for many applications: in industry and process engineering, but also in pharmacology, microreaction technology and biomedical research. Acoustofluidics is therefore one of the key technologies within the life sciences: with the help of acoustic fields, i.e. ultrasonic waves with high frequencies far beyond the audible range, the trajectories of particles and the flow can be influenced in a targeted and contactless manner. The velocity fields are completely three-dimensional and complex. In addition, the heat input into the system is crucial, as high temperatures can damage the biological samples.

In order to be able to use acoustofluidic systems, particularly in the field of biomedical research, an understanding of the physical mechanisms and boundary conditions is therefore essential. The aim of the project is therefore to promote this understanding through so-called 3D3C velocity and temperature measurements in various systems using particles and biological samples in particular.

Contact:

Prof. Christian Cierpka Head of Technical Thermodynamics E-Mail

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK)

Considering the brain as an open system, it is possible not only to study the internal dynamics of the brain, but also to analyze how the brain interacts with other (sub)systems of the body. According to recent studies, the interactions between the central nervous system (CNS) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) appear to occur on much longer time scales than the traditionally described frequencies in the EEG.

A research team at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering is developing a mobile monitoring system to record these low-frequency EEGs in the context of a multimodal body sensor network (BSN) in order to investigate their interactions with physiological and pathological processes in the body and to be able to use them clinically in the future. The following core innovations are to be realized: 1) Compact mobile body sensor network 2) Multimodal signal acquisition 3) First mobile DC-EEG and SpO2 acquisition 4) Gel-free sensor concepts 5) New methods of online analysis 6) Modeling the interaction of CNS and ANS 7) Combination of edge computing and cloud-based machine learning

Contact: Prof. Jens Haueisen Head of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics E-Mail

funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

A large amount of data is currently available, but cannot be used in the healthcare sector in particular due to existing data protection requirements. Our motivation in the AVATAR project is to resolve this contradiction with a new anonymization approach and to be able to use available data for better patient care, innovative product developments and efficient and short development times. Together, the 18 partners in the project are developing a completely new approach to anonymizing personal health data based on the creation of so-called digital avatars, i.e. artificial persons based on real data.

Researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering are investigating the anonymization of electroencephalography (EEG) data. To this end, they are determining the conditions under which EEGs can be recognized and researching methods to anonymize EEGs while retaining the medically relevant information. Furthermore, the theoretical information content of the EEG is analyzed in order to estimate the risk of re-identification with future methods. In addition, obligations and recommendations for action will be determined for the holders of EEG data, which will arise if anonymous data becomes identifiable using future methods.

Contact: Prof. Jens Haueisen Head of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics E-mail |Project website

Few people have the species-specific knowledge required to implement sufficient suitable measures to conserve the more than 560 native wild bees. In the "BeesUp" project, a research team from the Julius Kühn Institute, TU Ilmenau and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg is therefore developing a digital planning tool supported by artificial intelligence (AI) for designing open spaces in urban areas that are suitable for wild bees.

The digital planning tool will be available to all interested parties in the form of a free app and will link the parameters of land use and location with species-specific requirements in an intelligent recommendation system. On the one hand, this will enable a much broader range of areas, some of which are used intensively, to be upgraded as habitats for wild bees, while on the other, the site- and species-specific recommendations will promote structurally rich urban spaces. An interactive wild bee identification function is intended to usefully expand the functional scope of the digital planning tool, generate additional planning-relevant data and increase the number of users.

This is how the TU Ilmenau ensures wild bee-friendly cities

Contact: Prof. Patrick Mäder Head of Data-intensive Systems and Visualization Group (dAI.SY) E-mail | Project website

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

Currently, weed control in conventional arable farming systems is mainly carried out using adapted herbicide strategies. Against the background of the negative effects of plant protection products on the environment and an increasing loss of weed diversity on many cultivated areas, new, above all environmentally friendly approaches to weed control must be developed. The greatest challenge for practical agriculture lies in the balance between the need for economic farm management and the associated intensive weed control on the one hand, and the increasing social and political demands for ecologically sound cultivation of arable land on the other. In order to combine these two requirements in a practical way, a) cost-effective and time-efficient tools must be available to record different weed species and densities, b) area-specific information on weed occurrence must be generated, and c) concrete management plans for farmers must be derived from distribution maps.

The aim of this project is therefore autonomous recording, AI-based identification and evaluation of the weed species occurring on agricultural land and the subsequent creation of georeferenced distribution maps that also take site-specific characteristics of the areas into account. Based on these area maps, individual, site-specific management plans for weed management will be derived and experimentally validated. The main focus will be on promoting increased weed diversity while at the same time controlling highly competitive weed species.

Contact: Prof. Patrick Mäder, Head of Data-intensive Systems and Visualization Group (dAI.SY) E-Mail | Project website

funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation as part of the "Breakthroughs 2020" funding program

A central human need is to lead an independent life in regular social interaction with others. The technology research envisaged in the CO-HUMANICS project is intended to contribute to fulfilling this need as comprehensively as possible, even in times of pronounced individualization, spatial separation from relatives and friends and an ageing society.

The CO-HUMANICS project is concerned with basic and applied research into technology-supported social co-presence. Such co-presence can be realized through augmented and mixed reality (AR/MR) technologies and robot-based telepresence, in which physically distant people are virtually present in a person's real environment.

The project's target group is primarily senior citizens, i.e. specifically people of active retirement age through to very old age and their typical interaction partners. It is expected that the findings of CO-HUMANICS will also be applicable to other target groups and will generally lead to improved telepresence and assistance systems, for example in the professional/industrial environment.

The project is being carried out by five groups at TU Ilmenau(participating groups).

Press release on the start of the Co-Humanics project

mdr Wissen: Using augmented reality to combat loneliness in old age

Contact: TU Ilmenau, Prof. Alexander Raake Group of Audiovisual Technology E-mail | Project website

Funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs

Everyone has an individual internal biological clock. If we live against our internal clock, for example due to traveling, this has a negative impact on our health. The use of chronobiologically effective lighting can bring our inner clock back into sync and demonstrably improve our well-being. The core idea of the Chronolite joint project, coordinated by jetlite GmbH, is to develop a digital ecosystem for networking lighting loT (Internet of Things) in the mobility sector.

In the "Environmental data" sub-project, a team at the Department of Lighting Technology is developing the intelligent loT sensors required for the Chronolite platform to measure lighting in trains, airplanes and cars. The aim is to use virtual light sensors, light sensors from the existing infrastructure and individually worn sensors to model personal light profiles so that the lighting in cars, trains and planes can be adjusted to the chronobiological clock of travelers and thus promote healthy sleep.

Contact: Prof. Christoph Schierz Head of Lighting Engineering Group, E-mail

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) via the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR)

In view of the recent increase in the volume of logging timber, forestry operations have to invest significantly more financial, human and natural resources in maintaining and repairing forest roads. In order to optimize these efforts, the scientists in the joint project "Contura" are developing an innovative tool for the automated, optically based recording of the condition of forest paths, which forest owners and forestry companies can use to reliably calculate the measures and costs for maintaining their paths. To this end, the Contura data is to be entered into a database for trail condition definitions.

To this end, TU Ilmenau is developing a concept for a complex sensor system in the project, which records features such as the condition of the roadway and the condition of the lateral ditch systems and the free clearance profile and, on this basis, transmits a 3D profile of the path to the downstream AI system. to the downstream AI data processing system. For a comparable measurement, appropriate calibration concepts must be developed and various sensor systems must be combined to form a multimodal sensor system.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Gunther Notni, Group for Quality Assurance and Industrial Image Processing, E-mail

Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)

The DECIPHER project analyzes comparatively how effectively governments, health institutions and media in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States have informed their citizens about COVID-19 and encouraged self-protective behavior. Three key questions guide the project: (1) What explanations and messages about COVID-19 and related protective measures have governments and health institutions communicated to the public in the respective countries? (2) How did the media report on the pandemic and the associated risk messages from governments? (3) How did the population perceive the pandemic and the risk messages?

To answer these questions, the research team from four departments in the fields of communication science and computer science at TU Ilmenau and the BfR's Risk Communication Department is using a multidisciplinary approach that combines expertise and methods from communication science, psychology and computer science. Innovative data science methods such as machine learning and network analysis are also used, for example to identify influential networks and echo chambers in social media in the context of the pandemic.

Contact: Prof. Martin Löffelholz, Head of Research group Media Studies,E-Mail

Press release TU Ilmenau launches international research project on corona communication

Supported by the Free State of Thuringia with funds from the European Social Fund Plus

Emissions in traffic from non-motorized sources are becoming increasingly important due to alternative and in some cases locally emission-free drive concepts. These emissions are mainly caused by abrasion from brakes and tires and contribute significantly to the overall environmental impact in terms of particulate emissions and microplastics. Brake and tire abrasion occur primarily as environmental pollution in busy, inner-city areas with frequent braking and acceleration maneuvers and thus contribute disproportionately to the high share of traffic in total emissions.

The EMI-V research group is working on identifying and analyzing these factors. Measures to minimize emissions are developed and evaluated on the basis of modelling. One of the most important measures is intelligent traffic management. A corresponding analysis of traffic density and traffic flow in connection with the environmental impact of particulate emissions forms the basis for identifying critical scenarios and shows possibilities for optimization approaches. The objective of the EMI-V research group is to derive recommendations for action to minimize emissions in traffic.

Contact: Prof. Thomas Bachmann, Head of Automotive Engineering, E-mail

As part of the communication science research project, three sub-studies will be conducted over three years to systematically investigate how the topics of first time, menstruation and abortion are presented in social media as key topics in the field of sexuality education, contraception and family planning.

All three topics are relevant in the context of reproductive health, as the onset of menstruation creates the need for pregnancy and contraception - from the very first sexual intercourse. If, despite contraceptive options, an unplanned pregnancy occurs during the first or any subsequent sexual intercourse in adolescents or young adults, the question of abortion may arise.

Only if you know how abortion, first time sex and menstruation are presented and discussed on social media today can you pick up young people where they stand on these issues. The EMSA project results can therefore help to empower young people to search for suitable online content on sexual and reproductive health in a targeted manner and to critically classify problematic online content.

Contact: Prof. Nicola Döring, Head of the Media Psychology and Media Design Group, E-mail | Project website

Supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK)

Taking a sauna is a tradition that goes back thousands of years and is said to have a positive effect on body and mind. Similar to sporting activity, a regular sauna session exercises the cardiovascular system. Among other things, this increases body temperature, improves blood circulation and oxygen saturation and promotes healing and pain relief. However, to date there is no adequate way of quantifying the positive effects precisely and presenting them qualitatively. Furthermore, there is no way of evaluating the interaction of several vital parameters (e.g. body temperature, heart rate, skin conductance and blood pressure) and using them specifically to improve physical health or promote preventive measures.

The aim of the project is to develop an intelligent infrared cabin as a tool for improving vitality. In contrast to the traditional Finnish sauna, infrared heat cabins use infrared radiation to heat the body from the inside out. The air temperature remains below 60 °C, which can be less stressful for some users. Special task-adapted sensor technology is used to record various vital parameters during the sauna. The data is then processed by an assistance system and individual recommendations for the next sauna sessions and routines are generated. The effects described above are to be quantified, qualified and individualized by recording and adjusting the heat application.

The system includes real-time recording of vital parameters and real-time control of the intensity and wavelength of the infrared radiation and the resulting temperature in the cabin. The focus of the Biomechatronics department is on the selection and implementation of the necessary sensor technology, the analysis and annotation of the recorded parameters and the establishment of a control system for the cabin based on the recommendations for action generated by machine learning ("artificial intelligence").

Contact: Prof. Hartmut Witte, Head of the Biomechatronics Group, E-mail | Project profile

Funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection

In a recent survey of more than 500 people, 38% stated that they knew less than 20 herbaceous, wild plant species. Only 10% knew more than 100 species by name. Nature conservation organizations and scientists have been complaining about a lack of species knowledge in our society for years, even among trained biologists. While biodiversity is dwindling, so are the opportunities to record it at all. How can these two negative trends, which are mutually reinforcing, be stopped or even reversed?

Initial experiences with the Flora lncopgnita app show the potential for documenting plant occurrences, flowering periods and increasing plant knowledge among the population. In this follow-up project, the app is to be further developed so that it can establish itself as a standard method for plant identification in Germany, including for taxa that are critical to identification. Professional associations and authorities are to be given access to the recorded data. A combination of data science methods, a discussion platform for critical findings and systematic expert assessment will ensure the quality and precision of the recorded findings and thus enable the long-term documentation of plant occurrences. The follow-up project continues to attach great importance to citizen science participation within the framework of Flora Capture and the Flora lncognita app, which will be expanded to include time- and location-specific tasks.

Contact: Prof. Patrick Mäder, Head of Data-intensive Systems and Visualization Group (dAI.SY), E-mail | Project website

funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

The Fullerene sub-project of the joint project "Coatings with fullerenes and microstructures for dental implants (Full-micro-patt)" aims to synthesize and specifically adapt highly stable carbon nanostructure layers made of fullerenes to improve the biological compatibility and longevity of special ceramic dental implants. The challenge is to synthesize and adapt suitable fullerene derivatives that are both suitable for incorporation into ceramic layers and have a long-term medical effect without being released from the layer in measurable concentrations.

A novel approach is therefore being pursued to implement an ideal nanomorphology involving fullerene derivatives, whereby interfacial and biochemistry are synergistically combined. Among other things, novel fullerenes with fluorescent dyes are to be researched, with which the interaction of the fullerenes in the surface layer of the ceramic with the biological environment in the oral cavity can be investigated. The aim is to synthesize novel fullerene derivatives that can be stably anchored in the ceramic layers and are still biologically active.
 

Contact: apl Prof. Uwe Ritter, Chemistry Group, E-Mail

funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

The aim of the overall project is the development of demonstrators with an area of 1300 cm^2 for direct solar hydrogen production with an efficiency of > 15 %. The focus of the TU Ilmenau sub-project in H2Demo is on the improvement of III-V-on-Si heteroepitaxy and the development and application of analytical methods. Specifically, the preparation and detection of III-V nucleation layers on Si(001) with significantly reduced defect density will be carried out at TU Ilmenau and the effect of different defects that arise at the interface on the electronic properties of the layers will be investigated. The processes developed are to be transferred to Fraunhofer ISE. The TU Ilmenau will support the start-up of the high-throughput process in the second phase through process development and analysis. In analytics, the TU Ilmenau provides measurement technology in the field of charge carrier lifetime measurement and develops novel in situ and operando measurement technology for analyzing surface properties and charge carrier dynamics as well as performance characteristics in the environment of the photoelectrochemical cell.

Contact: Prof. Thomas Hannappel, Fundamentals of energy materials E-mail | Project website | Website of the group

Press release "Green hydrogen from direct solar water splitting: TU Ilmenau involved in major joint project 'H2Demo'"

funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

The aim of the project "Regional Innovation Network Thuringia for Visionary Models of Work in SMEs" (lnnoFARM) is to tap into the economic potential of the region by better integrating existing skilled workers into innovation processes and thus helping the partner SMEs to become more agile. To this end, a methodological toolkit in the form of a "System of Systems" (SoS) for forms of innovative work organization is being developed together with the SMEs. The fields of learning and design addressed in the project include management and decision-making organization, working time models such as the 4-day week, office and workplace concepts as well as local and virtual innovation spaces. Among other things, the impact of the new forms of work and models on mental and physical health will also be investigated.

The modular structure of the methodological toolkit to be developed will allow the specifics of each individual SME to be taken into account when designing visionary models of work and enable a tailor-made configuration of the working model. This also facilitates the subsequent utilization of the results for other SMEs in the region from various sectors.

Contact: Prof. Norbert Bach, Management/Organization Group, E-mail | Project website

Funded by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society as part of the "ProDigital" program

Thuringia is considered a stronghold for medical technology. Numerous companies here develop, produce and sell innovative medical technology measuring devices such as microscopes, cameras for ophthalmology, tomographs, electroencephalographs and ultrasound devices. The ongoing digitalization in the device industry offers great opportunities for the medical sector: thanks to the high computing, storage and network capacities available today, products can be networked and new business models developed.

The aim of the "LearningProducts" research project is to develop innovative methods for intelligent suggestion and decision-making systems that support the operation of medical devices and the evaluation of their measurement results. At the same time, the research work aims to maximize the security of stored data. To this end, the scientists are working on ways to use medical data to further develop and improve the devices without having to disclose it. The areas of application are diverse: from the evaluation of microscope images and brain wave measurements to the adjustment of tomographs.

Contact: Prof. Patrick Mäder, Head of the Data-intensive Systems and Visualization Group (dAI.SY), E-Mail | Website

Funded by the European Union as part of the EUREKA program

People with incomplete paraplegia suffer from limited mobility and often make only very slow progress in therapy, which is also usually very strenuous.

This is where the NeMoRehab project comes in: Over the next three years, scientists from Germany, Spain and Portugal will be researching a new type of biofeedback system to monitor individual therapy progress in the joint project: brain activity (EEG) and muscle activity (EMG) will be analyzed in order to adapt the therapy using functional electrical stimulation and to individually optimize the therapy parameters. The aim is to achieve personalized therapy that will enable patients to recover more quickly and live with as few restrictions as possible.

In the sub-project "Technologies for sensors, sensor applicators and data processing methods for multimodal biofeedback applications", researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics (BMTI) at TU Ilmenau are developing selected hardware and software components for the overall system. This also includes applicators for positioning sensors on the body of the affected person. The focus of the sub-project is to process and analyse the measured signals in order to minimize sensor failures or malfunctions. The information obtained in this way will then be used to analyze brain and muscle activity and adjust the stimulation parameters for the best possible therapeutic progress.
 

Contact: Prof. Patrique Fiedler, Head of the Group of Data Analysis in the Life Sciences, e-mail

Funded by by the German Research Foundation (DFG)

After a stable phase in the course of the disease, COVID-19 patients can suffer from an increasing lack of oxygen saturation in the blood. If oxygen therapy fails, this can make ventilation therapy or lung replacement procedures necessary. However, the bed capacities of intensive care units are limited. In stable COVID-19 patients, it is therefore important to monitor vital signs closely in order to detect a critical progression as early as possible. This is the only way to ensure an early transfer to an intensive care unit.

The aim of the project is to develop a miniaturized sensor system based on the contactless determination of the vital parameters oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiratory rate and pulse via a multimodal 3D camera system. Such a system for continuous, contactless monitoring of vital parameters would not only enable early detection of critical deterioration in stable COVID-19 patients, but could also lead to optimized care for other patients with an increased risk of infection in the home environment.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Gunther Notni, Group for Quality Assurance and Industrial Image Processing,E-mail

Supported by the Carl Zeiss Foundation

Surgeons decide on tumor boundaries and tumor resection based on white light image-based examination of the tumor and their experience. In up to thirty percent of cases, this approach leads to incomplete tumor resection and thus a poorer chance of survival for patients.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration in the project led by the University Hospital Jena, a complex sensorized surgery is to be developed that uses multimodal marker-free imaging and intraoperative measurement of mechanical properties combined with artificial intelligence (AI)-based real-time analysis to continuously record the current tumor boundary and present it to the surgeon in such a way that it can be used directly for decision-making. This combination of technologies could mean a breakthrough in more precise personalized surgery with better chances of survival and maximum protection of healthy tissue.

The focus of the Biomechatronics department is on

1. the intraoperative measurement of mechanical properties of the tumor and its environment and 2. their upscaled haptic (palpable) representation in "soft" real time.

Immersion with the information from biophotonic analysis is a joint field of work with the partners.

Contact: Prof. Hartmut Witte, Head of the Biomechatronics Group, E-mail | Project profile

To the press release: Better cancer treatment - biomechatronics for precision surgery

funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Coordinated by RWTH Aachen University, the 6GEM consortium is researching future communication technologies in 6G mobile communications technology. The 6G Hub 6GEM aims to develop a holistic system that takes a sustainable approach, taking into account important applications from logistics to production andapplications from logistics and production to people and their needs for self-determination, privacy and security. The research focus is on open, modular and flexibly expandable 6Gplatforms that enable resilient and highly adaptive communication.

The TU Ilmenau is participating in 6GEM in the 6GEMini sub-project with research into concepts and measures to minimize the electromagnetic radiation exposure of the population through 6G mobile communications technology.

More information

Contact: Prof. Dr. Matthias Hein, RF and Microwave Research Group,E-mail | Website with project profile

Researchers at TU Ilmenau are working on future communication technologies in 6G mobile radio technology