From Research to Application: Projects at Fraunhofer EMFT

The research project »Velektronik - Vertrauenswürdige Elektronik (ZEUS)« of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), aims to establish a networking platform for trusted electronics as an interface between research and industry.

SENNA is a programmable neuromorphic processor based on a mixed-signal, circuit‑switched Field‑Programmable Spiking Neuron Array (FPSNA).

Edge computing is considered a key for new IoT applications. In order to bring artificial intelligence into future edge products, Fraunhofer EMFT researchers are working together with Fraunhofer IIS and Fraunhofer IPMS as part of the EU ANDANTE project to develop innovative mixed-signal artificial neural network (ANN) accelerator with computation-in-memory (CIM) ability. These are intended to enable the construction of solid hardware and software platforms for AI application development.

With the Soldering Mobile, the Center for Interconnection Technology in Electronics ZVE at Fraunhofer EMFT is now offering its customers an attractive alternative to onsite training courses at the Oberpfaffenhofen training center. The soldering station on wheels can be put into operation directly at the customer's premises using plug & play.

The Fraunhofer Center for »Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming« conducts research and development on innovative technologies for sustainable production and processing of agricultural products along the whole value chain.

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.

Approximately 80 % of the CO2 footprint of average electronic components is created already during their production. A Fraunhofer EMFT research team is working on optimizing semiconductor manufacturing processes in order to minimize the use of climate-damaging process gases. In this context, the scientists are also testing more climate-friendly alternatives to etching gases used as standard today.

The SmartMan project aims to make semiconductor packaging production intelligent and sustainable in order to manufacture error-free and resource-efficient electronics.

We all know it: wintertime is cold season and cough or headache tablets are often part of everyday life. But our gastrointestinal tract absorbs medication differently. In the “e-Pille” project, scientists from the Fraunhofer Institutes ITMP, EMFT and IZM are researching the points in the gastrointestinal tract where different active ingredients are best absorbed. The aim is to optimize the formulation of new drugs when taken orally.

The technology is already state of the art in modern cars: radar sensors that alert the driver when the vehicle is approaching an obstacle. Collision protection of this kind is also crucial in the future of production - smart factories in which intelligent industrial robots are expected to act completely autonomously in an increasing number of work steps - in order to ensure safe cooperation between man and machine. In the RoboMove project, Fraunhofer EMFT is working with robotics manufacturer KUKA and InnoSenT GmbH to develop an intelligent 3D distance measurement and obstacle detection system for robot arms in motion.