ProductionThe smart factory of the future

EnergyPowered by the sun

Information and communicationThe Stasi puzzle

1.2008

Fraunhoferspecial issue

magazine

Security throughhigh techSecurity throughhigh tech

... for contract research in all fields ofthe engineering sciences.

Find out more about the spectrum ofservices provided by the Fraunhofer Institutes, and about the aims of Europe's leading organization for tech-nical and organizational innovations:www.fraunhofer.de

Fraunhofer isYour Partner

3Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Editorial

Germany has become one of the winners of globali-zation thanks to high demand for its technology prod-ucts from emerging countries such as China. Germany’s expertise in producing premium consumer goods in the mechanical engineering and automotive industriesis perfectly suited to meet the demand from thesecountries. This has driven exports: According to theGerman government’s annual report on technologicalperformance, German companies exported 428.3 bil-lion euros worth of research-intensive industrial prod-ucts in 2005 – more than the US or Japan. Cost-cuttingprocess innovations, international value chain reorgani-zation and limited cost increases in Germany have cre-ated advantages in the global price competition. Thisexplains the unexpectedly high economic growth thatthe country is currently experiencing.

Now is the perfect time for Germany to step up in-vestments into research and development. Continuousgrowth has helped refill private-sector and state cof-fers, creating new opportunities that must be consis-tently exploited to ensure a prosperous future and help maintain Germanys economic power in the globalmarket for technology products.

But what is it that characterizes globally successful industries? What types of structures promote the de-velopment of innovative products? The Fraunhofer Institute for Innovation Research ISI examined thesequestions, taking the German mechanical engineeringindustry as an example. This industry has successfullypositioned itself as a technology, innovation and quali-ty leader in the global market. Mechanical engineeringcompanies have achieved an excellent competitive po-sition thanks to their ability to turn innovative tech-nologies into customized solutions. This has enabledthem to meet their customers’ exacting demands interms of quality, precision and flexibility. On average,mechanical engineering companies invest 3.5 percentof their sales revenues in research and development,which is in the mid-range of the amount that high-techcompanies typically invest. Clearly, their high level of innovation cannot be explained with money alone.

Rather, the success of mechanical engineering compa-nies lies in the effective application of innovation re-sources. Mechanical engineering companies not onlyeffectively use new product development conceptssuch as simultaneous engineering and virtual reality,they also cooperate with external research organiza-tions or other companies. In doing so, they can achievetechnology leadership in the global market despite average research and development intensity.

If we want to continue setting trends in Germany inthe future, we must take innovative products and ser-vices one step further. In the future, it will not be suffi-cient to go on developing individual functions. Process-es and process-related issues will also have to beaddressed and improved. To this end, companies willhave to focus even more strongly on market require-ments and customer needs, even if a product’s func-tionality and number of functions continue to be a toppriority today. The obsession with technological possi-bilities is one of the reasons why some devices and machines offer functions that hardly anyone under-stands or even needs. If we succeed in seeing the bigpicture rather than focusing on individual problems,new opportunities to innovate will arise. The marketfor environmental technologies, for example, will havemajor potential in the future. The UN's recently pub-lished Fourth Report on Climate Change showed thesheer dimensions of global warming. We need newtechnologies and processes that can help significantlyreduce CO2 emissions. The researchers at Fraunhoferare workin already on the solutions.

Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft

Solving problems– Recognizing

opportunities

4 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Cover:The reassuring face of high techModern technology can help to detectpotential risks at an early stage and provide a means of coordinatingaction in the event of a major disaster.

Security researchGuest commentary by Dr. Alois J. Sieber.

Robust buildingsSpecially adapted building materialsand constructions can make buildingssafer.

ContentsCover:Security through high tech Security for everyoneis the big challeng ofthe futur.Page 8

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EssayOn the usefulness of research activities abroadFraunhofer needs international coope-rations in order to boost innovation.

ProductionThe smart factory of the futureErrors in the production process aredisplayed automatically together withtheir causes.

The Boston Medtech Alliance – a recipe for successThe network links Fraunhofer engineerswith biomedical and medical scientistsat Boston University.

PhotonicsAs good as new with a laser New repair processes for compressorsand turbines.

New laser irradiation cancer treatment High-power lasers selectively destroytumors.

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6 Spectrum

15 International

30 FraunhoferVisual

50 Miscellany

Flexible processingheads for lasercladding can repairturbines and com-pressors. Page 22

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EnergyPowered by the sun Interview with Professor Eicke Weber.

Electricity straight from the sun New concepts for solar thermal powerplants are now being tested.

Information and communicationThe Stasi puzzle Shredded Stasi files are being piecedtogether automatically.

Tracking down art thieves by cell phone Cell phones and PDAs can help toidentify stolen pictures.

D-Cinema: “Coming soon to atheater near you”First digital cinemas offer a superlativemovie-going experience.

Safety training in a virtualexcavator Virtual training helps to preventaccidents.

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Life Sciences Flu vaccine from the plant factorySeeking new vaccines for influenzaviruses.

New drug helps to combat MS Drug based on interferon-beta offers new hope for multiple sclerosispatients.

Warning system for nervesA monitoring system keeps watch overnerves during surgery.

Microelectronics Sensors detect imbalance A 3-D magnetic sensor detects unbalanced laundry loads.

Everything under control New methods make it possible to detect faults in microsystems.

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Round the world thieves steal works of art. A new techno-logy helps detectives.Page 34

Up into the driver'scab, goggles on, and off we go on a virtual trip.Page 38

The Influenza-A virusprovoked a world-wide pandemic in1918.Page 40

The HallinOne® sen-sor detects imbalancecaused by unevenlydistributed laundry. Page 46

6 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Is it real?

SpectrumProtective antimicro-bial coatings can prevent bacteria fromsettling.© Fraunhofer ISC

Paintings and draw-ings are screenedwith infrared light.© HAUM, BraunschweigMuseumsfoto ClausCordes

From cellulose to non-wovens

Consumers want non-woven fabrics to be absorbent, soft, strongand biodegradable. The base material for non-wovens is cellulose,which is extracted from the plant cells of renewable resources.These non-woven fabrics have become indispensable in hygienic,medical and household products.

Until now, numerous process steps have been necessary in order toproduce non-wovens out of cellulose. In cooperation with the non-woven fabric manufacturer Weyerhaeuser and plant manufacturerReicofil GmbH, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for AppliedPolymer Research IAP have developed a new process for the pro-duction of the versatile material. The researchers set up a pilot facility at the IAP that can produce the material using the environ-mentally friendly meltblown process. In the past, only fusible poly-mers could be processed. The pilot facility could help familiarizepotential investors with the technology.

Even art historians sometimes find it diffi-cult to tell whether a work of art is real oran imitation. When etchings and drawingsare screened with infra-red light, the water-marks of the paper mills become visible.This enables the works of art to be datedand checked for authenticity without risk ofdamage. Working with colleagues from theTechnical University at Brunswick, researchscientists from the Fraunhofer Institute forWood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-InstitutWKI, have developed a stunningly simpleway of exposing forgeries for what theyare. They tested their invention in collabo-ration with art historians at Brunswick'sHerzog Anton Ulrich Museum, which pos-sesses an internationally renowned Rem-brandt collection. Since most inks are trans-parent under infrared light, the researchersplace a hot plate with a temperature of 35to 40 degrees behind the picture and usean infrared camera to register how muchheat the picture allows to pass through.This shows up the differences in paper den-sity, and thus also the watermark.

Protective antimicrobial coatingscan help prevent bacteria fromsettling and multiplying – be iton a physician's surgical instru-ments, a baker's mixing ma-chine, or food packaging.

In the case of food packaging,scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate ResearchISC and their colleagues at theFraunhofer Institute for ProcessEngineering and Packaging IVVhave developed a special coat-ing made of ORMOCER®s. Itsantimicrobial effect is achievedby introducing active com-pounds or creating chemical

connections of functionalsilanes. This coating can be ap-plied to conventional packagingmaterials as easily as paint, andprovides active protectionagainst germs.

Other materials can also becoated, depending on the typeof application. Bacteria can becombated not only in foodpackaging, but also on othereveryday items, for instance inthe kitchen or bathroom. Andthe antimicrobial effect caneven meet the demanding hy-gienic requirements of medicaldevices.

Antimicrobial surfaces

7Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Radio you can hear and see

Drug depot in a tooth

A molar prosthesis with an integrated drug depot is to save chronically ill patientsfrom constantly having to swallow pills infuture by releasing the correct dosage ofthe required medicine on a continuous ba-sis. Currently being developed by scientistsin an EU consortium, this special prosthesis is small enough to fit into two artificial molars.

Inside the prosthesis, the agent is dissolvedby the patient’s saliva and can then flowthrough a small duct into the mouth cavity.Two sensors monitor the volume of in-flow-ing liquid and the concentration of theagent. Based on the measurement results,the system’s electronic circuit either opensor closes a valve at the end of the duct tocontrol the dosage. After a few weeks,when the agent has been used up, theelectronic system alerts the patient via a re-mote control. The sensors, electronics andremote control were developed by scientistsat the Fraunhofer Institute for BiomedicalEngineering IBMT in St. Ingbert.

The Intellidrug dosing system, which issponsored by the EU, is to undergo clinicaltesting this year – filled with a drug calledNaltrexon, which is taken by drug addictsundergoing withdrawal therapy.

Advertising experts have long dreamed of it: a screen in a department store or a train station that can recognize whether a man or a woman is standing in front of it looking at the advertisement, and even tell whether the personlooks sad, happy, angry or surprised.

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS are developingjust such a system capable of detailed facial analysis. A video camera observesviewers standing in front of the advertising screen. With the help of complexalgorithms developed by the researchers, the system first localizes a face quick-ly and reliably in the picture and then performs a detailed analysis of its facialexpression in real time. The computer sifts through 30,000 facial characteristicsstored in its system and matches them against the picture of the beholder.

This form of quick and reliable facial recognition could be used for a widerange of applications – from security technology to learning software that immediately notices if the user is not sufficiently challenged.

What mood are you in?

An audio service provides the radioprogram with theright pictures.© Fraunhofer HHI

The small molar prosthesis releasesmedicine into the mucous membranesin the patient’smouth.© Fraunhofer IBMT

Researchers at the FraunhoferInstitute for Telecommunica-tions, Heinrich Hertz InstituteHHI, have developed a new au-dio service for mobile phone ra-dios. It provides images and ad-ditional information, such as CDcovers or concert photographs,that correspond to the sound.The service only requires a quar-ter of the bandwidth that thedigital stereo signal needs forDAB. As a result, the cost oftransmitting sound and imagescan be reduced by about 25percent.

Rather than using the standardDAB format, the scientists haveapplied the High-Efficiency Ad-vanced Audio Coding HE-AACradio format developed by Cod-ing Technologies, a Fraunhoferspin-off. With this format, thebandwidth required for soundwas reduced from 192 to 48kilobytes per second. To enable

pictures to be sent in a morecompact manner, experts com-press them in much the sameway as images for mobile televi-sion, and a new picture is sentevery two seconds. Only 10 to15 kilobytes are added per sec-ond. The process is carried outusing H.264/AVC, the most effi-cient video coding process cur-rently available. HHI researchersplayed a major role in develop-ing and standardizing thisprocess. Some of Germany'spublic broadcasters began test-ing visual radio in August.

8 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Beeep! The metal detector has foundsomething suspicious. The security guardtakes the waiting airline passenger asideand performs a body check to search forconcealed weapons. “Would you pleasetake your shoes off,” the uniformed officerdemands, and then proceeds to meticu-lously examine the passenger’s black leathershoes. Meanwhile, the line of passengerswaiting to pass through the security gategrows longer and longer. Every passengerhas to take off their jacket, empty theirpockets of loose coins, billfolds and keys,and even remove the belt holding up theirtrousers. All of these items are deposited ina plastic tray. After that, the passenger’shand baggage is opened, the laptop is tak-en out of its carrying case, and the regula-tory clear plastic toilet bag containingtoothpaste, shower gel, body lotion andshampoo is presented for inspection. Allthis has to be done before the next passen-ger can pass through the metal detector.

Anyone who travels by air can’t avoidnoticing that airport security checks havebeen stepped up considerably in recentyears. Government authorities and airlineshave imposed even stricter controls sinceSeptember 11, 2001, and last year’s fortu-nately foiled, planned attacks on transat-lantic flights by terrorists carrying liquid ex-plosives. The USA has imposed particularlydraconian security measures: now, anyonewanting to travel to the United States hasto have their fingerprints recorded.

9/11 was the turning point that made itdramatically clear how the nature of thethreats facing our society has changed. Inthe second half of the 20th century, worldsecurity was dominated by the standoff be-tween two major military powers, NATOand the Warsaw Pact. Now that the ColdWar is over, this menace has been replacedby a multiplicity of less easily definedthreats. Suicide bombers have paralyzed the entire public transportation network inLondon, New Orleans was almost wiped off the map by severe flooding, viruses ca-pable of infecting the population with se-vere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)were spread around the globe by passengeraircraft in a matter of hours. Present-daysociety needs to protect itself against ter-rorist attacks, industrial accidents, and pan-demics. This no longer calls for a purely mil-itary response. There is an increasing needfor civil protection measures.

Security research is gaining in importance

The USA responded to the new demandsby creating a Department of Homeland Security. At the same time, the nation’s expenditure on security research and relat-ed technologies was significantly increased. Security research has also been givengreater priority in European research pro-grams. It is an important element in theEU’s 7th Framework Programme. The Euro-pean Union intends to invest a total of

1.4 billion euros in security research be-tween 2007 and 2013.

Germany has a solid basis, but not yet anysystematic and strategic research specificallyfocusing on civil protection. This situation isabout to change. New interdisciplinary re-search collaborations are being launched,and the German government has approvedthe creation of the first-ever cross-depart-mental program of security research. TheGerman research ministry has set aside 123million euros to finance the program overthe next four years. National security re-search also features prominently in the Ger-man government’s high-tech strategy.

Lead article

Suicide bombings, terrorist attacks, forest fires, hurri-canes, flood disasters, avian flu, organized crime – thesecurity of Western society has been threatened in anew, complex way in recent years. Modern technologycan help to detect potential risks at an early stage andprovide a means of coordinating action in the event ofa major disaster.

The reassuringface of high tech

9Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

The increased need for security is only oneof the reasons behind this extensive fund-ing. Safety and security systems are rapidlydeveloping into an important line of busi-ness for research and industry. Franco Frat-tini, the EU Commissioner for Justice, Free-dom and Security, insists that Europeshould not merely be a consumer but also aproducer of such technology. The marketfor security systems and associated servicesin Germany alone was worth 10 billion eu-ros in 2005, and has been steadily growingsince. The worldwide growth rate lies ataround seven to eight percent.

“Our society is vulnerable to all manner ofviolent attacks by extremist groups. Thisvulnerability has grown to hitherto scarcelyknown proportions owing to the high con-centration of populations living in largemetropolitan areas, the increasing cross-linking between different areas of life andwork, and the transition to a globally net-worked information and service society,”states Professor Klaus Thoma, chairman ofthe Fraunhofer Defense and Security Al-liance (see panel), describing the present-day challenges. Thoma coordinates the the-matic area of “Security – The reassuringface of high tech”, one of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s so-called “signposts to to-morrow’s markets” and also one of its

twelve major areas of innovation. Thebiggest threat is that to critical infrastruc-ture and key resources such as drinking wa-ter and electricity supplies, industrial plant,nuclear reactors, and transportation andtelecommunication networks. Breakdownsat such neuralgic points can have dramaticconsequences, regardless of whether theyare caused by human error, terrorist attacksor natural forces.

Most importantly of all, information tech-nology has become virtually indispensable.Not a single energy provider, bank, hospital,factory, police facility or haulage companycould operate today without its IT systems.Their protection is therefore essential to our

Security checks at airports have beenstepped up.© Peter Schatz

Fraunhofer Group for Defense and Security

Six Fraunhofer Institutes have joined forces in theFraunhofer Defense and Security Alliance VVS as ameans of coordinating and jointly promoting theirresearch activities in this domain. The focal areas ofthe Alliance’s work are security of information andcommunication systems, crisis and disaster manage-ment, detection and monitoring of hazardous mate-rials, protection systems and special materials, andrisk management. Subjects of relevance to securitysystems and safety engineering are also dealt withby almost all Fraunhofer Institutes and Alliances.

The active members of the VVS comprise theFraunhofer Institutes for – Applied Solid State Physics IAF – Chemical Technology ICT – Information and Data Processing IITB – High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut EMI – Technological Trend Analysis INT – Integrated Circuits IIS (temporary member)

vvs.fraunhofer.de

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modern society. Information and communi-cation systems can be disrupted in manyways. The Internet, corporate intranets andmobile communication are used to ex-change information and conduct businesson an international scale. Wireless networkssuch as W-LAN and Bluetooth create a new window of opportunity for datathieves and saboteurs.

Communication systems need special protection

What is needed here is protection bothagainst misuse on the inside and againstexternal attacks from cyberspace. IT sys-tems need to be safeguarded against viruses and Trojan horses, phishing of codes and passwords, and denial-of-ser-

vice attacks. Fraunhofer Institutes are con-ducting research into secure architecturesfor data systems, new encryption methodsand reliable authentication techniques.Such forms of defense are essential if wewish to ensure that all information reachesits intended destination safely, in confiden-tiality, and without manipulation.

In order to be able to act swiftly and effi-ciently in the event of a disaster, crisis man-agement teams, emergency services, gov-ernment authorities and aid organizationsall need reliable information. A well-de-

signed information and communications in-frastructure can help to save lives. One ex-ample is the digital situation planning deskdeveloped by researchers at the FraunhoferInstitute for Information and Data Process-ing IITB. It consists of a versatile viewingsurface on which maps of the region, up-to-date satellite images, meteorological da-ta, marine charts and digital models of localtopography can be visualized. “The systemenables different specialists to get togetheraround the same table to assess the gener-al situation in the affected region and ifnecessary call up additional high-resolutiondata on a more local scale,” explains RalfEck of the IITB.

In the EU SHARE project (Mobile Supportfor Rescue Forces, Integrating Multiple

Modes of Interaction), new mobile commu-nication services are being developed forlarge-scale rescue operations in the field.Soon it will be possible to replace the cus-tomary walkie-talkie radios, printed maps,written orders and whiteboards by PDAsand tablet PCs. The Fraunhofer Institute forIntelligent Analysis and Information SystemsIAIS is coordinating the project. But rescueworkers don’t always have their hands freeto operate a mobile terminal. Fire-fighters,for instance, are already sufficiently encum-bered with fireproof suits and heavy breath-ing gear when they work in burning build-ings. This is where “wearable computing” – computers integrated in clothing andequipment – could make the task of rescueforces easier. Researchers at the FraunhoferInstitute for Applied Information Technolo-gy FIT are working on solutions of this type

in collaboration with 36 European partnersas part of the wearIT@work project.

An additional source of data can be provid-ed by self-organizing ad-hoc radio net-works. The idea here is for the first team toarrive on the scene to distribute sensors inand around the burning building. Thesesensors measure the temperature and thecomposition of the air, and transmit theirdata over a radio link to the control center.Research on self-organizing ad-hoc radionetworks is being conducted by the Fraun-hofer Institute for Reliability and Microinte-gration IZM and the Fraunhofer Institute forIntegrated Circuits IIS, among others.

It takes an appreciation of the danger to beable to react accordingly. “The early detec-tion and analysis of sources of danger is theprerequisite to their avoidance, hence theprime importance of monitoring and identi-fication technologies as the key to a reliableassurance of safety,” Thoma insists. Satellitepictures of critical areas, video surveillanceof public spaces, aerial photos, radar andinfrared images are used for reconnaissanceand the monitoring of danger spots. Thisrequires not only the development of high-performance systems but also reliablemeans of analyzing the data. The presentmethod calls for specially trained experts to

The Internet links IT systems all aroundthe world – makingnew security conceptsnecessary. © Christoph Hermann

Lead article

analyze the photographic material and oth-er data for unusual features or signs of ac-tivity. They only have a few minutes to scaneach panoramic image for suspicious ob-jects, which then have to be classified. Sci-entists at the IITB are working on methodsfor the computer-assisted evaluation of aer-ial photographs and satellite images. Andthe “Facedetector” software developed bythe IIS is capable of quickly and reliablyidentifying the facial features of sought-

after criminals in real-life situations or videorecordings. Biometric identification tech-niques are the modern alternative to tradi-tional authentication methods involving theuse of keywords, PINs, passwords or chipcards. The person becomes the key, orrather his or her immutable physical charac-teristics such as fingerprints, voiceprint, irispattern or facial features. Over recent years,the Fraunhofer Institutes IGD, IPK and IIShave played a significant role in the devel-

opment of biometric systems. Many com-panies are now using iris or fingerprintscanners to guard against unauthorized ac-cess to their computer centers or high-secu-rity areas. The same techniques are beingemployed at a number of airports. AtFrankfurt Airport for instance, the Germanfederal police launched a pilot project forthe fully automated customs control of fre-quent flyers in February 2004. Since then,more than 20,000 airline passengers havepassed through gates equipped with an irisrecognition system, which offers fastertransit times through the arrival and depar-ture channels.

Biometric data can even be recorded inpassports and identity cards. Since Novem-ber 2005, the passport authorities havebeen issuing the first generation of digitalpassports containing two-dimensional facialdata in addition to the signature. But 2-Dface recognition is not always totally reli-able: Differences in light and shadow, orthe angle at which the head is held, cansignificantly reduce the quality of detection.Fully automated systems can be relativelyeasily outsmarted by photographs. “3-D fa-cial recognition is much more dependable,”says Alexander Nouak, who heads the secu-rity technology department at the Fraun-hofer Institute for Computer Graphics Re-search IGD. The advantage is that the met-rics of the stored models are always correct.The basic measurements of the head, suchas the distance between the eyes or thelength of the nose, remain the same, re-gardless how far away the person was fromthe camera. The European Union has allo-cated funding of 12 million euros for thedevelopment of such systems. Participantsin the “3D Face” project include the IGD,the German government printing office andthe French defense firm Sagem DéfenseSécurité.

Tracking down explosives

Bus blown up by suicide bombers; Policeofficers die in bomb attack on district head-quarters; Children killed in explosion –hardly a week goes by without headlineslike these. “Attacks by terrorists using ex-plosives or biological, chemical or radioac-tive agents represent the greatest threat ofall to the civilian population and critical in-frastructure,” Thoma reminds us. “Henceone of the key requirements of security re-

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Modern technologysimplifies the analysisof aerial photos. © Fraunhofer IITB

New communicationtechnologies makethe task of rescueforces easier. © Rainer Weisflog

12 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

search is to find accurate and reliable waysof quickly detecting the presence of eventhe slightest traces of such substances.” Researchers around the globe are develop-ing novel detection systems. Many sensorsare based on microelectronic circuits thatemit and measure microwave, millimeter-wave or terahertz radiation. These wavesare reflected back to the sensor off the ob-ject being examined. X-rays can be used to detect foreign objects in foodstuffs andweapons hidden in items of baggage. Re-searchers are also developing biological,electrochemical and chemical sensors,which can be used not only to discovertraces of hazardous chemicals but also detect pathogenic microorganisms.

It is already standard practice at airports totake wipe samples from the surface of sus-picious objects. They are then tested for thepresence of explosive chemicals by beingheated in an analysis device. But such tech-niques are not capable of locating suicidebombers in the open: This is a task thatcalls for non-contact methods. A Fraun-hofer initiative has now been set up to in-vestigate the optical stand-off detection ofexplosives. The objective is to develop tech-

nical solutions capable of detecting thepresence of explosives on people and in ve-hicles even at a distance of up to 100 me-ters. The approach taken by the researchersinvolves identifying the explosive substancesin the gas phase, for instance in the formof a cloud of plume emanating from a po-tential terrorist. The presence of a plume onsurfaces like clothing or door handles canbe revealed with the help of various spec-troscopic techniques based on infrared

lasers. Optical stand-off detection also hasother potential uses, including the develop-ment of new solutions for rapid risk analy-sis in the event of an industrial accident orother incident involving toxic chemicals.Promising results are being obtained withuse of spectroscopic techniques to detecttricycloacetone peroxide TATP, a chemicalcompound found in certain explosives. Düs-seldorf University of Applied Sciences andthe Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Tech-nology ICT have established proof of princi-

ple that this substance can be detected viaits gaseous plume by means of Fouriertransform infrared FT-IR spectroscopy, atechnique employed to measure heat emis-sions.

So is it now possible to locate a personwearing an explosive belt in a crowd? Notyet, but there is hope that this might soonbe achievable using electromagnetic wavesat frequencies lying between those of radarand infrared. Terahertz rays are capable ofpenetrating paper, clothing, plastics, ceram-ics, and the walls of buildings without pre-senting a danger to human health. Forsome years now, research teams around theworld – including scientists at the Fraun-hofer Institute for Physical MeasurementTechniques IPM – have been looking into

new technologies for the generation of terahertz waves and their use in practicalapplications. The necessary instruments arestill in their infancy, but many experts al-ready consider terahertz metrology to be animportant emerging technology.

But what if it is not possible to ward off theterrorist attack in time, and the bomb hasactually exploded? How can we restrict thedamage caused by an explosive device?Special materials such as armored glass canprovide added security for buildings and ve-hicles. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Insti-tute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut EMI, are developing multifunctional

glass curtain walling that can dampen theimpact of an explosion while at the sametime providing thermal insulation and filter-ing sunlight. A new type of polymer con-crete, too, can reduce the impact of bombattacks by absorbing the energy of the ex-plosion.

”One of the chief objectives of security re-search is to identify the risks facing our so-ciety, analyze these risks, and propose solu-tions capable of minimizing or avoidingthem,” declares Professor Hans-JörgBullinger, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. But we still have to remainvigilant, for no amount of technology cancompletely banish the possibility of terroristattacks or natural disasters.Birgit Niesing

The conference on “Future Security”that took place ony recently provided anopportunity to catch up on the latesttrends and findings in the field of securi-ty research. The main theme of theevent was the protection of critical infra-structures. The conference was orga-nized by the Fraunhofer Defense and Security Alliance VVS as an internationaland interdisciplinary communicationplatform.

Robot patrols providebuilding surveillance. © Fraunhofer IAIS

Future Security 2007

Lead article

13Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Almost in parallel to the celebrations marking the 50thanniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, over1000 experts met in Berlin to discuss ways in which re-search and development can improve the safety of citi-zens in Europe. During this event, the Vice-President ofthe European Commission, Günter Verheugen, pointedout that, according to a recent survey, 86 percent ofthe population expect security issues to rank high onthe agenda, not only on a national but also on a Euro-pean level.

Several EU member states, including Germany, Austria,Britain and France, have launched national security re-search programs. In addition, a budget of 1.4 billioneuros has been made available for the next seven yearsunder the EU’s 7th Framework Programme.

In preparation for the European security research pro-gram, the responsible department – the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry – sought advicefrom the European Security Research Advisory BoardESRAB. Four key topics were defined, these being: se-curing the EU’s external borders, defense against terror-ism and organized crime, securing critical infrastruc-tures, and restoring security in crisis areas around theglobe.

Vice-President Verheugen announced in Berlin that aEurope-wide platform would be set up for medium-and long-term strategic planning in the area of civil se-curity research. Known as ESRIF, European Security Re-search and Innovation Forum. This platform will ensurethat the research results meet the expectations of thoserequiring security measures, and that they are imple-mented in improved systems.

Nearly every day, EU citizens feel or experience a poten-tial increase in the threat to their safety. In view ofthese existing and constantly changing threats, anywork carried out in the field of security research mustbe well organized. Future research tasks will be subjectto several preconditions:

– Research and development work that builds on existing research results must be system-oriented.

– This requires excellent knowledge of technical devel-opments, b ymeans of a technology watch.

– It is equally important for all developments to factorin possible concrete threat scenarios – instead of justfocusing on scenarios that have taken place in thepast.

– The risks posed by possible threat scenarios have tobe assessed, particularly in cases where possible solu-tions could potentially restrict certain liberties.

– Research projects must incorporate technical devel-opments and ‘soft sciences’ such as social sciences,human behavior, etc.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is an important Europeanpartner with regard to all the issues mentioned above.In addition to offering a wide range of technical skills,it has also produced a reference work, the ‘Technolo-gieführer’. This analysis of technical trends sets an ex-ample in the field of security research that should beadopted and regularly updated on a European level.

Security researchDr. Alois J. Sieber, acting director of the Institute for the Protection and Security ofthe Citizen IPSC, Joint Research Centre, European Commission

Guest commentary

14 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Even while a building or a vehicle is still at the planning stage, thought shouldbe given to what might happen in theworst case. “The primary issue is that ofpreventing a bomb attack or an accident.But which measures can we adopt to lessenthe impact of an attack? The best kind ofprotection is to have adequate clearance.The shell of a new building can be setback, preferably surrounded by a wall, tomitigate the impact of the shock wavecaused by an explosion,” explains Dr.Christoph Mayrhofer, an expert on securitytechnology and structural protection at theFraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynam-ics, Ernst-Mach-Institut EMI in Freiburg.“We are also trying to find ways of pre-venting buildings from collapsing. To dothat, we are testing the destructive force of explosions – both in blasting tests andwith the aid of computer simulations.”

The building experts are using an old quar-ry near Freiburg as a blasting site and testterrain. They record the experiments per-formed in the quarry with high-speed cam-eras, and evaluate the results on the com-puter. They investigate the behavior ofreinforced concrete pillars, for example, inthe case of a terrorist attack inside a build-ing. The brittle concrete is simply blown

out, and only the steel rods remain stand-ing. Even these, however, are unable towithstand any further loading. To preventthe building from collapsing, the scientistsrecommend the use of novel composite pil-lars in the construction of critical infrastruc-tures such as power supply facilities, banksor industrial plant. Steel tubes filled withconcrete, for instance, are far more robustthan reinforced concrete.

It is also possible to stabilize a building at a later stage by inserting high-strength fibercomposite materials or additional steel pil-lars. A further option is offered by a shockabsorption material developed at the EMI:The polymer concrete reduces the impactof the explosive. The mixture of epoxyresin, maize and natural fibers is slightlyporous and absorbs the energy from an explosion or a collision better than con-ventional materials. “Depending on thechoice of material and the formulation ofthe mixture, we can provide tailor-made solutions for different applications and line the building with them even later on,”says Mayrhofer.

Most injuries sustained from bomb attacksare caused by windows and glass facadesshattering. The blast produces countless

sharp-edged fragments flying through theair. To protect people against this hazard,the researchers are developing multifunc-tional glass curtain walling that dampensthe impact of an explosion while at thesame time admitting daylight, providingthermal insulation, and shading against direct sunlight. “The glass we use for thispurpose has less tendency to break intosplinters and is thus far less likely to causeinjuries. Splintering could be prevented bybonding special films to the glass or placinga sun shield element in front of the win-dow to break the impact of the blast. Weare working with the EMI to develop sys-tems that can be installed in the building,integrated in the glass, or attached to theexterior, depending on the degree of po-tential danger,” says Tilmann Kuhn of theFraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Sys-tems ISE.

The ideal building would be one made offlexible components that give way, butthat’s little more than a vision at present.However, the scientists are already workingon articulated structures that absorb energydue to their high degree of plasticity, andalso remain stable when individual pillarsare blasted away or have to withstand anearthquake. Marion Horn

Security research

Robust buildings

Bomb attacks causewindows and glassfacades to shatter. Researchers are devel-oping glass curtainwalling that can mitigate the blast. © MEV

Specially adapted building materials and constructions canhelp power stations, industrial plant and banks to withstandaccidents and terror attacks more easily.

15Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

A new project center for production coating technolo-gy in Thessaloniki aims to look beyond its own horizonsand pool expertise across borders. Researchers at theFraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT inAachen and engineers at the Centre for Research andTechnology Hellas CERTH have joined forces to analyzethe entire process chain of coated components. “Whatis new about this approach is that we not only considerthe coating procedure itself but also the entire produc-tion process. We analyze, simulate and optimize theway in which components are prepared, processed andlater used,” explains Dr. Thomas Bergs of the IPT. He iscurrently working with the Greco-German team of ex-perts to improve the coating techniques used duringglass molding. The next objective is to optimize the coating of gear components and milling cutters, whichhave to meet extremely high requirements.

The Americans have learned to appreciateaudio and video coding systems made byFraunhofer. Well-known companies such as Cisco, Apple and Palm use MP3 or AACtechnology, which was co-developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute forIntegrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen. A newaudio and multimedia center run by Fraun-hofer USA in San José, California, is nowresponsible for marketing coding standardssuch as MP3 Surround, MPEG Surround andDVB-H in the United States. Called ‘DigitalMedia Technology’, this center is collaborat-ing closely with the Fraunhofer Institute inErlangen.

Competence center in Thessaloniki

Mineral oil is becoming increas-ingly scarce. In future, the pet-rochemical industry may wellcover its demand for hydrocar-bons through agricultural crops.In a new project, three Fraun-hofer Institutes are working to-gether with Indonesian industrypartners on a new method ofproducing raw materials. Thestarting materials required arebiodiesel and palm oil, whichare available in large quantitiesin Indonesia due to the coun-

try’s warm and balanced clima-te. The plant-based materialsare broken down into their che-mical constituents and proces-sed. They are suitable for use inthe manufacture of coatingsand complete components thatuntil now have been made frompetroleum-based plastics.

Center for digital media

Some 18 million people live inGreater Delhi, a megalopolisknown for its poor air quality.The toxic mixture blown intothe atmosphere by cars, facto-ries and waste disposal sitescontains highly noxious sub-stances including dioxins. Buthow high is the level of pollu-tion? And who is causing it? Inorder to answer these ques-tions, India’s Central PollutionControl Board CPCB is settingup a highly advanced measure-ment laboratory. At the Fraun-hofer Institute for Process Engi-neering and Packaging IVV in

Freising, three scientists provid-ed training in the highly com-plex task of preparing the sam-ples and carrying out measure-ments using high-resolution gaschromatography and massspectrometry. This course ondioxin analysis, which familiari-zed the participants with state-of-the-art sample preparation,analysis and evaluation techni-ques, was organized by theFraunhofer-Gesellschaft conjo-intly with the Bavarian State Office for Environmental Protec-tion (LfU).

InternationalGermanKnow-how provides clarity

Phytochemistry over petrochemistry

16 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Basic research is the scene of one international race after another,the winner being whoever first manages to publish the respectivediscovery in the most prestigious journal possible. The situation issomewhat different in the case of applied research. Here, centerstage is occupied by those who have helped to create a successfulinnovation for their customers or who have registered a truly valu-able intellectual property right. More often than not, the wholeworld can freely access the findings of basic research, whilst whenit comes to applications, the emphasis lies on the competitive ad-vantages of those who invest in the exploitation of the develop-ment in question.

This situation explains in a nutshell why applied research activitiesin this country are perceived as beneficial to the German economy.The same sweeping statement cannot be made of activitiesabroad. From the point of view of the federal and regional spon-sors – those authorities who fund applied research with taxpayers’money – there is a need to demonstrate how Germany will benefitfrom activities carried out at a state-aided establishment in a for-eign location. The territory of the European Union now constitutesan exception to this rule, being perceived to yield benefits in termsof European policy. Activities in the rest of the world do not enjoythe same degree of goodwill. Yet this might be too narrow a per-spective.

In terms of their funding policy, German sponsors do not usuallyzero in on individual customers of research and development ser-vices. From the point of view of innovation and competitiveness,the state sponsors expect to reap benefits for all potential cus-tomers in Germany or within the European Union; they want allthose who help to boost the German economy from inside or out-side the country to be able to profit from the skills and expertise ofthe contractor. Nobody asks where this expertise came from.

Must all state-sponsored applied research institutes necessarily belocated in one’s own country in order for potential national cus-tomers to be able to make appropriate use of them? Is it not con-ceivable that a German research establishment in a foreign countrymight, thanks to the specific scientific and economic network thatit possesses there, be able to offer services that are of special inter-est particularly to its German or European customers? Are therenot certain issues that would be more likely to arise in the USA orin Asia than in Europe? The customers themselves provide the an-swer when they commission R&D services in Germany, but also toa growing extent in various countries of Europe, or when they pur-chase services in the USA, India, China and other places. This is noteveryone’s cup of tea; the language, logistics, legal system and cul-ture may pose quite considerable hurdles and additional costs. Butin industrialized countries, the basic principle still applies that com-

panies tend to purchase the required R&D services wherever theycan obtain good-quality, compatible services at a favorable price.

Competent research service provider

In other words: Anyone who outsources research and developmentwill be at an advantage if he finds an establishment that speaks hislanguage, that he knows, and that possesses international exper-tise. Such globally positioned service providers exist in the areas ofmanagement consulting, auditing and legal advice, for example,but not among providers of research services. Nevertheless, morethan half a dozen such institutions across the globe are on the wayto establishing an international presence today. In Germany, theFraunhofer-Gesellschaft has been building up international activi-ties for several years. It wants to be able to offer a broad and at-tractive range of services to its customers, more than 80 percent ofwhom are located in Germany.

Cited below are several cases that illustrate how existing potentialhas been turned to advantage outside Europe.

– Prominent German laser manufacturers such as Trumpf andRofin-Sinar are not only customers of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaftin Germany – that is, of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technol-ogy ILT and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Tech-nology IWS, but also make use of the Fraunhofer Center in Michi-gan to buy R&D services adapted to local conditions there.

– Nowhere else in the world is so much scientific excellence to befound as in the USA. All Centers of the Fraunhofer USA subsidiaryare looking for suitable partners. Boston University and Fraunhofersucceeded in appointing Andre Sharon as director of the Fraun-hofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation and as a university lec-turer. Sharon has gained an outstanding comrade-in-arms for the“Alliance for Medical Devices, Instrumentation and Diagnostics”formed between Fraunhofer and Boston University (see p. 22) inthe person of his colleague Charles DeLisi, one of the initiators ofthe human genome project and a specialist for highly efficient ana-lytical systems.

On the usefulness of research activities abroad

Essay

By Dr. Dirk-Meints Polter, former member of theFraunhofer executive board

17Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

– Spotlight on humanitarian aid: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provides money and good management, while the Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology in Delaware head-ed by Vidadi Yusibov contributes research such as the developmentof a vaccine for sleeping sickness. This research work won the ap-proval of the Foundation. Further projects involving the investiga-tion of potential antigens for malaria vaccines and the develop-ment of flu vaccines are now underway.

– Developers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental SoftwareEngineering IESE in Kaiserslautern and their colleagues at theFraunhofer Center for Experimental Software Engineering in Mary-land have jointly been awarded the Rhineland-Palatinate innovationprize for inventing SAVE, a technique for analyzing software archi-tectures with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

This cooperation is not a recent development: Several years ago itwas instrumental in fulfilling a contract awarded by the Japanesecompany RICOH; for RICOH, the software research collaborationwith the IESE and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelli-gence was a decisive factor in setting up RICOH’s European centerof competence in Kaiserslautern.

Generating knowledge worldwide

The two overriding objectives of Fraunhofer’s international commit-ment, namely to generate knowledge with partners of excellenceand to enrich preliminary research by taking into account the re-quirements of non-European markets, are being pursued withgrowing zeal. They are supplemented by other elements – such assupporting the foreign business of domestic customers with Fraun-hofer’s own international expertise, or by training up qualified staffand attracting talented new recruits.

Cooperative industrial ventures are particularly important in China,where centers like those in the USA do not yet exist, but wherelong-standing connections have produced a relationship of trust.Some of these connections can be traced back to joint scientificprojects in Germany.

– Acousticians at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBPhave devised innovative acoustic components that are now thesubject of a licensing and cooperation agreement with the Germancompany FAIST Anlagenbau GmbH. Moreover, the Institute hasmaintained intensive scientific and personal contacts with Chinesepartners for over 20 years. These have meanwhile resulted in sever-al cooperative ventures with Chinese customers involving the plan-ning, implementation and acceptance testing of audiometric roomsand acoustic development facilities particularly for the Chinese au-tomotive industry. Fraunhofer innovation is increasingly becomingaccepted as standard in China.

– The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZMhas its own office in Shanghai. Its familiarity with the market situa-tion in China enabled it to carry out joint projects in China withGerman microelectronics suppliers such as Süss Microtec AG, FHRAnlagenbau GmbH and Sentech Instruments GmbH. Fraunhofer’sinvolvement helped to bolster the activities of these companies inChina.

– The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IMLplanned the CKD supply chain processes for BMW AG from Ger-many to delivery at the factory in Shenyang. The optimized supplyconcept with integrated status points and emergency strategies en-abled BMW to significantly reduce stocks within the transportchain. The Institute greatly benefited from its knowledge of China,which it was also able to leverage in its work for Bosch PowerTools. For the latter company, China is not just a key market, butalso an important production site for global export. IML employeeshelped Bosch Power Tools to integrate a suitable logistics providerto handle production and sales in China itself.

– The ways in which the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft can benefit do-mestic partners are many and varied. Let me cite an up-to-date ex-ample from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Form-ing Technology IWU: An Indian enterprise that ranks among theglobal market leaders in the manufacture of textile machinery hadreached the limits of manual production, in terms of both capacityand quality, on its assembly line. It started by commissioning theInstitute to investigate and design automatic production workflowsand to qualify employees in the field of automation engineering;then, later, it tasked a medium-sized German company with imple-menting and supplying a plant to automate the assembly of a criti-cal component. The Institute’s collaboration with the Indian enter-prise was the starting point and prerequisite for placing thecontract with the German company.

The hypothesis that Fraunhofer as a whole becomes more valuableto domestic customers through its activities in other countries doesnot contradict the traditional view of the sponsors outlined at thebeginning, but extends beyond and integrates that view. It takesinto consideration not only individual reciprocal relationships, butthe entire potential for interaction. Certainly, one should not omitto mention that these cooperative ventures also benefit the foreignpartners. That is a desirable and necessary element. This broad-ened, integrative understanding of international collaboration issubstantiated by a thought experiment that addresses the shortageof highly qualified engineers and scientists – a shortage that cur-rently hinders the growth of the German economy and also of theresearch sector. If one assumes in the experiment that there are nomore highly qualified engineers and scientists in Germany at all,but plenty of them in various other countries, it becomes obviousthat the sponsors of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft ought to suggestmeeting Germany’s domestic requirements from those countries, inorder to boost innovation and competitive strength in Germany atthe very top level.

One might be tempted to draw the conclusion that the higher thelevel of expertise at a Fraunhofer Institute, and the wider its geo-graphical reach, the more useful it will be. However, the logic ofthis reasoning has until now encountered its limits where fundingpolicies confront potential German and European demand, and in-cidentally also comes up against the very mundane issue of finan-cial resources for setting up Fraunhofer establishments. On theother hand, the extreme example cited in the thought experimentmakes it clear how Fraunhofer capacity, regardless of its specific lo-cation, can do a great deal to strengthen Germany’s position as aprime business location.

18 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Production

The smart factory ofthe futureProduction processes in today’s companies are extremely complex, and any adjustment requires a great deal of time and effort. The smart production platform SCCP autonomously implements the required modifications, ensuring an optimum and efficient manufacturing process.

© Hans-Juergen Burkard/Bilderberg

19Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

The robot carefully approaches the loading ramp, picks up a component withits grabber arms, and takes it to the nextassembly machine. It then immediatelybrings a second component there, and thetwo are joined together. After that, the robot carries them on to quality control.“But now we want to assemble three components instead of two,” says projectmanager Maxim Foursa of the Virtual Environments department at the Fraun-hofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis andInformation Systems IAIS in Sankt Augustinnear Bonn. Using his mobile control system,a handheld PC, he gives the appropriatecommand. The loading ramp now providesthree components which the robot trans-ports one by one to the assembly machine.“The mobile control system displays thestatus of each factory component using color codes, and a tracking system ensuresthat the robot is positioned correctly. Allconnections work wirelessly via Bluetoothand WLAN,” says Foursa, explaining howthe factory of the future works.

Simulations and state-of-the-art factorycontrol systems are already ensuring flaw-less operation in production halls today,and can react adroitly to any breakdown inmachinery. However, any adjustment to theproduction process still takes a great dealof time and effort. If a production managerdecides to process a larger number of com-ponents, he has to reprogram the machinesand adapt the production processes accord-ingly. “Production runs like clockwork inthe factory of the future. Any changes inoperation are implemented autonomously,which helps us to ensure an optimum man-ufacturing process at all times. The prod-ucts are manufactured quickly and efficient-ly, any errors in the process are displayedautomatically together with their causes,the machines report of their own accordwhen they need servicing, and the produc-tion facilities are cheaper to maintain,” saysMaxim Foursa.

Visitors to the joint Fraunhofer stand forsimulation at the Hannover Fair were ableto witness the first live demonstration ofthe INT-MANUS prototype. INT-MANUSstands for ‘Intelligent Networked Manufac-turing System’, an EU project in whichFraunhofer researchers are collaboratingwith five European partner companies todevelop smart control solutions for facto-ries. INT-MANUS is being sponsored by theEuropean Commission under the SixthFramework Programme. Besides the Fraun-hofer IAIS, the project consortium includes

the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engi-neering IAO in Stuttgart, the Italian compa-nies FIDIA and CRF (Centro Ricerche Fiat),the French robot manufacturer Robosoft,the Spanish company Fatronik, and CIM-EXP from Hungary.

At the heart of the smart factory of the fu-ture is the ‘Smart Connected Control Plat-form’ SCCP, which the IAIS researchers de-veloped together with their colleagues inStuttgart. “SCCP is a virtual productionplatform that sets up a network betweenthe people, machines and robots in a facto-ry,” says Maxim Foursa. “SCCP is an intelli-gent system. After a learning phase, it iscapable of independently analyzing and im-proving the production processes.”

Monitoring with the help of smart components

In order for SCCP to work, developers, en-gineers, designers and manufacturers beginby feeding the platform with all the infor-mation about the machines, robots andpersons participating in the productionflow. The machines may also be equippedwith smart components such as miniaturecameras that monitor the processes, or sen-sors that measure temperature fluctuationsand communicate their effect on the pro-duction process. All these data converge inthe SCCP, where they are analyzed. The sys-tem instantly responds to new events: It au-tomatically issues orders, for instance to in-crease the speed of a robot’s movements inorder to prevent the production processfrom coming to a halt. Or it might indicatea defective machine that is producing sub-standard goods. Moreover, the plant super-visor is kept informed about the currentstatus of all elements in the entire produc-tion facility at all times. If the manufactur-ing process needs to be modified, the pro-duction planners simply have to enter thenew information into the system. SCCP au-tomatically adapts the respective processesand reports any necessary changes to theassembly lines. No programming is needed– regardless whether the shape of a com-ponent is to be made round instead ofsquare, the color a deeper shade or thematerial harder.

The Fraunhofer researchers have also devel-oped an additional function for the mobilecontrol system: The Product View modehelps the viewer to identify the factory’sproduction parts more easily. “This is ofparticular interest to manufacturers of alarge number of similar-looking compo-

nents, such as those in machine construc-tion,” says Foursa. With this function, it iseasy to recognize which part is currently on the pallet in the warehouse. Further-more, if any questions or problems ariseduring operation, the employees will beable to communicate via headsets using theUser View function. The IAIS scientists de-veloped the interface for the SCCP system,while their colleagues at the IAO are con-tributing the semantic models that will cre-ate the necessary connections. Robosoft isdeveloping sensors and software for robotsincluding the relevant interfaces, CIM-EXPis involved in RFID integration, FIDIA andFatronik are supplying the software re-quired for numerical controls and sensors.CRF is providing integrated systems for pro-cessing complex parts.

Errors are detected during the process

”Our system has several additional advan-tages over conventional factory control sys-tems,” says Foursa. “At present, productionprocesses always have to be supervised bypeople. This requires them to stand rightnext to the assembly line and detect errorsinstantaneously during the productionprocess. In future, information of this kindwill be displayed directly on the handheldPC. The supervisors will no longer have tostand in the production hall, but can moveabout freely. This saves maintenance costsand helps to detect and eliminate errors atan early stage.”

The new platform is being implemented in the form of three research prototypes.The first contains a basis version of the SCCP system, which indicates current pro-duction status and supports decisions. Thesecond prototype focuses on the system’shighly developed machine and robot con-trol technology. In this context, a customerwill design a product in a virtual environ-ment and use the SCCP to monitor its pro-duction. The third prototype contains allthe additional functions and modules, en-abling the system to process error reportsand diagnoses made by the system. At the same time, the operating personnel can make use of the wide variety of possi-bilities offered by the new factory controlsystem. An exciting period awaits theFraunhofer researchers in November, whenall the project partners will meet for a major workshop in Turin, Italy, and will test their developments on the productionline at FIAT.Isolde Rötzer

20 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

»Boston is the ideal place for a medical technology alliance,” says ProfessorAndre Sharon, director of the FraunhoferCenter for Manufacturing Innovation CMI."Engineers, researchers and medical doc-tors have been working here hand in handfor a number of years." The new networklinks engineers of CMI to biomedical engi-neers of Boston University. This team, inturn, works closely with doctors in reputedhospitals and clinics such as the Massachu-setts General Hospital. Sharon, who alsoholds tenure as Professor of ManufacturingEngineering at Boston University, points out that "this gives us a tremendous ad-vantage in developing commercial medicalproducts”.

This collaboration couldn’t be much closer– in every sense of the word: The CMIpremises are practically next door to theDepartment of Biomedical Engineering atBoston University. Researchers can meetwhenever they like to discuss problems ordevelop new ideas. Such a meeting, in fact,led to the concept for a new, automatedinstrument for manufacturing DNA arrays,for example. Such arrays will be used to anincreasing extent in medical diagnostics.These are chips the size of a fingernail cov-ered with thousands of segments of genes,which means different sections of DNA.The DNA segments on the chip bond withmatching DNA sequences in a sample, suchas blood, as soon as they come into con-tact. It is then possible to replicate and ana-lyze these recombined genes. In this way, itcan be quickly determined whether, for ex-ample, a patient has certain tumor markersin his or her blood, or is a member of a riskgroup carrying a hereditary genetic defect.“It is an excellent diagnostic technique, butmanufacturing the arrays is a very complex

matter. You need to know a lot not onlyabout biochemistry and genetics, but alsoabout manufacturing engineering,” de-clares Sharon.

Together with the research teams at BostonUniversity, the CMI has developed a newmanufacturing system for DNA arrays."This collaboration was a real challenge foreveryone involved. To start with, engineersand biochemists talk in different languages.

They need to learn how to communicateusing the same terms. Then there also weretechnical problems that had to be solved. Inthe meantime, an automated productionmachine for producing DNA arrays hasbeen developed and is currently used toproduce various arrays for diagnostics ex-periments. Based on the success of theirlongstanding collaboration, in the begin-ning of 2007, CMI and Boston University, inconjunction with Fraunhofer Institute for

Production

Boston Medical Engineering Alliance –

joining forces for faster resultsModern medical devices have to meet extremely demanding stan-dards. The development process for new products is therefore oftenlong and onerous. A new alliance formed in Boston aims to rapidlytransform innovative ideas into commercial products for the medicaldevices and instrumentation market. Researchers at the FraunhoferCenter for Manufacturing Innovation CMI are working closely withBoston University to accelerate this process.

The Boston University Campus is locatedright next to theCharles River. © Picasa

About CMI

The Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innova-tion CMI was founded in 1993 by Prof WilfriedKönig, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Pro-duction Technology IPT in Aachen. Today the centerhas 25 staff members, faculty, and students. The fo-cus of the Center is on the development of next-generation instruments and high precision automa-tion systems for the biotech/biomedical, photonics,and semiconductor industries. Increasingly the Cen-ter is focusing on biomedical technologies, instru-ments and devices.

The close collaboration with Boston University an-chors the Center in the American research land-scape, at the same time providing a sustainable ba-sis for technology transfer between European andAmerican industry.

Through the new alliance, the CMI intends to ex-pand its activities in the field of medical engineer-ing. This evolution goes hand in hand with the IPT’sincreasing focus on biomedical research topics. Forthis reason IPT director Professor Fritz Klocke seesstrong opportunities for cooperation in the years tocome.

21Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Production Technology IPT in Aachen,founded an alliance named Boston Univer-sity - Fraunhofer Alliance for Medical De-vices, Instrumentation and Diagnostics,which was officially launched on September7, 2007, with an inaugural meeting inBoston. "This cooperation will consolidatethe existing ties between CMI and BostonUniversity in the field of biomedical engi-neering, and accelerate the transfer of bril-liant ideas into medical practice,” declaredProfessor Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President ofthe Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. "We at Fraun-hofer consider this type of bridge-buildingbetween basic science and applied engi-neering to be an important driving forcefor future innovations." Both Fraunhofer

and Boston University have agreed to pro-vide funding for the new alliance for a peri-od of five years: A total budget of five mil-lion U.S. dollars has been set aside for thispurpose. From 2012 onward, the researchteams will be expected to be self-support-ing, financing any further research throughindependent project revenues. Any resultingrevenues and license-fee earnings are to beshared equitably between Fraunhofer andBoston University. The research teams in-

tend to conduct at least two projects a yearas joint undertakings. Their objective is todevelop each year at least two productsready to be commercialized. These productswill be brought to the market either byspin-off companies, or by licensing to abusiness partner.

The first project being undertaken by thenewly formed alliance involves the develop-ment of an innovative diagnostics chip andinstrument. "There is a huge emergingmarket for lab-on-a-chip technology: Suchdevices can be used to analyze bacterialand viral infections reliably and quicklywithout having to call on the resources oflarge laboratories,” explains Andre Sharon.

"Every step of the process – breaking upthe cells, isolating, replicating and identify-ing the DNA – takes place on a tiny chip."The greatest challenge is to find a rapid,low-cost method of manufacturing thechips. The team led by Professor CatherineKlapperich at Boston University has devel-oped a cost-effective new way of breakingup cells and extracting DNA. Now, CMI re-searchers will develop the chip and instru-ment that will also include PCR to amplify

DNA, as well as fluorescence detection thatwill enable complete “bleed to read”. Inthe end, the whole process shall take placeon a thermoplastic polymer chip. As earlyas the beginning of 2008, the members ofthe alliance want to develop a chip that will ultimately be used for a fast diagnosisof bacterial meningitis – a disease that represents a notorious risk to the health ofinfants. "In the USA, it can take days forthe results to come back from a medicallaboratory. Lab-on-a-chip technology en-ables doctors to identify the responsiblepathogens more quickly and prescribe aneffective treatment,” relates Sharon. "Forus, being able to diagnose meningitis is justthe first application: using more selectivediagnosis techniques, it will in principle bepossible to track down many viral or bacte-rial infections."

New optical diagnostic method

The second project being tackled by thebiomedical alliance is the development of anew optical diagnostic method for the earlydetection of colon cancer. Until now, doc-tors had to perform a biopsy, removingpolyps from the patient’s intestine andsending them to a pathologist to determinewhether the sample was benign or malig-nant. By contrast, the diagnostic instrumentbeing developed by the researchers inBoston will immediately inform the doctorwhich polyps are harmless and which arenot. Cancerous tissue reflects and scatterslight in a different manner than healthy tis-sue. The way in which a beam of light isscattered and reflected provides data thatcan be used to establish a possible patho-logical correlation. "The diagnostic systemconsists of a laser light source, a light-con-ducting fiber, a detector, and analysis soft-ware. The doctor receives immediate feed-back during the colonoscopic examination,enabling him or her to determine whetherthe area of tissue being investigated ishealthy or displays suspicious anomalies. Abiopsy in only required in the latter case,when the polyp will be removed and sentfor pathological tests. "The optical diagno-sis method reduces the need for physicalbiopsies and thus the stress on the pa-tient,” Sharon concludes. Furthermore, itsaves time for the doctor – and this can bean important economic factor when con-fronted with an aging population in whichmore and more patients need to undergoregular colonoscopy examinations."Monika Weiner

22 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Engine components have to meetvery high requirements. They have to rotatemore than 1,000 times in a single second,must withstand extreme pressures and tem-peratures of up to 2,000 degrees, and atthe same time must be as light as possible.Moreover, they must fulfill the highest safe-ty standards, for passengers’ lives dependon them during a flight. Developing andmaintaining aircraft engines therefore posesa great challenge for engineers.

“Safety comes at a price: An aircraft’s en-gines must be thoroughly inspected on aregular basis by their manufacturers or byindependent maintenance companies. If theservice teams discover any faulty parts, theyusually replace them completely. Compres-sor blades have to be renewed with partic-ular frequency, as the delicate blades areoften damaged by objects – birds or smallstones – flying into the engines duringtakeoff or landing,” explains Dr. IngomarKelbassa, who until recently was projectmanager at the Fraunhofer Institute forLaser Technology ILT, and is now vice direc-tor of the Chair for Laser Technology at theRWTH Aachen University. Over the past fewyears, he has worked together with Rolls-Royce and other companies, as well as aninternational team of researchers, to devel-op new repair techniques for aircraft en-gines in an EU project called AWFORS (Ad-vanced welding technologies for repair andsalvage of high valued engine componentson nickel and titanium based alloys).

“In this first EU project, we demonstratedthat engine components can be repaired bylaser cladding,” he recalls. “We specificallytested our methods on blisks and optimizedthem accordingly. Blisks (blade-integrateddisks) are powerful, high-class compressorrotor disks with integrated blades and di-ameters between around 300 and 1,000millimeters, which operate inside low-pres-sure and high-pressure compressors. Blisks

are machined as a single piece to save costsand weight, and previously had to be re-placed altogether if a blade was faulty. Thiscost five- or six-figure sums, depending onthe size of the blisk.”

Six-figure production costs make repairs worthwhile

Using a laser and metal powder derivedfrom the original material, the researcherssucceeded in repairing chipped blisks. Thelaser beam scans the damaged area pointby point, and slightly melts the surface ofthe broken edge. The powder turns to liq-uid, bonds with the material and then so-lidifies into hard metal. This process is re-peated again and again until the blade hasvirtually resumed its original shape. Thecomponent is then polished to perfectionby milling. The repair process rarely takeslonger than an hour and only costs severalthousand euros. Afterwards, the blisk looksas good as new, and all material propertiessuch as temperature resistance and stabilitymeet the technical requirements imposedon the original component.

It all sounds very simple, but is actually theresult of many years of meticulous work.Two Fraunhofer teams participated in theAWFORS project from 2001 to 2005 anddeveloped complete solutions independent-ly of each other. “The initial objective wasto establish a suitable processing strategy,”says Dr. Steffen Nowotny, project managerat the Fraunhofer Institute for Material andBeam Technology IWS in Dresden. “Thesecond major challenge consisted in keep-ing air away from the welding area. Blisksare made of extremely reactive titaniumwhich immediately bonds with oxygen andnitrogen during the welding process if noprecautions are taken. This alters the mate-rial properties; its brittleness increases,while its tensile and vibration fatiguestrength decreases.”

The IWS engineers built a protective gaschamber, which is filled with argon. Argonis an inert gas that does not react with oth-er substances. “The laser processing head isarranged in a mobile position inside thischamber, so that it can scan the blisks ac-cording to the given damage and apply the

material with a high contour precision,” ex-plains Nowotny. “The advantage of thismodel is that it guarantees optimum at-mospheric conditions at all times, resultingin a particularly high process safety and sta-bility. In addition, the entire claddingprocess can be carried out quickly andwithout interruption. The pauses otherwiserequired by the process are not necessary ina closed protective-gas atmosphere.”

Photonics

As good as new with a laserAircraft engines are expensive. Even the tiniest of defects cancost a lot of money, as damaged parts often have to be re-placed altogether for safety reasons. An international researchteam is currently developing new, cost-efficient productionand repair processes for compressors and turbines.

Working in a protective gas chamber hasdisadvantages, too: “The components mustnot be larger than the chamber. Further-more, evacuating or flooding the chamberwith protective gas is a complex and time-consuming process. All these factors restrictthe use of this technique in large-scale in-dustrial applications,” says Kelbassa. To-gether with his colleagues at the ILT, he de-veloped powder nozzles that not onlytransport the required nickel and titaniumpowders precisely to the right spot, but al-so channel the protective gas suitablyaround the welding point: “In this way, weonly need a single processing head and cando away with complex protective gas appli-ances. This blisk repair technology can beused anywhere.”

Meanwhile, the process has established itself on the market. Each of the two Fraunhofer Institutes has developed repairsystems for engine components in collabo-ration with various engine builders. Thesesystems are employed by original equip-ment manufacturers, independent mainte-nance companies and users in the field oftool and mold construction. Engine manu-facturer Rolls-Royce has furthermore certi-fied the ILT to repair original components

which are subsequently re-used in flight operations. The engineers from Aachendemonstrated their new technique lastsummer on a four-meter-long Rolls-Royceaero engine weighing 2.5 metric tons atLASER 2007.

However, the possibilities offered by lasertechnology have by no means been ex-hausted. “Particularly in the aviation indus-try, laser techniques such as cladding andselective laser melting will be used increas-ingly in the future. These technologies pro-vide a new level of flexibility in terms of de-sign, manufacture and repair, particularly inthe field of engine components,” says ILTresearcher Dr. Konrad Wissenbach enthusi-astically. “The figures speak for themselves:The processing times for repairs can be re-

duced by 40 percent or more. What’s more,up to 50 percent of material required andat least 40 percent of repair costs can besaved in future.”

Wissenbach is coordinating the new 6.5-million-euro EU project FANTASIA (Flexibleand near-net-shaped generative manufac-turing chains and repair techniques forcomplex shaped aero engine parts). Along-side the laser researchers from Aachen, the

project participants include maintenancecompanies and engine and laser systemsmanufacturers from Spain, England, Italy,Latvia, France and Switzerland.

The researchers have already reached theirfirst milestone: Shortly after project launchin the summer of 2006, they discoveredthat titanium aluminides, too, can be re-paired with a laser. Aircraft manufacturersare currently placing great hopes on thesematerials, because they are light and tem-perature-resistant. They may well becomethe main material used for engine construc-tion in the future.

Together with their EU project partners, theFraunhofer researchers from Aachen arenow developing a technique that will en-

able both components made of conven-tional nickel and titanium alloys and thosemade from titanium aluminides to be man-ufactured and repaired cost-efficiently inthe future.Monika Weiner

The processing head used for lasercladding is extreme-ly flexible. © Fraunhofer ILT

23Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

24 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Year after year, around 400,000 men,women and children in Germany receivethe bitter news that they have cancer. Inaddition to medication and surgery, one ofthe standard forms of treatment is radia-

tion. Over half of all cancer patients in theindustrial nations receive radiotherapy, yetthe harsh X-rays used in the process have adisadvantage: They not only destroy the tu-mor, but also attack healthy tissue, dis-charging their energy in even quantities ontheir way through the body, both at the tu-mor and on either side of it. Even attackingfrom several directions does not help toprevent side effects.

A significantly gentler form of therapy is ir-radiation with heavy ions. These particles,which shoot into the body like bullets, onlytake full effect once they have penetratedthe tissue, doing the most damage shortlybefore they become lodged. When fired at

the right speed, they provide a much moreeffective means of attacking malignant tu-mors. “The radiation dose can be increasedby a factor of three to four, which meansthat the tumor focus is hit much harder,”

says cancer biologist Stefan Pieck of Dres-den University of Technology. This cus-tomized treatment method is already beingused successfully, for instance at the Insti-tute for Heavy Ion Research GSI in Darm-stadt, and will soon also be employed inMunich and Essen. However, it is not suitedas a standard form of therapy, as the costsare too high and the necessary devices toocumbersome. The accelerator, or synchro-

tron, needed to boost the ions to the re-quired speed, fills a whole factory hall andcosts around 100 million euros – unafford-able for most hospitals.

However, the required particle rays can alsobe generated by a different means: thelaser. Its bundled, high-energy light is fo-cused on a coated film or doped glass,where it breaks atoms to produce a plasma– a gas made up of ions and free electrons.The laser beam accelerates the electricallycharged particles, and the ions ‘ride’ on itselectrical field like a surfer on a wave, thusreaching the necessary aggressive speed.Unfortunately, there is a catch to thismethod, too: It requires a special high-pow-er laser which costs nearly as much as asynchrotron, and there are only about twodozen of them worldwide. One particularlyimpressive laser is in the Lawrence Liver-more National Laboratory in California,

New cancerirradiation by laser

Radiotherapy places an enormous strain on the bodies of cancerpatients. Researchers are therefore working on a better toleratedtreatment. Tumors are now to be selectively destroyed usinghigh-power lasers – an immense scientific challenge.

View of the inside of a laser amplifier belonging to the POLARIS high-powerlaser.© FSU Jena

Photonics

25Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

where it is used for fusion research. Anoth-er is located in the ‘ultra optics’ compe-tence center at the University of Jena. It isthe size of a house and needs five physiciststo operate it – not a recommendable devicefor routine operations in a hospital.

The University of Jena now plans to joinforces with Dresden University of Technolo-gy – where experts in the ‘OncoRay’ centerhave been researching medical radiationtherapy for years – in order to turn the ex-pensive giant into an affordable instrumentwith acceptable dimensions. The Fraun-hofer Institute for Applied Optics and Preci-sion Engineering IOF in Jena and the re-search center Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf will be involved in the project.

The innovative device has to fit inside ahospital room and the complete therapy

system is not allowed to cost more than tenmillion euros. Called ‘onCOOPtics’, this pro-ject on high-intensity lasers for radio on-cology will run for a period of five yearsand will be supported by the German Fed-eral Ministry of Education and Research,which is providing funds worth 11.5 millioneuros in the context of its ‘EntrepreneurialRegions’ program. Admittedly, many highhurdles stand in the way of success. Laserexpert and IOF director Professor Andreas

Tünnermann of Jena University speaks ofan “immense scientific challenge”. First ofall, he says, it has to be verified whetherthe project is at all viable – basic research inother words. If the answer is yes, the inter-disciplinary team of technicians, engineers,medical scientists and biologists could de-velop a prototype within five years. Itwould then take at least another ten yearsfor the device to reach market maturity andbe approved for hospital use, due to thestringent conditions and extensive approvalprocedures that apply in the field of medi-cine. The laser must first demonstrate its ef-fectiveness on cell cultures and later on ani-mals before it can benefit the first patientsin clinical tests. Many cancer diseases, suchas brain, cervical and prostate tumors,could be cured by this method. The firsttask, however, is to master the technicalproblems.

The experts have already determined a wayto do this. In today’s high-power lasers –monstrous devices full of optical systems,pump units and electronics – the beamsrun openly from mirror to mirror. In thenew device, they are to be channeled ex-clusively through glass fibers. This has theadvantage that the lenses are no longer af-fected by dust and vibrations. Such fiberlasers already exist, but they are several or-ders of magnitude too weak. Radiotherapyrequires true giants whose output exceedsthat of a nuclear power plant – if only for afraction of a second. The high-energy lightflashes produced in the process can heat upsurfaces to sun-like temperatures. The chal-

lenge lies in containing this power inside acompact device.

But that is not all. Hospital staff also needto be able to aim accurately, so that thefired particles do exactly what they are sup-posed to. After all, they are meant to hitthe tumor, not the healthy tissue surround-ing it. In order for this to work, it is neces-sary to measure the ion beam precisely –something no-one has ever attempted be-fore. The greatest problem is that the laseris extremely short-pulsed, so the particlesonly shoot out for a few femtoseconds at atime. A femtosecond is one millionth of abillionth of a second. The researchers mustalso investigate how tissue reacts to beingfired at with ultra-short-pulse radiation.“The biological effects may be entirely dif-ferent to those produced by continuous ra-diation,” says project manager Stefan Pieck.

If onCOOPtics is successful, millions of peo-ple around the world could benefit fromthis gentle form of radiotherapy, and thedemand for this innovative device would bevery high. In Germany alone, there are sev-eral hundred tumor centers that wouldgladly switch to the gentle method – po-tential customers, in fact. Tünnermann isconfident: “I think it will work, but we stillhave a long way to go.”Klaus Jacob

Electron beam lithog-raphy system used toproduce high-powerlenses.© Fraunhofer IOF

Particle accelerationwith high-intensitylaser pulses.© FSU Jena

26 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

The latest UNO environmental reports make theextent of global warming very clear. How can re-newable energies help to slow down this climatechange? That was a highly appropriate choice ofwords. Global warming is already happening, and theonly thing we can do about it is to try to slow it down.The greatest danger is not the increase of 1.5 or 2.5degrees Celsius in the Earth’s average temperature, butthe potential instability of the climate. For the past10,000 years, the Holocene epoch, the Earth’s climatehas been very stable. My fear is that the effect of hu-man activity on the climate will bring this epoch to apremature end and that the global climate will growunstable again, with hundred-year storms and similarlycatastrophic weather conditions becoming annual oc-currences. It is absolutely essential that we concentrateall of our resources everywhere in the world on cuttingcarbon dioxide emissions as quickly and effectively aspossible by reducing energy consumption and switch-ing to renewable energy sources. In the short term, wecan achieve a lot by saving energy. But in the mediumand long term, we will have to find economical renew-able energy sources to replace CO2-emitting fossilfuels. Germany is planning to build 25 new coal-firedpower stations over the next few years. That’s sheermadness!

When will solar power come into its own? Thefeed-in tariffs established by Germany’s RenewableEnergy Act have placed solar power on a very fasttrack. Annual growth rates of 40 percent and over arenow being achieved, although it must be admitted thatwe are starting from a very low baseline. In the longrun, solar power is the only type of energy that offers a sustainable solution to the world’s energy problems.Let me cite an example to show how limitless solarenergy is: All of the petroleum reserves known to manwould be sufficient to supply us with oil at today’s con-sumption rates for another hundred years or so. That’sthe same amount of energy that the sun delivers toEarth in 1fi days. The Earth’s annual energy consump-tion measured in kilowatt-hours is supplied by the sunin just one hour.

How can the cost-efficiency of solar cells be in-creased? Researchers have been trying out various ap-proaches to increase the power yield of solar cells. Thebiggest problem at the moment, though, is the factthat industry is unable to meet the demand due to a

shortage of highly pure silicon. There are several possi-ble workarounds. One is to switch to thin-film techno-logy. The advantage of this technology is that it doesnot require silicon. However, solar modules based onthin-film technology have a very low conversion effi-ciency of only about 10 percent and some of the mate-rials required, such as indium, are so rare that this kindof technology is unlikely to have any significant impacton global energy production. Another option would beto use silicon of lesser purity than the usual expensive,highly pure silicon. This is the approach we are pursu-ing at the ISE, and it holds the potential for extremelyrapid market growth.

The ISE is one of the major research centers in the field of solar energy. What will be the mainfocus of your research in the coming years? One of our major goals is to produce good solar cells fromlower-priced silicon material. To do this, we plan to usesilicon that is not as pure as the extremely pure siliconused for semiconductors. I like to call it “dirty silicon”,though my friends in the industry are not particularlyfond of the expression. “Dirty silicon” is still a very purematerial. A second focus of our work will be to achievethe highest possible conversion efficiencies with silicontechnology. The world record is an energy yield of 24percent. We are confident that there are ways of bea-ting this world record with the aid of improved techno-logy. We also aim to gather process experience so thatwe can manufacture silicon cells with greater efficiencyat lower cost. Another possible solution relates to con-centrator cells made of thin-film structures incorporat-ing different types of semiconductor materials. Thesecan transform visible light into electrical energy moreefficiently than solar cells based exclusively on silicon.Concentrator cells are capable of attaining theoreticalefficiencies of up to 50 percent. At the ISE we are already achieving efficiencies of 35 percent.

Germany is not blessed with year-round sunshine.Can solar power nevertheless be profitably usedhere? Absolutely! The most effective way is to pro-duce solar power at the times when companies are at work – in other words, at peak demand times. Thecosts and prices of solar power cannot be comparedwith the prices of base load power stations. They haveto be compared with the cost of providing peak-hourelectricity. Around midday on July 28 last summer, the price of conventionally produced electricity was

Interview

Powered by the sun

© Claudia Seitz

27Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Solar expert Eicke R. Weber onglobal warming, the potential ofsolar power and “dirty silicon”.Professor Weber is the new di-rector of the Fraunhofer Insti-tute for Solar Energy SystemsISE in Freiburg.

higher than that of photovoltaic electricity for the first time ever. The price of solar power will drop even further in future, while that of conventional electricity will rise.

When will solar power be competitive? Unless it is backed up by a secondary source, solar power canonly be provided at competitive rates today in sunbeltregions such as California. Consumers in California to-day are paying for electricity at a peak rate of 32 centsper kilowatt-hour, when solar power can be generatedthere for about 25 cents per kilowatt-hour. In other

words, photovoltaics is already competitive in Califor-nia. The same thing will be possible in Spain, Greeceand other southern regions of Europe within the nextfive years. It will undoubtedly take rather longer – say10 to 15 years – before solar power can be producedat competitive prices in Germany.

The ISE is working on the construction of large-scalesolar power plants. Solar power plants can operatewith high-efficiency solar cells using concentrator tech-nology. The light from a wide area is focused via a low-cost plastic lens onto solar cells with thin-film struc-

28 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Interview

tures, measuring only 2 x 2 mm. The whole module isdesigned to track the sun. But this technology only paysoff in sun-soaked countries. Another interesting ap-proach is the use of solar thermal power for generatingelectricity. In large-scale power plants, for instance, thesolar energy is concentrated in a parabolic trough to pro-duce hot steam, which in turn drives a turbine to gener-ate electricity. In July a large demonstration power plantwill be inaugurated in Spain – a solar thermal powerplant which the ISE helped to develop (see next page).

Do you intend to go on expanding the areas oflow-energy building and hydrogen technology aswell? I have no intention of neglecting these fields ofresearch at the ISE in favor of photovoltaics or solar thermal power. Quite the contrary: All these areas arecurrently in an extremely healthy position and capable of growth.

How does Germany rank in terms of renewableenergies research? Only five years ago, there was afairly even balance between Germany, the USA and Japan. But the tremendous success of photovoltaics inGermany – stimulated by the government’s RenewableEnergy Act – has distinctly pushed the balance towardsGermany. The world’s second-largest photovoltaics com-pany is one that was founded in Germany only five yearsago. Photovoltaics companies are making tremendousprofits, which they are also plowing back into researchand development. One good example is our new re-search center – the Center for Silicon Photovoltaics –,which we are setting up in Halle in cooperation with theFraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, inthe vicinity of the cluster of solar-cell manufacturingcompanies based in central Germany. That’s a conceptwith a promising future. I can well imagine the ISE set-ting up branch laboratories in the places where our part-ners are located. The ISE already has a laboratory in Gel-senkirchen, in the immediate vicinity of the ScheutenSolar – formerly Shell – solar cell factory. In Freiberg, Sax-ony, we have set up the Technology Center for Semi-conductor Materials THM in collaboration with theFraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and DeviceTechnology IISB. We also cooperate with the Universityof Constance. Another vision I have is that of going tothe USA – maybe California or the east coast, because I anticipate that the solar power market in the USA willfinally take off in the next couple of years. Right now it’s a mere tenth of the size of Germany’s solar powermarket. But the world’s largest market for solar energywill be China. The Chinese government is planning to invest vast sums of money – around 10 billion dollars –in the solar power industry.

How much solar energy is already being used togenerate electricity? At the moment we only exploit atiny fraction of this marvelous energy resource. The ener-gy from sunlight is primarily harvested indirectly through

the plants that use it for photosynthesis. Unfortunately,photosynthesis is a very inefficient process, with a con-version efficiency of less than 0.1 percent. That’s why the idea of supplying the world with energy through biogas and biomass is not exactly promising from anenergetic point of view. We need more highly efficientmethods like photovoltaics. Compared to photosynthe-sis, the current efficiency of photovoltaics is actuallyamazingly good, at roughly 20 percent. Humanity needsto turn its sights more consistently in this direction. Afew statistics will illustrate my point: The war in Iraq hascost the USA about 500 to 700 billion dollars so far.With sums like these, it would be easily possible to con-vert the global energy supply to renewable resourceswithin a decade. The money is there. The only questionis how we set our priorities.

Professor Weber, until recently you were workingat the renowned University of California at Berke-ley. What inspired you to leave the U.S. and joinFraunhofer in Germany? To be honest, I was not ex-pecting to come back to Germany at all. But when I heard that this truly outstanding Institute for Solar Ener-gy Systems was looking for a new director, that was achallenge that very much appealed to me. It’s importantto me to be able to influence the development of solarpower and renewable energy sources. My goals are tomitigate the effects of global warming and to pave theway for a rapid transition to a power industry free ofcarbon dioxide emissions and ensure that renewableenergy sources are introduced as soon as possible. TheISE is in the unique position of being able to support thisevolution on an international scale. Having introducedfeed-in tariffs under its innovative Renewable Energy Act, Germany enjoys an enviable position in respect of its domestic market and a correspondingly high reputa-tion in the global market.

People in Germany are often heard to lament thatits best researchers are fleeing the country. Whatcan be done to persuade these researchers to re-turn home? In the USA, good researchers are head-hunted by prospective employers offering interesting jobopportunities. This is not the case in Germany, wherecandidates are expected to apply for advertised posts ontheir own initiative. We are at a distinct disadvantage inthis respect. What’s more, American universities offer farmore attractive entry-level posts for junior scientists thanuniversities in Germany. One way of getting in touchwith young German scientists working abroad is throughthe German Scholars Organization, in which I myself amactively involved. This organization provides a channelthrough which companies, universities and research or-ganizations can enter into contact with these talentedyoung scientists who have chosen to work abroad andtempt them to return home with concrete job proposals.Professor Weber was interviewed by Birgit Niesing

29Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

The sun delivers energy in abundance –roughly 10,000 times the global power re-quirement worldwide. Yet very little of thispotential has so far been tapped. At pres-ent, only 0.1 percent of the electricity con-sumed around the world is generated fromsolar power – almost exclusively by photo-voltaics. Solar thermal power plants are set to change this situation. In sun-soakedregions, they offer a promising option foran environment-friendly power supply. Europe’s first large-scale power plant is now being built in Andalusia.

Using solar energy to generate steam

Solar thermal power plants operate in asimilar way to conventional steam powerplants – but with one decisive difference:The steam is not produced by burning coal,oil or natural gas, but by solar energyalone. In the parabolic trough systems thathave been in use for many years, the sun-light is focused via concave mirrors onto anabsorber tube, also known as a receiver, inorder to attain the necessary high tempera-

tures. The sun’s rays heat the thermal fluidflowing through the receiver to 350 de-grees Celsius. A heat exchanger producessteam, which then drives an electricity gen-erator via a turbine.

Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Insti-tute for Solar Energy Systems ISE are devis-ing new concepts in collaboration with in-dustry. Their goal is to further enhance theefficiency and cost-effectiveness of theplants. “In the new systems, linear Fresnelcollectors are used instead of parabolictroughs,” explains Dr. Werner Platzer of theISE. These work with flat mirror surfacesthat can be steered to track the position ofthe sun. The sun’s rays are focused on acentral absorber tube with highly selectivecoating that is mounted in a fixed positionabove the array of mirrors. A second reflec-tor hood mounted above the receiver addi-tionally deflects beams into the focal line.Water is used as heat transfer fluid, en-abling the advanced direct evaporationtechnique to be applied. The water is va-porized in the absorber tube, heating thesteam to 450 degrees Celsius.

These higher temperatures enable the tur-bine to operate more efficiently.

But is the new solar thermal power planttruly cost-effective? Yes indeed. Most of thecomponents required are standard off-the-shelf products, allowing the plant to bemanufactured at low cost. On the basis oftheoretical investigations, ISE scientists haveworked out that the cost of generatingelectricity in sunbelt regions amounts toroughly 0.12 euros per kWh. The new tech-nology has various other advantages, too:Thanks to its flat architecture the plant isnot only less susceptible to the wind, butalso takes up less space than conventionalparabolic trough systems.

Now the technology is to be tested in prac-tice. A demonstration plant is being built insouthern Spain, with MAN Ferrostaal PowerIndustrie GmbH as prime contractor. Thescientists will monitor and assess a line ofcollectors 100 meters long which is nowunder construction at the Plataforma Solarde Almería.Birgit Niesing

Energy

Simulation of a Fresnel power plant. © Fraunhofer ISE

Electricity straightfrom the sun By the year 2050, it will be possible to meet a quarter

of the world’s energy needs directly using solar energy.It is anticipated that solar thermal power plants willplay a significant role in generating this electricity.

30 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

FraunhoferVisual

Energy-efficient construction

The new library in Ulm: Scientists determined the expected temperatures, air flow and daylight conditions using the respective com-puter measurement programs.They collaborated with theplanners to develop strategiesfor reducing incident sunlightand increasing air flow.

31Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

32 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Even in today’s age of e-mail and Inter-net, paper is an important carrier of secrets.This was all the more true in the formerGDR. In a bid to guard the secrets of theregime, files were systematically destroyedbetween the fall of 1989 and January 1990at the former Ministry of State Security. Thevolume of these files was so vast that theelectric shredders were unable to cope, anda large part of the documents had to betorn to pieces by hand. Around 45 millionA4 pages were shredded into 8 to 30 frag-ments each.

Only a small part of these documentis hasbeen reconstructed so far, because it takesso long to piece them together manually:30 people would have to work about 600to 800 years to put together these 600 mil-lion-odd paper scraps by hand. Researchersat the IPK have found a much faster way of doing it: They have developed an auto-mated, computer-based reconstructionprocess which will make it possible to ana-lyze the documents within a short space of time. The IPK had already demonstratedthe basic feasibility of such a virtual puz-zling process back in 2003, in a competi-tion organized by the Federal Commission-er for the Records of the State SecurityService of the former German DemocraticRepublic, BStU. The pilot project for thiscomputer-based reconstruction process isnow about to begin.

“I see the automated reconstruction ofStasi documents, which has now been set in motion, as being an important con-tribution towards shedding light on crimes

committed by the Stasi,” says Klaus-PeterWillsch, member of the Bundestag, thebudget committee and the Senate of theFraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and a supporter ofthe project. “We must prevent investiga-tions concerning the history of the undem-ocratic SED state from coming to a halt.”

This opinion is shared by the committee,which has now given the go-ahead for thepilot project. Over the next two years, thecontents of 400 bags will be processed atthe IPK. A separate working group set upfor this purpose, consisting of 25 staffmembers, will optimize the scanning tech-nology employed as well as the algorithmsused for image processing, and will adaptthem to the volume of the paper scraps be-ing reconstructed. “In a wide range of proj-ects, we have developed methods of auto-matically recognizing and analyzing color,texture, shape, typescript and handwrit-ing,” explains Dr. Bertram Nickolay, head ofthe department for security systems at theIPK. “These are in addition to our tech-niques for automation or the learning ofsystems.”

Automated puzzling based onscanned paper scraps

The automated puzzle process builds onthis knowledge. Before the process can be-gin, both sides of each fragment must bedigitalized. This scanning process will becarried out by arvato direct services GmbH,who belong to Bertelsmann AG. arvato di-rect services and the IPK have been jointlyworking on the digitization of different

Information and communication

16,250 bags of shredded documents from the former GDR’s Ministry of State Security,the “Stasi”, await reconstruction – a gigantic puzzle almost impossible to master by hand.Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design TechnologyIPK in Berlin have set up a pilot project topiece together this mountain of shreds in an automated process.

The Stasi puzzle

Original torn documents and their digitalized image.© dpa/Stephanie Pilick

33Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

kinds of documents since 2005. This collab-oration, which is supported by the state ofBerlin, has produced novel scanning con-cepts which are now going to be used todigitize the paper fragments. The specialfeature of these concepts is that the piecesof paper can simply be fed into the scannerwithout first having to be laminated ortreated in any special way. Both sides of thepaper are recorded in an instant. The digitalimages can then be analyzed, sorted intocategories and stored in a database.

Searching for shapes, colors and motifs

“Virtual puzzling follows the logic of manu-al puzzling,” explains IPK project managerJan Schneider. Humans use a variety of fea-tures to decide whether two pieces of a jig-saw puzzle belong together or not, such asthe shape of the pieces and the colors ormotifs that can be seen on each piece. Thispre-selection process makes it easier to findmatching pieces of the puzzle. “The virtualpuzzle process begins in the same way,”says Jan Schneider. “The system evaluatesvarious describing characteristics such asshape or texture in order to reduce thesearch area. The actual puzzling processthen takes place in this reduced area.” Thecontours of the fragments are comparedwith each other and checked for matches.

If matching parts are found, they aremerged to form a larger piece. Then thewhole process is repeated. Piece by piece,page by page, the Stasi documents willthus be reconstructed.

Meanwhile, the researchers at the IPK areone step further than in 2003 in terms ofdeveloping the technology: Their algo-rithms can now reconstruct not only manu-ally shredded documents but also thoseshredded by machines. This is particularlycomplex, given that machine-shredded pa-per lacks an important feature required forthe puzzling process: shape. Instead, frag-ments of characters have to be used as themain feature. However, the researchershave been able tofully reconstruct a bag ofmachine-shredded documents for a tax in-vestigation office.

The pilot project for the automated recon-struction of Stasi documents will run fortwo years. In parallel, historians will analyzethe contents of the assembled pages. Af-terwards, the decision will be made as towhether to begin with the main project inwhich the remaining 15,800 bags are to bepuzzled together. Luckily, the members ofthe Stasi did not anticipate today’s techno-logical developments, which will now helpto expose their machinations.Beate Koch

Even machine-shred-ded papers can be reconstructed (figureabove).© dpa/Stephanie Pilick

Both sides of eachpiece are scanned inone go (figure above).© dpa/Stephanie Pilick

A conveyor belt willsoon transport thepaper fragments tothe scanner (figure on left).© dpa/Stephanie Pilick

34 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Not long ago, art thieves pulled off oneof the most spectacular thefts in recent history. Two paintings by Picasso werestolen one night from the Paris apartmentof the famous artist’s granddaughter, DianaWidmaier-Picasso. Estimated value: 50 mil-lion euros.

An inconceivably large number of art ob-jects are being sought worldwide – itwould be impossible to compile a full list.The Art Loss Register, a private associationwith offices in Cologne, London, Amster-dam and New York, is itself currently pursu-ing some 180,000 cases of stolen works ofart. Besides the investigators from the ArtLoss Register, who have succeeded in recov-ering about 5500 works of art since thecompany was founded in 1991, regional

departments of criminal investigation, Inter-pol and the FBI are all engaged in the fightagainst art crime. But with several hundredthousand missing art objects, it is very diffi-cult for art detectives at events such as pri-vate auctions or viewings to identify stolengoods as such. More often than not, theyhave to carry out time-consuming databasesearches before they can bring the artthieves and their accomplices to trial.

Stolen art? The answer comes immediately

A new development from the FraunhoferInstitute for Production Systems and DesignTechnology IPK could help the investigatorswith their work in future: the mobile arttracing system. The object suspected as

Information and communication

Tracking down artthieves by cell phone

Round the world, thieves steal works of art worth several billion euros every year. It is extremely difficultfor art detectives to recognize stolen goods on thespot. But a mobile solution has now been devised that could help them to quickly identify stolen worksof art.

35Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

being stolen is photographed with a cellphone or PDA camera, after which the de-tective sends the digital image by wirelesstransmission to a central server. The replycomes back in a matter of seconds, for ex-ample: “90 percent match” – a similarpainting is stored in the database of stolenart. The detective can initiate the necessarysteps immediately. Without this mobile sys-tem, it is usually necessary to invest timeand money obtaining expert opinions be-fore the detective can know with any cer-tainty whether the object discovered reallyis one that has been reported stolen.

Objects are analyzed and classified

The mobile art tracing system is based onsophisticated technology developed at theIPK. Highly complex algorithms permit au-tomatic image analysis on a central server.On the basis of visual features such asshape, outline, color or texture, the systemidentifies similar works which are registeredin the database of stolen art works. Theproperties of the object are analyzed andclassified. For example, the system exam-ines the distribution of colors in a paintingor looks for repeating patterns in a carpetor other woven textile. The system can dis-tinguish a still life from a portrait or a land-scape, and in the case of coins, it recog-nizes the embossed symbols. The imagerecognition software automatically sortseach item into the appropriate category.There is no need for the investigator to enter key words such as the name of thepainter or the style of the work. Even better, the system’s performance is not impaired by poor-quality images: Despite

the lower camera resolution of mobile ter-minals, poor lighting or reflections causedby flashlight, the system is able to recog-nize images and compare them with theoriginal in the database.

“The system is easy to operate,” says Dr.Bertram Nickolay, head of the IPK’s depart-ment for security systems. “Since it wasbuilt mostly from standard modules, it’s al-so an extremely cost-effective solution.”The IPK is assisted by the Berlin-based com-pany PRISMA GmbH, which is responsiblefor system integration. The research work isbeing funded by the Berlin Senate Depart-ment for Economics, Labor and Women’sIssues. Aided by the mobile analysis system,the art detective can carry out a databasesearch directly in the place where the paint-ing has been found, without the need forexpensive expert opinions.

“A mobile system could help our officerswith their investigations,” states Dr. RobertMizia, a senior government official at theBavarian police force’s Strategic InnovationCenter (SIZ). “Even though more sophisti-cated surveillance techniques have led to adecrease in art thefts, in public buildings atany rate, thefts still keep happening, andsome of the losses are irreplaceable.” TheBavarian department of criminal investiga-tion in Munich employs five officers whospecialize in tracing stolen works of art andcould benefit from the mobile art tracingsystem. They check out auctions, art fairsand flea markets all over Bavaria in searchof stolen goods, and have succeeded in lo-cating 21 missing works of art during thepast two years. The mobile art tracing sys-tem could help to achieve successes like

these both faster and more frequently, thepolice hope. However, the system’s suitabili-ty for use under police conditions has yet tobe tested.

Dr. Ulli Seegers, managing director of ArtLoss Register GmbH Deutschland, does not see the potential for mobile art tracinguntil some point in the future: “At present,when seeking stolen works of art, wemainly rely on the expertise of experiencedart historians. But new technological devel-opments are nevertheless essential, for arttheft is a growing problem. The number of crimes is on the increase all over theworld.” Seegers points out that an auto-matic image recognition system can onlyever be as good as the database to which it is linked. The problem is that too little visual documentation exists for numerousworks of art – particularly those in privatecollections.

The algorithms used in the IPK’s imageanalysis system can also be put to use inother areas. The researchers are now work-ing on another pilot project: “Our systemcould be used to expose counterfeits, forexample,” says Nickolay. “An airport cus-toms official with a mobile scanner can ar-rest someone carrying fake designer goodson the basis of distinctive features of thepackaging.” The IPK is already engaged innegotiations with various police authorities.The system can also facilitate the search formissing vehicles and the examination offorged immigration papers. Further plansinclude mobile services for private collectorswanting to check for authenticity whenpurchasing a timepiece, for example.Cinthia Briseño

36 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Brillant images, bright colours, noflickering, no scratches, and no backgroundnoise: digital cinema is the superlativemovie-going experience. In the London bor-ough of Guildford and in Chicago, moviebuffs can watch films at the first 4KD-Cine-mas. 4K means 4096 x 2160 pixel resolu-tion, or 8 megapixels. In contrast, commer-cially available televisions have a resolutionof 0.4 megapixels, and high resolutionHDTV has 2 megapixels. "The images areoverwhelming," enthuses Sony's Carl Pringabout picture quality at D-Cinemas. Whilemany cinemas are already equipped withdigital projectors, they still do not offer 4Kresolution.

But this is about to change: there are cur-rently a number of initiatives to equip Eu-rope's movie theatres with the new tech-nology. For instance, Arts Alliance Media isplanning to transform 7,000 of Europe's30,000 cinemas into D-Cinemas in the nextfive years. Just like in the US, film studiosand distributors are expected to bear thecosts. However, just how many film studiosand cinema operators will be willing to fi-nance the change remains unknown.

In Germany, the Federal Film Board FFA, theAssociation of German Film Theatres anddistributors is working on a business modelto equip all cinemas with the new digitaltechnology. Doing so costs up to EUR55,000 per cinema, which is too expensivefor most cinema owners. But studios anddistributors stand to benefit handsomelyfrom the new technology, since they will

Information and communication

The hit film "Ocean's13" was shot in 4Kresolution. © Warner Bros.

D-Cinema: "Coming soon to a theatre near you"The first digital cinemas haveopened their doors. In thenext five years, several thou-sand movie theatres acrossEurope will be equipped withthe new technology.

37Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

no longer have to produce analogue copiesof movies, which can cost up to EUR 1,000per copy. When major blockbusters open at several thousand cinemas, the cost ofcopying the film can quickly rise into themillions.

Creating digital film packages

But which projectors and equipment meetthe requirements of digital technologies?Are the different technical componentscompatible? These questions were an-swered by the Digital Cinema Initiatives DCI in a joint project between the majorHollywood studios and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS on the introduction of digital cinema. Together,they developed a first assessment processand test plan that can form the basis forthe certification of digital projectors, serversand devices required for digital cinema. Inaddition, the researchers are working withthe German Federal Film Board FFA and the French National Center for Cinemato-graphy CNC to develop guidelines for theintroduction of digital cinemas. “Our workis directed towards enabling the film indus-try to generate tomorrow’s digital film formats and test their validity," explainsSiegfried Fößel, project manager for digitalcinema at IIS.

The availability of films in 4K format is stillvery limited. "Spiderman 3" and "Ocean's13" were the first hit movies to be shot in4K. "It will be a while before the entire filmchain, from shooting to post-productionand distribution, is adapted to digital tech-

nology," says Hans Bloss, spokesperson forthe Fraunhofer Digital Cinema Alliance.High-resolution digital cameras are a basicprerequisite for D-cinema. In a joint venturewith film equipment manufacturer ARRICine Technik the ARRI D-20 camera wasdeveloped in a first step.

To store digital data, IIS researchers havedeveloped the portable fieldrecorder Mega-cine. The device can record images either indigital cinema DC or high definition HD for-mat. It has a capacity between one andtwo terabytes, which means that image da-ta can be recorded for up to one hour inuncompressed DC quality. MegacineJ2kwas unveiled at the International BroadcastConvention IBC in Amsterdam. A JPEG2000hardware encoder is docked to the Mega-cine, making it possible to extend the for-mat spectrum to JPEG2000.

While the 35 mm film is transported in filmcans, digital film is transported in the digitalcinema package DCP. It contains all the re-quired information, either in encrypted orunencrypted form, from film data andsound to subtitles. The encrypted DCP isdistributed to cinemas via hard drive orsatellite. Fraunhofer researchers have devel-oped software tools required to create andtest DCPs.

A new and improved experience

The new digital technology offers a lotmore than a deluxe movie experience. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software

Technology FIRST and the Fraunhofer In-stitute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI, are working on a highresolution multi-projection system that canalso be used for special events at cinemas,theme parks and other locations. The sys-tem comprises several LCD projectors. Oneimpressive and innovative example of thisnew technology was the ultra-wide screenprojection of a football match from the FI-FA Football World Championships in 2006.

To keep the moviegoer from noticing thatseveral projectors are running, the playbackdevices must be completely synchronized.Through a combination of projectors, it iseven possible to project movies with 5K resolution and higher. Films can also beprojected on curved surfaces.

A process developed by FIRST engineers automatically calibrates the projectors sothat the images from each of them arealigned down to the pixel. "This makes perfectly synchronized projections onto surfaces of all shapes and sizes possible,"explains Kay-Ingo Ahlers of FIRST.

To be significantly better than home cine-mas, the cinema of the future not onlyneeds brilliant images, but also outstandingsound. IOSONO® makes sure that themoviegoer has a memorable sound experi-ence. "With the innovative sound system, aperfectly natural spatial impression can becreated almost anywhere in the projectionarea. The audio system makes it possible tocreate a natural sound field in which eachlistener can experience sound, music, dia-logue and effects from the right perspectivewithin their own sound sphere," explainsProfessor Karlheinz Brandenburg, head ofthe Fraunhofer Institute for Digital MediaTechnology IDMT, on the advantages ofIOSONO®. The new technology is alreadybeing applied, for instance in the 4-D cine-ma at the Bavaria Filmstadt in Munich.

Slowly but surely, the individual buildingblocks of the digital production chain arecoming together. It will only be a few moreyears until movies are shot, produced, dis-tributed and projected in D-cinema. In afew years time, film buffs will no longerhave to travel to London or Chicago for asuperlative cinema experience. Birgit Niesing

Fraunhofer Digital Cinema Network

The Network provides solutions for a fully digital cinema chain, from production to distribution. Four Fraunhofer Institutes have pooled their expertise to develop the keycomponents of digital cinema technology:

– Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Erlangen – Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Ilmenau – Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Architecture and Software Technology FIRST, Berlin– Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute, HHI, Berlin

dcinema.fraunhofer.de

38 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

The statistics speak for themselves: Morethan half a million accidents occur on Eu-rope’s building sites every year, and over athousand of them have fatal consequences.“Most of these accidents are caused byheavy construction machinery,” says AndréStork, a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institutefor Computer Graphics Research IGD inDarmstadt. Together with researchers fromthree European countries, he developed avirtual training system designed to makeoperating excavators, trucks and hoistingplatforms safer. “Construction machines arecomplex systems that are difficult to handleeven under ideal conditions. Add badweather and difficult terrain, and it’s veryeasy for mistakes to happen, often withdramatic consequences. Our training sys-tem allows drivers to gather experience un-der realistic conditions without endangeringthemselves or others in the process.”

Until now, virtual training was a luxury thatonly very few training institutes could af-ford. It required driving simulators largeenough to accommodate the driver’s cab

of a construction machine. These simu-lators look like oversized ‘Venturers’, suchas those you can climb into at fun fairs toexperience virtual road trips or flights. Likethe Venturer, a driving simulator is moved

via six hydraulic cylinders. However, it has a much larger, dome-shaped structure. Acentral computer system projects imagesonto the inner walls of the dome, while thewhole system moves synchronously. Anyonewho uses such a system to simulate sittingin the cab of a construction machine doesindeed have a very realistic driving experi-ence, which makes it an ideal environmentto train in. However, it is also very expen-sive: A driving simulator costs millions.

A cost-effective alternative comes in theform of ‘augmented reality’, which does

Information and communication

Safety training in a virtual excavator

On a construction site, even a small mistake can have dramaticconsequences. If a crane drops its load, or an excavator slipsor rolls backwards, workers’ lives may be endangered. A virtu-al training program helps to better prepare drivers for everydaypractice and to prevent accidents.

Up into the driver'scab, goggles on, and off we go on a virtual trip.© Fraunhofer IGD

Project partners

IKERLAN S. Coop. Mondragón, Platform andSpain dynamic models

OKTAL Toulouse, Framework andFrance simulation software

Fraunhofer Institute Darmstadt, Visualization andfor Computer Germany augmented Graphics Research mixed reality

Video see-through head-mounted display

Bluebox coating

Outside view

Controls

Tracking camera

Motion platform

Cabin

39Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

not require a dome with large projectionsurfaces. “This technology works by merg-ing physically perceptible reality with com-puter simulation,” explains Stork. “The artlies in linking these two planes and control-

ling them in such a way that the viewer ex-periences a realistic situation.” The driver ofan excavator, for example, must be able tooperate the steering wheel, accelerator andbrakes as usual while driving through a vir-tually generated landscape seen through apair of virtual reality goggles.

For three years, the researchers worked on the new virtual training program in thecontext of the EU project ‘Versatile Aug-mented Reality Simulator for Training in the Safe Use of Construction Machinery’.The first task was to find suitable model vehicles. The scientists analyzed various accident statistics and finally opted for awheel-driven excavator, a dump truck and amast-climbing platform – a special hoistingplatform used to lift workers and buildingmaterial up several stories. “For one thing,these building machines are often involvedin accidents. Moreover, the simulation pro-grams representing them can easily betransferred to other construction vehicles,”

says Stork. In a second step, the driver’scabs of the two model vehicles were re-wired, so that the steering wheel, accelera-tor and brake pedal now control the virtualworld on the computer. A tracking system

simultaneously determines the position ofthe driver’s head. This is important to thesimulation, as the artificial environment willonly appear realistic to viewers if the im-ages follow the movements of their head.The virtual construction site is played backthrough virtual reality goggles, but onlywhen the ‘driver’ looks out of the window.

“For this, we use the blue-box technique,which is also employed in movie-makingand television,” explains Stork. “The win-dows of the driver’s cab are covered with ablue film. The tracking system registerswhen the viewer’s gaze falls on the bluesurface, and the software replaces the bluewith the appropriate artificial reality, whichis inserted into the picture.” The real interi-or of the cab and the virtual world outsidethus complement one another to form awhole, known as ‘augmented reality’.

Drivers have to overcome obstacles on the virtual course

This augmented reality can really make thedriver sweat. The program has various lev-els of difficulty, and the training supervisorselects the appropriate one. The drivingcourse to be mastered can be shaped indi-vidually by adding free surfaces, steep

slopes, obstacles such as electricity pylons,buildings, workers running back and forth,muddy ground, sunshine and pouring rain.The driver has to brake, swerve and reactquickly before the machine starts to slip –this is the perfect training for everydaypractice on the building site.

The EU project has now been completed,the prototype is finished, and the technolo-gy has already passed its first practical test.Visitors to Fritzmeier, the market leader in

driver’s cabs, now have the opportunity todrive an excavator using augmented reality.The company also plans to set up its ownvirtual training center. “I am confident thatthis technique of training in a real-time simulator will soon be used throughout Europe to improve safety at work on con-struction sites,” concludes Stork.Monika Weiner

The simulator, thatlooks like an over-sized ‘Venturers’, ismoved via six hy-draulic cylinders.© Fraunhofer IGD

20 years of Fraunhofer IGD

Since it was founded in 1987, the scien-tists of the Fraunhofer Institute for Com-puter Graphics Research IGD have beenbusy translating numbers and formulaeinto pictures, thus bringing the bits andbytes to life. Much of what sounded likescience fiction when the Institute wasfounded became reality over the years.This included augmented-reality systemsthat afford a virtual view of the inside ofa patient’s body, and digital shoppingadvisors that make food shopping easierfor people suffering from allergies.

Researchers at the IGD, which has beenunder the directorship of Professor Die-ter W. Fellner since October 2006,are currently working on a three-dimen-sional facial recognition system for ac-cess and border control, simulated-reali-ty technologies capable of acceleratingthe product development process, andvisualization technologies that displaylarge, complex volumes of data in amanageable form. The Institute is alsoworking on modeling processes, the in-teraction between computer graphicsand computer vision, and the represen-tation of three-dimensional objects inspace and time.

40 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Flu viruses are born survivors: Theycan survive outside the human body forseveral hours, withstanding both heat andcold. As soon as they encounter their nextvictim, they multiply at lightning speed.They can trigger epidemics within just afew days. In extreme cases they may evenstart a worldwide pandemic: An estimated25 million people died of the Spanish fluthat broke out in 1918. More recently, re-ports of the bird flu virus A/H5N1 infectinghuman beings have stoked fears of anotherdevastating pandemic.

The scientists work constantly to developvaccines for influenza viruses. Their task isnot easy, and their work is never finished,for viruses mutate rapidly. Again and again,the researchers have to sift through theabundance of mutations to identify theones that could be particularly dangerous.Until now, these viruses were isolated, pro-liferated in hen’s eggs and then processed.The flu vaccine places them in the bodies of patients, who then develop their ownantibodies.

2.7 million dollars from the Billand Melinda Gates Foundation

Developing and producing the annual in-fluenza vaccination is a complex and expen-sive process that takes many months. Virusproliferation usually takes place in bioreac-tors, but this necessitates elaborate safetyprecautions. A genuine alternative to previ-ous methods is “molecular farming”, anapproach being pursued by the researchers

at the Fraunhofer Center for MolecularBiotechnology CMB in the USA: “We don’tneed any infectious viruses to produce vac-cines in plants. What’s more, we can pro-duce large quantities without generatinghigh costs,” sums up CMB director Dr. Vidadi Yusibov. The center recently received2.7 million dollars from the Bill and MelindaGates Foundation to develop vaccines

Life sciences

Flu vaccine from the plant factory

The Fraunhofer Center forMolecular Biotechnology CMB in Newark, Delaware,has been awarded 2.7 milliondollars for developing a newgeneration of influenza vaccines.

Where plants become factories

The Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotech-nology CMB in Newark, Delaware, USA wasfounded in 2001 by Prof. Dr. Rainer Fischer, director of the Fraunhofer Institute forMolecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME.The goal of the new center was and is to builda transatlantic bridge between Fraunhofer re-search in Germany and the biotechnologyscene in the USA.

The CMB started life with two employees. Theirnumber soon swelled to ten, and today 55 biol-ogists, chemists and molecular biologists workat the center. Together they develop methodsof molecular farming, or producing proteins inplants. In this way, plants become factories forspecific molecules. The desired substances arefound in the leaves and can be extracted afterharvesting. Not only is this method simple, butit is also safe, for the genetic information need-ed to build the proteins is introduced into theplants with the aid of viruses that do not con-stitute a threat to humans.

One major focus of research at the CMB is thedevelopment of vaccines against viruses thatcan trigger diseases such as malaria, influenzaor anthrax. Another special area is the produc-tion of antibodies, proteins that protect humanbeings from animal pathogens, for example.Molecular farming also enables the scientists toobtain enzymes for the production of pharma-ceutical products and foodstuffs. Last but notleast, the researchers use plants to test thefunction of genes.

The Influenza-A virus –recreated in this figure –provoked a worldwidepandemic in 1918.© Agentur FOKUS/SPL

41Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

against pandemic influenza. “We see thisgrant as a great honor, given that the Foun-dation only sponsors projects that are likelyto succeed and that will give people achance to lead a healthy life, wherever theymay live.”

A flu vaccine that could be produced fast,cheaply and in large quantities would in-

deed be of great benefit to humanity. Itcould protect lives and limit virus propaga-tion. “There are numerous advantages inobtaining vaccines by molecular farming,”says Yusibov: “We don’t need to have in-fectious viruses, but only the genetic infor-mation. Whenever a new virus has beenidentified and sequenced, we can synthe-size the critical gene elements and intro-

duce them into vector viruses that only af-fect plants. This process is not particularlyelaborate and holds no risks. The tobaccoplants that have been infected with the ge-netically modified virus immediately startproducing antigens. All we then need to do is to harvest and isolate them.” The finished vaccine can be injected or adminis-tered as a nasal spray. Yusibov and his team

intend to use the subsidies from the GatesFoundation to produce flu vaccine in plantsin the next three years. In collaborationwith their industrial partner Integrated Bio-Pharma Inc. they will produce active drugingredients and try them out on laboratoryanimals in pre-clinical studies. Once theprocedure has successfully undergone allthe pre-clinical and clinical trials, it can be

employed in large-scale production of in-fluenza vaccines. The researchers still havea long way to go. But it is worth the effort,Yusibov believes: “Once the method hasbeen approved, we will be able to respondmuch more rapidly than ever before to anythreat from influenza pathogens: From themoment a dangerous virus has been se-quenced, it will be only three months be-

fore we can have a billion doses of vac-cine ready.”

With the new vaccines from the plant factory, doctors will be able to give theirpatients rapid protection from epidemicsand thus nip worldwide pandemics in ´the bud.Monika Weiner

New drug helps to combat MSMultiple sclerosis MS is one of thecommonest diseases of the centralnervous system. It affects 2.5 millionpeople worldwide. Scientists hope toretard the progress of the disease byadministering additional proteins.Fraunhofer researchers are working on two new drugs.

Life sciences

Some MS patients are confined to awheelchair. © BilderBox

Eyesight problems, stumbling, tin-gling of the arms and legs, partial paralysis,fatigue and vertigo are the best-known in-dications of multiple sclerosis. The symp-toms occur in attacks of varying severity.However, no doctor can predict with cer-tainty how the disease will progress in anygiven individual. Since no cure has yet beenfound, scientists are trying to prolong thesymptom-free period between attacks withthe aid of new drugs, and thus to slow theprogress of the disease. A particularlypromising approach for the past severalyears has been to use interferon-beta, anendogenous protein. A drug based on thisprotein was recently approved for the firsttime in Iran.

“In cooperation with the biotech companyCinnaGen of Tehran, we succeeded in de-veloping a therapeutic protein which is now the first-ever biogeneric on the Iranianmarket. It is sold by CinnaGen under thename of CinnoVex. The first pharmaceuticalproduct from a Fraunhofer laboratory hasthus entered commercial use within onlythree years. This rapid success has broughtus large numbers of new inquiries relatedto protein design and expression of thera-peutic proteins,” states Professor HerwigBrunner, director of the Fraunhofer Institutefor Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnolo-gy IGB, with pride. A great deal of timeand money had to be invested in laboratorytests and in conducting studies to verify

Fraunhofer magazine 1.200842

43Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

clinical efficacy. During this time the IGBdeveloped and purified the protein anddemonstrated its efficacy to a point wherethe Iranian biotech company was immedi-ately able to commence clinical trials. “Thisauthentic protein may very well become established also as a biogeneric on the Eu-ropean market, bearing in mind that relat-ed patents will expire quite soon and sendeveryone scrambling to establish new bio-generics,” declares Brunner. It may not be long before a tailor-made protein be-comes available for the German market.Says Brunner: “In the second generation Interferon beta protein Soluferon®, themolecules were modified at genetic level, resulting in improved solubility andbioavailability. Clinical trials will begin this fall.”

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory, de-generative disease of the central nervoussystem. The disease affects the brain and to some extent also the spinal cord, causingthe described symptoms. In the areas it has invaded, the disease destroys the layer

of protein –- the so called myelin sheath –that protects the nerve fibers, and damagesthe axons at the center of the nerve cells.As a result, the neuronal signaling process-es cease to function correctly. The damagemay eventually become so extensive thatthe MS patient is confined to a wheelchair,and may even cause death. The attack onthe myelin sheath comes from the body’sown immune system, with white blood cellsand T-lymphocytes responsible for the in-flammatory response. Doctors believe thatthe destruction of the axons causes perma-nent damage in victims of the disease and,above all, is responsible for the typicalsymptoms of multiple sclerosis.

The precise origin of the disease remainsunknown. MS does not follow the normalpattern of other hereditary diseases. Doc-tors tend to believe that the true cause liesin a combination of the patient’s geneticmake-up and external factors. It is thoughtpossible that the onset of the disease couldbe triggered by a viral infection, such asmeasles, in conjunction with a genetic

anomaly. However a lot of research is nec-essary to determine the precise mechanismthat might counteract the disease. Thebody produces three different types of in-terferon, but only interferon-beta producespositive results when used to treat MS. “In-terferon-beta is employed in MS therapybecause it inhibits the activity of the T-lym-phocytes and thus slows the breakdown ofthe myelin sheath,” explains Prof. Dr. BerndOtto, a former researcher at the FraunhoferInstitute for Interfacial Engineering andBiotechnology IGB who now heads theworking group for molecular biology andprotein design at Hannover University ofVeterinary Medicine. It also delays the ax-ons, as these are not attacked until themyelin sheath has been destroyed.Geneticengineering methods make it possible toproduce the active drug ingredient in largequantities using bacteria or mammaliancells. “Meanwhile we have the algorithmsfor further scaling up the process,” reportsProfessor Brunner. In this case the proteinwas produced exclusively in mammaliancells, which gives it an enhanced biologicalactivity by comparison with proteins pro-duced in bacterial cells. The active drug in-gredient is also already glycosylated. Theadditional sugar chains stabilize the three-dimensional structure of the protein, sothat a tenfold increased bioavailability ofthe active agent can be found in the blood.

Besides production, however, the geneticengineers have another problem to face:the low solubility. “The drug is usually ad-ministered by intramuscular injection but,owing to its poor solubility, the proteindoes not stray far from the point of injec-tion and only a very small proportion actu-ally reaches the blood stream where it cando any good,” says Brunner, explaining thedifficulties involved in this treatment. To im-prove solubility, the scientists analyzed thethree-dimensional structure of the proteinand replaced the hydrophobic amino acidswith the hydrophilic amino acid serin. “Inthis new interferon variant, we have im-proved the solubility of the protein withoutaffecting its biological activity. We can evenreduce the dosage to cut out side-effects,”is how Professor Brunner outlines the re-searchers’ approach. Unlike the genericdrug CinnoVex, this more soluble versionengineered at the IGB, known as Solufer-on®, is now being further developed forclinical use by Vakazine Projekt Manage-ment VPM GmbH in Braunschweig.Jörg Röthlingshöfer

Magnetic resonanceimaging reveals damage to the centralnervous system. © Agentur FOKUS/SPL

44 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

An alarm sounds during the operation.The surgeon’s knife has come critically closeto the laryngeal nerve, and a bleep warnshim that the pressure or pull on the nervesis too strong. Nerves are difficult to discernwith the naked eye, as they have the samestructure and color as the connective tissueand small arteries surrounding them. Partic-ularly in patients who have undergone thesame operation two or three times, thenerves are often embedded beyond recog-nition in scar tissue. This poses a great risk:If, for example, the laryngeal nerve is dam-aged during a thyroid operation, the resultcan be chronic hoarseness, absence ofvoice or a life-threatening shortage ofbreath – serious handicaps which can leadto social withdrawal and even inability towork, depending on the person’s occupa-tion. In nearly all cases, nerves with diame-ters of less than two millimeters have beeninjured. A similar risk is posed by operationsin the pelvis minor, for example during rec-tal surgery, where nerve damage can causeurinary difficulties and disorders of the sex-ual organs.

The monitoring system is designed to pre-vent such injuries in future by raising analarm as soon as the surgeon gets too closeto the nerves, or if the nerve tissue gets too hot. The system was developed by re-searchers at the Fraunhofer Institute forBiomedical Engineering IBMT, the UniversityHospital of Mainz and the Robert BoschHospital in Stuttgart, together with col-leagues at Dr. Osypka GmbH, Reinhardt Microtech GmbH and Inomed Medizintech-nik GmbH. The project was among thewinners of the 2006 Innovation Competi-tion for the promotion of medical technolo-gy. The scientists are developing the first-

Flexible electrodesmonitor the laryngealnerves during thyroidoperations.© Fraunhofer IBMT

Life sciences

Warning system for nervesIf a surgeon damages a patient’s nerves during an operation, the consequences can be disastrous. A new monitoring system keeps watch over nerves during surgery andwarns the doctor in hazardous situations.

45Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

ever flexible electrodes capable of monitor-ing nerves continuously and warning thesurgeon before it is too late. The electrodesare intended for use during operations onthe thyroid and the pelvis minor.

Continuous monitoring

“At present, it is not until after an opera-tion that doctors can check whether a pa-tient’s nerves are still responding,” saysKlaus-Peter Hoffmann, project manager atthe IBMT in St. Ingbert. “This is because thefield of operation is very small and there isn’t enough room for conventional elec-trodes to continuously monitor nerve func-tionality.” Once a nerve has been damaged,all the doctor can do is provide feedbackfor subsequent treatment. “It is possible forsevered nerves to regenerate, but they nev-er grow back together as they were before.Patients never regain the same quality ofvoice that they had before the injury,” saysHofmann.

The doctors tested the alarm system during55 thyroid operations in a pilot project atthe Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart, andwere able to demonstrate that it is essen-tially possible to continuously monitor thelaryngeal nerve. This was done by attachingtwo pairs of electrodes to the respirationtube which is inserted into the patient’swindpipe. In this way, they do not interferewith the surgeon’s work. One pair of elec-trodes is controlled by a special softwareprogram and stimulates the laryngealnerve, which in turn excites the vocal mus-cle. The second pair of electrodes registersthe muscle’s reaction, which is immediatelyanalyzed by the software. The system is se-cured against the possibility of electrodesslipping or being installed incorrectly: Be-cause they have a large number of con-tacts, the electrodes do not need to be po-sitioned accurately. It is sufficient to placethem in the approximate vicinity of thenerve. On the basis of their position, thesoftware then calculates which of the nu-merous contacts can best stimulate thenerve.

Nerve plexus is a real challenge for the new test

There is only one nerve cord leading to thelarynx, whereas the bladder has an entirenerve plexus which then twists around theintestine. This creates difficulties particularlywhen surgeons have to remove part of the

intestine, for example in the case of fre-quently occurring intestinal carcinomas. Es-pecially during emergency operations, it isoften difficult not to damage a few nervesin the process. “The complex anatomy ofthe pelvis minor raises a series of complicat-ed questions,” explains Hofmann. “For ex-ample: Which type of anesthetic should weuse to ensure that the nerves are still ableto respond to stimulation? Or: Which nerveshould we ideally stimulate to get a conclu-sive response?” In addition, the bladder re-acts more slowly, taking several seconds asopposed to just a few milliseconds in thecase of laryngeal nerves. This poses a num-ber of new challenges for the researchers,as they need to stimulate a rapidly respond-ing nerve in order for continuous monitor-ing to work.

The IBMT researchers and their partners atMainz University Hospital are currently con-ducting a study to determine which nervecan best be used to stimulate this plexus.During a series of operations in the pelvisminor, they are testing which nerves aremost suitable for the alarm system – natu-rally at no extra risk to the patients. An in-telligent software program is helping themto determine the ideal stimulation and der-ivation point. During the developmentphase, the researchers are using hook elec-trodes which look like pieces of blunt wirebent in the shape of a J. In the final system,these will be replaced by flexible electrodesthat do not interfere with the operationprocedure.

“Overall, we haven’t made as muchprogress with the pelvis minor as we havewith the laryngeal nerves, but we have nowfound a way of testing the nerves in thebladder. However, this only covers a frac-tion of all the nerves in that area. We arestill working on ways of testing the nervesthat control the sphincter and the sexualorgans,” says Hofmann. With regard to la-ryngeal nerves, too, there is still work to bedone over the next three years: The systemhas to be automated and made easier tohandle so that it can be used quickly, easilyand safely in the rush of everyday hospitallife. Once this hurdle has been cleared forthe first two applications (vocal chords andbladder), the monitoring system is to helpspare patients’ nerves during other opera-tions, too. Hofmann hopes that this formof continuous monitoring will cut the num-ber of nerve injuries by more than half. Janine Drexler

46 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

“Do you remember how the washingmachine used to skip right across thekitchen on every spin cycle, and you couldonly make it keep still by sitting on it?”Told over a beer with a few friends, thisanecdote sounds like an amusing reminis-cence of days gone by. Manufacturers ofmodern washing machines have curedthem of their “itchy feet” once and for all.It is done by increasing the weight of themachine: The heavier it is, the more easily itcan withstand the forces acting during thespin cycle. In addition, attenuating systemsabsorb the skipping and shaking. A novelsensor even prevents any imbalance fromoccurring. It can be found in several Bosch-Siemens models introduced during the pastsix months or so.

“If the wet laundry gathers on one side ofthe drum, it creates an imbalance and themachine will not run smoothly,” explainsKlaus Taschka of the Fraunhofer Institutefor Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen. “TheHallinOne® sensor, which we developed incooperation with Seuffer GmbH of Calw,immediately recognizes any such imbalanceand stops the wash cycle. The machinethen redistributes the load by rotating thedrum briefly to the left and right alternate-ly.” Once the imbalance has been correct-ed, the machine resumes the interruptedcycle. This enables manufacturers to dis-pense with extra weight – such as leadplates or concrete slabs – in the machines,and reduce the number of shock absorbers.A further advantage is that the drum nolonger bangs against the housing andtherefore remains intact for longer.

The sensor is mounted on the rear panel of the washing machine. In addition, a per-manent magnet adheres to the housing in

which the drum rotates. Should any imbal-ance force the drum to move in a particulardirection, the housing also moves, and withit the magnet. The sensor immediately de-tects any such deflection of the magnet –in three dimensions. “This technologymakes it possible for the first time to mea-sure all three axes of a magnetic field inone place with a single sensor,” declaresTaschka. As the necessary electronic circuit-ry is not housed in the moving part of themachine, the system is extremely robust –and the permanent magnet is reliable too.

Sensors help to eliminate imbalance

Lest there should still be a glitch, the sensormonitors itself: The HallinOne® chip in-cludes an evaluation circuit and a coil thatpermit self-tests and calibrations – evenwhen the washing machine is in operation.In the self-test, current flows through thecoil and in turn produces a magnetic field.The sensor measures this magnetic fieldand thereby checks its own functionality.“Unlike the 3-D magnetic sensors used be-fore now, the HallinOne® sensor can bemanufactured using standard semiconduc-tor processes – which makes it extremelycost-effective. To make conventional sen-sors, by contrast, special processes areneeded,” Taschka tells us.

The new type of sensor also weighs thelaundry: When clothes are loaded into themachine, the drum sinks downwards dueto the extra weight. If the washing machineis only half full, the drum does not descendas far as when it is fully loaded. The sensormeasures the lowering of the drum via themagnetic field. A comparison of the mea-sured displacement against stored reference

Microelectronics

Sensors detect imbalance

If laundry accumulates on one side of the drum, it creates an imbalance that prevents the washing machine from running smoothly. A novel 3-D magnetic sensor instantly recognizes the problem and emits a signal for the imbalanceto be corrected.

The HallinOne® sensordetects imbalance causedby unevenly distributedlaundry. © Fraunhofer IIS

47Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

data reveals the amount of laundry in themachine. This helps to save water and de-tergent. For instance, the display might in-dicate that 60 percent of the usual amount of detergent will be sufficient. The inflowof water, too, is reduced accordingly.

Monitoring system detects power guzzlers

Sensors also help save electricity. As an ex-ample, if the bearings of a washing ma-chine are worn out, the drum consumes aninordinate amount of power in order toovercome the friction. Unaware of theproblem, the owner gets a rude awakeningwhen the electricity bill arrives at the end of the year. Now a text message “Pleasehave your washing machine overhauled”gives the owner a timely warning and thusavoids running up a horrendous bill. Thesewarnings are based on a monitoring systemthat was developed at the IIS. “Sensors oneach electrical appliance constantly mea-sure the power consumption,” explains IISproject manager Peter Heusinger.

”The sensors send this information to aserver concealed in the fuse box.” A smallcomputer program in the server calculatesthe instantaneous power consumption ofeach appliance and automatically comparesthe values with those recorded earlier. If thepower consumption of a refrigerator steadi-ly keeps rising, the reason could be a bro-ken seal. The system sends an appropriatemessage to the owner. “It could be in theform of a text message to a cell phone, amessage on a display in the kitchen, or auser interface on the computer – whicheverthe user prefers,” says Heusinger. Users cannot only view the average power consump-tion of the individual appliances, but also,for the first time ever, monitor the con-sumption while the machine is in operation.It is possible to check, for instance, whetherthe washing machine’s economy programreally delivers what it promises. The serverautomatically detects any new appliance –rather like the way a computer detects anew scanner. “It is conceivable that everyoff-the-shelf electrical appliance will havean integrated power sensor in future,” soHeusinger. “But before this can happen,the sensors would have to be mass-pro-duced, and that will take a bit more devel-opment work.” The monitoring system it-self, on the other hand, is already veryadvanced: It could be ready for marketlaunch in about a year.Janine Drexler

48 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Microelectronics

Everything under control

Defect in the wirebond contacting of a microelectronic circuit. (SEM picture). © Fraunhofer IWM

Cell phones, digital cameras and other devices get more powerful witheach new generation. The secret lies in new compact microsystemswhich combine a wide range of functions in a tiny space. Their highintegration density and complexity, however, makes it difficult to lo-cate defects. A German-French consortium is devising new solutionsfor analyzing faults.

Cell phones can do a whole lotmore than just phoning. They can retrieveelectronic information, manage appoint-ments, play music, take photographs andshoot short movies. The cell phone is evolv-ing into an electronic jack-of-all-trades, in-corporating numerous functions in an ever-decreasing space. In order to integrate themany and varied applications, the semicon-ductor industry uses system-in-package andsystem-on-chip techniques. Sensors, logiccircuits, memory modules and actuators areall combined to create a microsystem in asingle housing.

However, the greater the number of indi-vidual functions and different materials thatare integrated in these components, the

more numerous are the potential sources offaults. Are all the individual parts okay? Isthere something wrong with the intercon-nection system? Has a gold wire been dam-aged? Or did soldering fail to produce thenecessary contact? “The probability offaults occurring increases in complex sys-tems,” explains Dr. Matthias Petzold, whois responsible for the diagnosis and assess-ment of microsystems at the Fraunhofer In-stitute for Mechanics of Materials IWM inHalle.

The ‘Full Control’ project was launchedwith the aim of finding such defects andanalyzing their causes preferably during thedevelopment phase. In cooperation withcolleagues from Infineon, Elmos and Zeiss

200 μm

49Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

as well as the research institutes CEA-LETIin Grenoble and CNES in Toulouse, IWMscientists are working on speedy and effec-tive ways of identifying defects in complexmicroelectronic and nanoelectronic systems.The German and French research ministrieshave granted 4 million euros in funding forthe project, in which a total of 12 partnersfrom industry and research are participat-ing. “Our objective is to speed up the en-tire process chain of failure analysis,” em-phasizes Matthias Petzold.

But if you want to analyze a fault you haveto isolate it first. And how can defects belocalized when you have to contend withcomplex chips and sensors inside a shell?One way of detecting faults is by lock-inthermography, a technique for revealingleakage currents. The thermal waves radiat-ed by leakage currents can be picked up bya special camera. Together with Erlangen-based equipment manufacturer Thermosen-sorik, the IWM is working on the develop-ment of lock-in thermography for thispurpose. Besides the ‘Full Control’ project,the two partners are also benefiting fromclose scientific cooperation with the MaxPlanck Institute for Microstructural Physicsin Halle. “The local resolution has alreadybeen distinctly improved and we can nowidentify defects through the housing mate-rial,” reports Frank Altmann, Head of theSemiconductor Diagnostics Group at theIWM. The semiconductor manufacturers In-fineon and Elmos in Dortmund are alreadytesting the process.

The second step in the fault analysisprocess is the preparation of samples, and

French research scientists are developinglaser technologies with which faulty areascan be specifically uncovered. In coopera-tion with Infineon, the IWM has alreadyconstructed prototypes of a new ion beamsystem. After preparation it polishes a mi-crosection of the opened side of the faultsource, using a large-area ion beam, insuch a way that artifacts caused by grind-ing are removed again. The scientists aim tobuild a unit which can prepare several sam-ples for analysis at the same time.

Only after this step is the way clear for adelicate precision process enabling work to be conducted on the actual source ofthe failure – focused ion beam technology,or FIB for short. “It functions like a tinyscalpel, you could say a nanoscalpel,” ex-plains Frank Altmann. This technique allowsextremely thin and precise incisions to bemade in the material being examined. Theion beams strike the material and dislodgeatoms from it. They remove an area ap-proximately 10 nanometers wide – which isroughly the equivalent of one ten-thou-sandth of a hair’s breadth. Frank Altmannand his team use this method to cut out‘TEM transparent lamellas’ with thicknessesof 100 nanometers. These are ultra-thinslices which can be penetrated by a trans-mission electron microscope (TEM) – to ul-tra-high resolution in the atomic range. Forthis purpose the ion beam manufacturerZeiss has developed a new focused ionbeam system which is being tested at theIWM. Also on board is Orsay-Physics, theFrench company which supplies Zeiss withthe ion beam column.

Once the samples have been prepared, the actual analysis can begin. “Often someconclusions as to the source of the failurecan be drawn straight away under theSEM, the scanning electron microscope,”states Matthias Petzold. To understand howa fault has arisen, however, the researchscientists at the IWM investigate further, using the TEM. Petzold describes the proce-dure: “If for instance an integrated circuitin a cell phone component is soldered on-to a substrate you have to examine theseinterfaces very carefully – from the chip to the solder and from the solder to thesubstrate.” In such systems, cracks andnanometer-sized defects may occur as a result of diffusion processes, for example.To examine the background of such faults,the IWM combines SEM with backscatterelectron beam diffraction. It is cooperatingwith Infineon, Zeiss and French companyE2V on this aspect of the research. A fur-ther objective of the project is to identifychanges in material properties during man-ufacture. The IWM has developed newtechniques for this in cooperation withFrench engineering office Epsilon, the firmof Dantec Dynamics in Ulm, and anotherFrench company, Insidix.

In two years’ time the partners from Franceand Germany intend to bring togethereverything they have by that time devel-oped in terms of new or refined methodsfor analyzing failures in complex compo-nents. Matthias Petzold and Frank Altmannare confident: “The synergies deriving fromall these methods will take failure analysistechniques a big step forward.”Doris Banzhaf

Sample preparationfor micromechanicaltesting using the fo-cused ion beam tech-nique. (SEM pictureright.)© Fraunhofer IWM

Cross-section throughthe package of a complex microelectronicsystem. (SEM picture left) © Fraunhofer IWM

5 μm300 μm

50 Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

Miscellany

Today’s food packaging materials containbarrier films which protect products such asmeat, cheese, potato chips and pastriesagainst water vapor and oxygen. Scientistsat the Fraunhofer Polymer Surfaces AlliancePOLO are now developing these light, flexi-ble films for use in other applications andhave improved their barrier properties. Thematerials are to be used for encapsulatingflexible organic solar cells or flexible organiclight-emitting diodes OLEDs, which areused as small displays in cell phones. Theencapsulation materials used for these ap-plications have to meet extremely highstandards: Only one millionth of a gram ofsteam is permitted to permeate a squaremeter of the film in one day.

In order to meet these requirements, theresearchers employ two techniques: vacu-um coating and lacquering. They combineinorganic barrier layers with barrier lacquersbased on inorganic-organic hybrid poly-mers. These materials and techniques arebeing continuously developed further, sothat the novel ultra-barrier films may oneday be produced in rolls on a pilot scale atan affordable price.

Contact:Sabine Amberg-Schwabsabine.ambergschwab@isc.fraunhofer.de

Barrier films off the roll

Tiny nanostructures, fast laser bolts, complex computersimulations – all this and much more can be seen onthe Science Express. At the end of October, GermanChancellor Angela Merkel and Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh gave the starting signal for the Ger-man-Indian science train in Delhi. The exhibition train is intended to inspire enthusiasm in young people formodern science, and to promote Germany as a scientif-ic location. The 300-meter-long Science Express will call at 57 towns throughout India. By the end of May2008, it will have covered more than 15,000 kilome-ters. There will also be two Fraunhofer exhibits onboard: The Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunica-tions, Heinrich Hertz Institut, HHI will present its 3-Dkiosk, where visitors can see 3-D objects in photo-real-istic quality with the naked eye, without the need forstereo goggles. The ‘Query by humming’ melody re-cognition system developed by researchers at theFraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT will also be on display.

science-express.com

Science Express travelsacross India

India’s Prime Minister,Manmohan Singh, Germany’s Chancellor,Angela Merkel, and Annette Schavan, Fede-ral Minister of Educa-tion and Research, setoff the science express (left to right). © dpa

51Fraunhofer magazine 1.2008

In the newly established SecurityLab in Berlin, the German state-owned security printing house Bundesdruckerei and the FraunhoferInstitute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM are working onnew technologies for chip-based identity papers. Certain securitydocuments, such as the electronic passport, already contain inte-grated contactless chips today. The IZM now has the technologicalexpertise required to produce chips with highly complex electronicsthat have been considerably downsized. Eleven times thinner thanbefore, these chips can now fit inside a sheet of paper.

The SecurityLab can quickly evaluate ideas for secure documentsand test them for market suitability, enabling cutting-edge tech-nologies to reach market maturity more quickly than before. Thislaboratory collaboration is supported by the ‘Smart System Integra-tion’ application center, which was formed through an initiative bythe German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Contact:Christine Kallmayerchristine.kallmayer@izm.fraunhofer.de

Playing it safe

Editorial notesFraunhofer magazine Research, technology and innovation.

This bi-annual publication can beordered free of charge by cus-tomers, partners, employees, mediarepresentatives and friends of theFraunhofer-Gesellschaft.ISSN 1615-7028 (Print)ISSN 1617-1438 (Internet)

A publication of:Fraunhofer-GesellschaftHansastraße 27c80868 MunichGermanyEditorial addressas abovePress & Public RelationsPhone: + 49 89 1205 1301Fax: + 49 89 1205 7515E-mail: presse@zv.fraunhofer.dewww.fraunhofer.de/magazine

SubscriptionPhone: + 49 89 1205 1366publikationen@fraunhofer.de

Editors:Franz Miller (Editor-in-chief)Monika Weiner (Senior Editor)Janine Drexler, Marion Horn, Beate Koch, Birgit Niesing, Isolde Rötzer, Christa Schraivogel(Photography and production)

Editorial assistants:Doris Banzhaf, Cinthia Briseño,Klaus Jacob, Jörg Röthlingshöfer

Illustrations: Vierthaler & BraunCover picture: plainpicture/DuraluxLithography: drm Desktop ReproMunichPrinting: J. Gotteswinter GmbH,MunichTranslation: Burton, Van Iersel &Whitney, Munich

Price included in the membershipsubscription.

© Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft,München 2008

The American Consumer Elec-tronics Association (CEA) has in-cluded Professor Dieter Seitzer,Professor Heinz Gerhäuser andProfessor Karlheinz Branden-burg in its ‘Hall of Fame’ in SanDiego, California. The three scientists are being honored onbehalf of the Fraunhofer teamof researchers that has devel-oped the MP3 audio codingformat since the early 1980s.

The CEA is an association ofsome 2000 companies from thecommunications and electronicssector. Since the year 2000,they have awarded an annualprize to pioneers in the field ofconsumer electronics. Amongthe people honored so far inthe CEA’s Hall of Fame are RayDolby, inventor of the Dolbysound system, and the foundersof the HP computer company,William Hewlett and DavidPackard.

MP3 pioneers inthe Hall of Fame

Dr. Karlheinz Brandenburg, Dr. Dieter Seitzer and Dr. Heinz Gerhäuser (left to right).© CEA

A new monitoringsystem keeps watchover nerves duringsurgery.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the leading organization for applied research in Europe. Its research activities are conducted by 56Fraunhofer Institutes at over 40 different locations throughout Germany. The Fraun-hofer-Gesellschaft employs a staff of around13,000, who work with an annual researchbudget totaling 1.3 billion euros. Roughly two thirds of this sum is generated throughcontract research on behalf of industry and publicly funded research projects. Branches in the USA and Asia serve to promote inter-national cooperation.

Researchers at theFraunhofer Centerfor ManufacturingInnovation CMI areworking closely withBoston University.

magazine