THE PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS 2018/2019
EN
2
EMPOWERING INNOVATION. THE AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IS THE STRONG STRATEGIC PARTNER FOR COMPANIES THAT WANT TO SUCCESSFULLY OPERATE ON THE MARKETS OF THE FUTURE.
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
INHALT
ABOUT US
7 F TI Focus Creates the Future Mag. Georg Kapsch, President of the Federation of Austrian Industries 7 Research for the Markets of Tomorrow Eng. Norbert Hofer, Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology
8 Tomorrow Today Dr. Hannes Androsch, President of the AIT supervisory board
8 Empowering Innovation Prof. Wolfgang Knoll and DI Anton Plimon, AIT Managing Directors
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
10 Energy/Industry/Production AIT Solutions support the Decarbonisation of Industry.
36 E nergy/Research/Battery Lab The AIT is Strengthening European Battery Material Development and Cell Production.
12 Mobility/Analysis/User Behaviour Smart Capture of Mobility Data Contributes to the Planning of Mobility Offers.
14 Mobility/System analysis/Modelling Solving Increasing Urbanisation with Impact Analysis of Mobility Systems.
38 I ndustry/Quality Control/Imaging Increasing Quality Through High-performance Vision or Inline Computational Imaging.
16 Infrastructure/Road/Monitoring Data Collection for Safe and Efficient Roads with RoadSTAR.
40 Urbanisation/Planning/Smart City The AIT is Developing Smart Tools for Planning Future Cities and Neighbourhoods.
42 S ecurity/Airspace/Cooperation An AIT project with Frequentis Makes Both the Airspace and the Ground Safer.
44 T echnology/Experience/Quality measurement Methods and Tools for Data-based Optimisation of Technology Experience.
18 IT/Security/Cyber Range Real Test for Protective and Defensive Measures with a Modern Cyber Training Center.
20 Security/Biometrics/Digital Identity AIT is developing Key Technologies in the Future Area of Digital Identity Management.
46 P roduction/Work/Assistance Systems Implementation of Assistance Systems in Production Processes.
22 IoT/Industry 4.0/Cloud Security AIT Tools for the Secure Integration of Systems in an IoT Context.
24 Bioresources/Resilience/Production Mechanisms of Plant Stress Tolerance are decoded at the AIT.
48 D emography/Quality of Life/AAL Diversity as a Basis for Positive Technology Experience and Intelligent Everyday A ssistance.
26 H ealth/Biological Barriers/Diagnostics Decoding of Biological Barriers Brings New Opportunities in Early Diagnosis.
50 P olitics/Impact Analysis/Foresight Forward-looking Methods Provide Guidance for Political Decisions.
28 P ulse waves/Aerospace/Medicine Research of the Effects of Space Missions on Humans.
52 R esearch/Infrastructure/RISIS Focus on Europe‘s Networks in the Innovation and Research Landscape.
30 Telemedicine/Predictive Modelling/4P-Model AIT is Leader in the Development of Integrated eHealth Solutions.
54 Digital Transformation/Industry/Strategy AIT Helps Companies to Benefit from Industry 4.0.
32 V ehicle construction/Light Metals/Alloys Material-based Structural Design and Lightweight Components Open New Fields.
56 Energy/Infrastructure/Smart Grids Smart Grids as a Key Basis for a New, Integrated and Smart Infrastructure.
58 Imprint, Contact
59 T he Media World of the AIT AIT is present on many information channels.
34 T echnology/Light Metals/Production Light Metal Casting Technology at the LKR.
3
4
FOCUS OF THE CENTERS Health & Bioresources • Bioresources • Molecular Diagnostics • Biomedical Systems • Digital Health Information Systems
Digital Safety & Security • Security & Communication Technologies • Visual Surveillance and Insight • Smart Sensor Solutions • Dependable Systems Engineering • Information Management
Mobility Systems • Transportation Infrastructure Technologies • Dynamic Transportation Systems
Innovation Systems & Policy • Digital Innovation • Foresight & Institutional Change • Policies for Change
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
CENTERS/RESEARCH/AT A GLANCE
5
Energy • Sustainable Thermal Energy Systems • Electric Energy Systems • Sustainable Buildings and Cities • Photovoltaic Systems
Low-Emission Transport • Electric Drive Technologies • Light Metals Technologies Ranshofen
Vision, Automation & Control Technology Experience • Capturing/Measuring Experience • Future Interface Paradigms • Experience Oriented Thinking
• High-Performance Image Processing • Autonomous Systems • Complex Dynamical Systems
6
INNOVATING INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS Sectoral Development Global influencing Factors
Sectoral Structure and Stakeholders
Policy targets e.g. Grand Challenges
Technologies KET
Innovation needs of Infrastructure Systems
Public Stakeholders Infrastructure Providers Lead Industry RDI-Policy
System Scenarios & Strategies
Providing Scenarios and Strategies based on sectoral Knowledge, System Needs and technological Options
System Knowledge Scientific Methods Technology Expertise
Industry, Service Provider, SME & Start-Ups
Enabling innovative Services & Business
R&D for Next Generation Goods
Advanced Technologies & Processes
Research Infrastructure
EMPOWERING INNOVATION WE ARE AUSTRIA‘S LARGEST RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION (RTO) AND PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN MANY INTER NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURAL ISSUES. THIS MAKES US A POWERFUL DEVELOPMENT PARTNER FOR INDUSTRY AND A TOP EMPLOYER IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SCENE.
OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE 49,54 % FEDERATION OF AUSTRIAN INDUSTRIES
50,46 % REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA
represented by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: IV/KURZ PRINZ, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY (BMVIT)
INNOVATION/OWNER/FOREWORD
7
RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION CREATE THE FUTURE
RESEARCH FOR THE MARKETS OF TOMORROW
In particular companies engaged in global competition must know how to convince almost constantly through technological edge, quality and innovation. The fact that Austria is an attractive location for R & D and innovation is reflected in the growing number of companies active in innovation. The strengthening of RTI requires, on the one hand, an attractive and market-oriented support system which supports the companies in their efforts. On the other hand, it requires integrated solutions for the market challenges of tomorrow. Today, disruptive developments often take place in the US and Asia and less in Europe. We therefore need a clear future orientation: In order to prevail in international competition, Europe must rely on its strengths, further expand key technologies and focus on major strategic topics. Only in this way can we place ourselves sustainably among the global R & D pioneers. The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) is playing a leading role here. It supports the Austrian industrial companies in the digital transformation and, with its contract research, has its finger on the pulse of the special corporate and market needs of the future. The Austrian industry finds in the AIT a system partner who understands their concerns and challenges from the same perspective and develops innovative approaches, products and services together with the companies. At the interface between companies, market access, science and research, AIT thus makes a decisive contribution to the attractiveness and continuous development of Austria as a business and industrial location.
Future-oriented research and technology policy is a key factor for our future as a business location. Austria‘s industrial companies and the export-oriented economy contribute significantly to our prosperity. Increasing competitiveness and dynamising the innovation process are key cornerstones of our country‘s future development. We are not rich in natural resources, but rich in good ideas. It is therefore a key objective of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit) to support the development of innovations with full force. An established funding system as well as a strong research and science community contribute to this. The Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit) creates the framework for Austria‘s infrastructure from rail to road, in the water and in the air through to telecommunications and technology development. With a research quota of around 3.19 percent, we are well ahead in Europe. In the future, we intend to use these funds more efficiently and with a better target group in order to turn ideas into innovations and new solutions as quickly as possible. On this path, the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) is an important and valuable player, which plays a leading role in the league of European RTOs. With its focal topics in the areas of digitisation, decarbonisation, security, e-health and mobility, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is an important trailblazer into the future and at the same time a partner of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit) in the development of new solutions in key infrastructure topics. This will subsequently contribute to the international commercialisation of innovations from Austria. Thus, AIT plays an important role in the positive development of the business location Austria.
MAG. GEORG KAPSCH, President of the Federation of Austrian Industries
ENG. NORBERT HOFER, Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology
8
The aim of AIT is to help customers prepare for the key challenges industry will have to face in the coming years. The digitisation in industry, economy and society undoubtedly plays a particularly important role here. For instance, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are opening up completely new ecosystems: Integrated production, eHealth, automated driving, smart grids, digital currencies and many more topics will experience rapid technology leaps. This also applies to the field of biology and leads to vast new opportunities in digital medicine. For this reason, around 1,300 experts at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) are currently working together to develop answers to the infrastructure topics of the future in the digital age in order to be able to compete even better in global competition. The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) is making a valuable and much needed contribution to successfully establishing and positioning Austria and its partners in the European innovation system and is now writing a 10-year success story. DKFM. DR. HANNES ANDROSCH, Chairman of the Supervisory Board
EMPOWERING INNOVATION The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) is Austria‘s largest research and technology organisation (RTO) and plays a leading role in many international infrastructural issues. We offer our industry clients the opportunity to focus on the day-to-day business and the short-term future, while AIT‘s Ingenious Partners work on the tools and technologies of tomorrow to deliver solutions for the future. In eight topic-specific research centers, AIT is developing components for intelligent energy systems, 3D sensor technologies for automated vehicles, cloud solutions for secure data networks or recognition systems for a self-determined life of people in need of care, for example. At the same time, AIT exploits the high potentials for further development and growth in areas such as cyber-physical systems, complex dynamical systems, Internet of Things or Industry 4.0. The AIT innovations are based on a unique triad: •
• •
Strong scientific and technological competence in conjunction with a comprehensive range of services Comprehensive understanding and high design competence at system level Comprehensive solution know-how at business case level
The AIT is thus the link between applied research for industry and the successful commercial exploitation of future technologies. Thus we strengthen Austria as a business location. Through the anchoring in European institutions and its international activities, AIT also acts as a „door opener“ and partner for Austrian companies, also founding start-ups and spin-offs. All of this makes AIT a sustainable driving force for Austria as an innovation location and for social benefits. PROF. WOLFGANG KNOLL, DI ANTON PLIMON Managing Directors PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: Peter Rigaud c/o Shotview Photographers, ORF/Hans Leitner
TOMORROW TODAY The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) was founded to provide national and international companies with longterm support in their research and innovation efforts as a competent and far-forward-looking ingenious partner.
SUPERVISORY BOARD/MANAGEMENT/INDICATORS
9
SCIENTIFIC & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS bmvit
more than
1,300 Employees
Publications in peer- reviewed journals without SCI
Centers
70
Applied Research Infrastructure Systems
2 Subsidiary
Conference papers with peer-review process
Enterprises
Next Generation Solutions
Tomorrow Today
Diploma theses completed
63
243
Federation of Austrian Industries
8
System Competence
Publications in peer- reviewed journals with SCI
378
Impact-Factor
802
Patents granted
37
Austria‘s largest
RTO
issertations D completed
Invited Lectures and key notes
39
Percentage of international PhD Students
Number of PhD Students
34
229
Lectures
142
Conference papers without peer-review process
100
298
Employees with postdoctoral lecture qualification
28
Number of international PhD Students
78
FOTO: AIT/Zinner
As per 2017
10
Stefan Puskas, Wienerberger, Michaela Fraubaum, AIT, and Roland Pointner, Wienerber足 ger, are jointly developing new production methods.
OUR SERVICES Technologies to increase energy efficiency through heat recovery, waste heat recovery and use of ther足 mal energy storage
Expansion and optimisation and/or synchronisation of the use of renewable energies in production pro足 cesses
Concepts to increase energy efficiency and decar足 bonisation in industrial processes
Load flexibilisation
Cost savings through resource-saving use of energy
Optimising operating strategies using dynamic process models and simulation
# PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
ENERGY/INDUSTRY/PRODUCTION
STRENGHTENING DECARBONISATION Realising climate targets will only be achieved if con sistent decarbonisation takes place in the indust ry. An AIT project with Wienerberger points out new ways for this.
C
FOTO: AIT/Zinner
onsistent decarbonisation requires radical process inno vations. In the area of brick production, for instance, such an innovation is drying with compression heat pumps in the process-relevant temperature range. In a joint project, AIT and Wienerberger Ziegelindustrie GmbH, a leading manufac turer of solutions for brickworks and ceramic roofing systems, want to answer the unanswered questions that have delayed the use of these heat pumps in industrial drying processes to date. In another joint project co-funded by the EU, AIT is developing a process integrated heat pump demonstrator with an operating temperature of up to 160°C for Wienerberger. Thanks to the new findings, at least 40% of the waste heat is to be recovered using a heat pump. The results of this project are not only relevant for brick production, but also for other energy-intensive industrial sectors. For this reason, the project partners are also working on a recovery strategy for the use of heat pumps in various sec tors and along the entire value creation chain. Industry partners benefit from the comprehensive heat pump expertise of the AIT experts and the new AIT laboratory infrastructure for industrial applications.
11
12
As a daily companion, the smartphone assumes an important role in simplifying the collection of individual travel behaviour.
SMART COLLECTION OF MOBILITY DATA
I
n this context, modelling and forecasting transport demand places particularly high demands on the data base. In terms of level of detail and scope, the following requirements should be taken into account in mobility surveys: • comprehensive collection of all routes and stages of the intermodal pathway, regardless of their length and mode of travel (e.g. also short distances covered on foot);
• long-term survey of mobility behaviour during at least one week, as multimodality and mobility within and outside the daily routine only manifest themselves over a longer period of time: the number of used means of transport does not significantly increase any more only after about 7 days (Beckmann et al., 2006), and the typical rhythm in which many activities and paths repeat cyclically also only becomes apparent after at least one week;
• detailed information on route and transport mode selection as well as all multimodal transfer points and times;
• continuous updating of data for the analysis of trends and adaptations of mobility behaviour to new offers. PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: iStock
Efficient planning and designing a mobility offer requires collecting comprehensive data on multi modal personal mobility behaviour. AIT offers efficient, high-quality and cost-effective services for gathering mobility information by means of smartphones.
MOBILITY/ANALYSIS/USER BEHAVIOR
There is still only a very limited amount of validated empirical data available on these aspects of personal mobility, since they are difficult to capture due to the particularly high demands on survey details and duration of observation. TRADITIONAL MOBILITY SURVEYS Established survey methods as currently used in Germany and Austria include written and postal mailings of questionnaires and mobility diaries to be filled in by the participants as well as telephone interviews and web-based surveys. These methods involve a great deal of time and money as well as a large burden on the participants. Traditional surveys are therefore limited to a few specific dates and are only rarely repeated to update the data collected. The selected route, trip stages and intermodal transfer points are not captured. Multimodal routes are assigned to one main mode of transport or represented only in a very simplified fashion. Particularly active forms of movement such as walking and cycling are often poorly displayed. When participants reconstruct their routes from memory, there is also the danger that the trip chain reports are inaccurate and fragmentary.
PHOTO: AIT/Zinner
TECHNOLOGY-BASED SURVEYS In order to improve the quality and level of detail of the data collected, the use of GPS loggers in prompted recall surveys has been intensively studied in recent years. In the course of these procedures, the collected GPS data is pre-
Research on mobility behaviour: Markus Ray, Manfred Haider, Silvia Bernkopf, Head of Center for Mobility Systems Arno Klamminger, Alexandra Millonig (from left to right)
13
sented to the subjects in a subsequent survey as a reminder in order to ask for more details on the routes and activities. To reduce the survey burden on the participants in the collection of multimodal paths, algorithms for an automated means of transport detection have been developed. MOBILITY SURVEYS WITH SMARTPHONES The advantage of using smartphones instead of GPS loggers is that a large part of the population already owns these devices and neither the shipping and return shipping of devices, nor training in the basic handling of the devices are required. Smartphones also have numerous sensors such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetic field compass which can provide valuable additional information for the automated reconstruction of the route, trip stages and modes of transport used. MODE The MODE software technology uses smartphones to automatically track the distances travelled and the mode of transport used by persons, thus making it possible for software designers, system integrators and transport companies to design innovative mobility services. With MODE AIT is a good several steps ahead of other systems: Thanks to the automatic, differentiated mode of transport detection, MODE raises apps or IT programmes to a whole new level of quality and gives transport companies a decisive advantage in mobility surveys and the development of attractive transport service offers. The acquired high-precision data can be integrated into existing software programs, apps and IT systems and enable innovative mobility services. Examples include timetable or ticketing apps for smart phones. SMART SURVEY SMART SURVEY is our complete, immediately deployable solution for mobility surveys using a smartphone app and web service. It provides high-precision, multimodal mobility data for transport planning, mobility research, cities and communities. The app automatically records the routes covered with the selected means of transport and stores them in a digital mobility diary. In order to carry out a mobility survey with SMART SURVEY, only the access data for the participants and a web browser with internet connection are needed to analyse and use the collected data. SMART SURVEY has been safety-tested by a TÜV Trusted IT Security Auditor.
14
The analysis of mobility behaviour in u rban agglomerations provides important bases for decision-making.
IMPACT ANALYSIS OF MOBILITY SYSTEMS The increasing urbanisation as well as the predicted population growth require new approaches to solving future, but already existing problems in the mobility sector. Appropriate methods for this are being developed at the AIT.
Group-specific surveys Analysis of the influence of planned traffic measures on the behaviour of persons as well as in terms of social backgrounds („clusters“). Modelling of mobility scenarios Inclusion of all factors causing a change in the transport s ystem (e.g. tariff design, parking management, new public transport lines, road construction or automated driving). Implementation of mobility measures and findings of the surveys in simulation environments and models („scenarios“). Improved decision quality Final impact analysis of the scenarios as a sound decision- making basis for the selection of suitable measures and approaches for optimisation and efficiency increase. Early identification of trends for future planning, determination of the cost-benefit factor and identification of rebound effects.
C
ities face major challenges with regards to mobility: On the one hand, an influx into cities causes an increase in traffic in densely populated metropolises which are often already confronted with an overloaded transport system. On the other hand, the mobility needs of those people who do not live in urban areas should also be taken into account. Infrastructure managers, planners and transport associations have to deal with these scenarios and put in place suitable measures in the mobility sector which counteract the expected negative effects on the transport system and help to make it sustainable and viable. This requires preliminary research on the effects of these interventions on the overall traffic system („impact analysis“). These can be used in three areas of application: • Impact analyses of planned measures (on the supply and/or demand side) for the evaluation of short and of medium term impacts on behavioural change and longterm economic, social and environmental impacts PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
FOTO: iStock
OUR SERVICES
MOBILITY/SYSTEM ANALYSIS/MODELLING
15
Macroscopic Mesoscopic
Cost-benefit evaluation
Rebound effects
Microscopic Modelling mobility scenarios
Socio-demographic
Action strategies
Social milieus
Personalized survey tool
Simulation environment & models
Impact assessment
Socio-economic
• Identification and evaluation of potentials for effective target achievement (e.g. cost-benefit analysis, rebound effects in achieving climate targets, balancing of land use) by simulating different scenarios and deriving recommendations for the selection of appropriate measures • Supporting the decision-making process related to contingency plans by simulation of probable hazard scenarios and investigation of the effectiveness of possible counterstrategies DEFINITION OF ACTION POSSIBILITIES The measures that can be considered in an impact analysis range from interventions such as changes in transport infrastructure or restrictions of use (e.g. city tolls, dynamic tariffs, parking facility management) to the inclusion of new technologies in transport systems (e.g. new information systems or automated vehicles) through to measures to support or motivate specific social groups (e.g. training or easier access to transport options). Behavioural change processes also vary in the mobility sector and depend on the willingness to change and the life situation („human factors“). The scientifically-based analysis of these individual processes forms the basis of IMPACT, the novel approach to impact analysis in the mobility sector developed at AIT. In modelling and simulations, IMPACT considers the human aspects in addition to the overall traffic system. Potential factors such as environmental factors, new technologies, changes in transport infrastructure or traffic safety issues are included in the analysis as well. Based on the findings of IMPACT, mobility scenarios are designed together with the relevant stakeholders. The scenarios can include both individual measures and packages of measures. At the same time, the modelling is based on the group-specific, personalised survey. Recognised methods
such as latent variable or latent class models are used to implement the findings on Human Factors (HF) into mathematical models for mapping the choice of the modes of transport and routes. These models are then linked with state-of-the-art traffic modelling and simulation tools. IMPACT can be used in a wide range of contexts - this means the effects of changes in transport and transport demand can be comprehensively investigated. Ongoing projects allow IMPACT to be involved in assessing the impact of micro-PT systems in rural areas, various studies on the impact of automated vehicles on the transport system and determining relocation potentials between different modes of transport. EFFECT ANALYSIS OF A MULTIMODAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT HUB IN TBILISI More recently, IMPACT has been involved in a project in Tbilisi, Georgia, on behalf of the Asian Development Bank as part the Futures Cities Program. The transformation and modernisation of the public transport hub around the Didube metro station in the north of the Georgian capital was examined as part of this. The result was the delivery of an assessment of the different scenarios and measures that should serve as decision support for city council stakeholders regarding what actions should be taken and in which sequence they should be implemented.
16
RoadSTAR is a mobile high-performance Âlaboratory that provides valuable data on the condition of the road infrastructure.
DATA COLLECTION FOR SAFE AND EFFICIENT ROADS The maintenance of roads requires effort and high costs. The capturing of road conditions with the RoadSTAR provides road operators and owners with foundations for decision-making related to a targeted and economical maintenance planning.
Road condition survey as a basis for the maintenance planning of infrastructure managers
Car grip measurements at different braking conditions with the Stuttgart friction meter
Support of manufacturers in the development of new road surfaces, infrastructure constructions and tyres with optimised characteristics (road safety, noise and pollutant emissions)
3D-stereo image measurement of objects in the street Recording of rut data over a lane width of four metres Detection of surface defects and cracks from one Âmillimetre width PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: AIT/ZInner, Getty Images
OUR SERVICES
INFRASTRUCTURE/STREETS/MONITORING
17
T
he road infrastructure is the basis for the most heavily used ground-based transport system. It must be structurally intact for decades and fulfil its functions at the highest level - with high availability and the lowest possible capacity restrictions. At the same time, it should also make its contribution to traffic safety and environmental compatibility. Due to the complex interactions between vehicle and road or rail, the constantly increasing volume of traffic leads to an increased load on the transport infrastructure. The high-precision measurement data collected by the AIT experts serve as the basis for infrastructure management and for the modelling of the longterm development of infrastructure properties. In recent years, the activity of road authorities in many European countries has shifted from road construction to conservation. Cost-effective and sustainable management as well as the preserving of road conditions (road asset management) require reliable and accurate data on both the current condition of the road network and the longterm development of its key parameters. The AIT supports this process with its research activities and technical capacities.
ters of the roads - such as grip and ruts - with the highest quality and accuracy for greater traffic safety and effective maintenance of the transport infrastructure. This results in complete monitoring of entire road networks, which provides a well-founded database for decisions on the best methods and best timing for conservation measures. At the same time, these data provide information about relevant parameters such as grip and rut formation to improve traffic safety. The AIT experts are working to continuously improve the detection methods and to develop new indicators to better describe important road characteristics such as ride comfort, safety, noise emission or rolling resistance. For this purpose, the long-term behaviour of all relevant parameters is modelled and verified by the collected data.
ROAD CONDITION RECORDING WITH ROADSTAR
INCREASING TRAFFIC SAFETY WITH SAFE
RoadSTAR is a mobile road condition recording laboratory. It is equipped with state-of-the-art sensor technology, satellite navigation and camera technology and records the most important surface properties and routing parame-
Road safety throughout the road network is one of the key objectives of road operators. As part of SAFE, AIT conducts extensive analyses to reliably assess the risk of accidents for existing and planned roads and develops measures to reduce accidents. Thanks to precise and extensive analyses, the danger spots in the road network are thus located. Based on this, a determination about which measures can be taken to improve road safety will be made. SAFE - OUR SERVICES: • Evaluation of effective measures for accident prevention • Detailed accident statistics • Meaningful visualisation of the accident • Advice on accident data collection and processing • Detailed accident analysis of causes based on road conditions, road geometry and driving dynamics • A nalysis of points with frequent accidents and near accidents in traffic using data from mobile devices • Forecast of the site-specific accident risk
As part of SAFE, essential parameters for the improvement of road safety in mobility systems are ascertained.
18
The AIT CYBER RANGE shows how new security technologies and processes increase the resilience of critical IT infrastructures.
CYBER RANGE: REAL TEST FOR PROTECTIVE AND DEFENSIVE MEASURES At the AIT, the main focus was on the development and construction of a modern cyber training center. In this “cyber range“ of the AIT, protective and defensive measures as well as operating processes can be tested and trained on.
Learning and training of IT emergency processes and security measures
Development of secure system designs for critical infrastructures
Cyber security awareness training for employees and management
Identification of security threats
Use of special tools and information exchange in sensitive areas for IT operations staff Understanding of future threat scenarios and new defence opportunities for IT security experts
Validation of security technologies and system designs Certification of knowledge and processes for IT operation and development
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: iStock.com/kmatija & iStock.com/ 4X-image
OUR SERVICES
IT/SECURITY/CYBER RANGE
SAFE USTRIA A AIT has a long-standing partnership in cybersecurity with the Kuratorium Sicheres Österreich (KSÖ), a networking and information platform for issues of internal security - for example the „cyber security simulation game“: The focus
19
Maria Leitner, Head of AIT Cyber Range, Scientist at the Center for Digital Safety & Security: „As an interdisciplinary field of research, IT security can learn from other disciplines in coping with current social and technological challenges.“
recently was on attack scenarios on operators of critical infrastructures as well as the interaction between state and industry as well as the interorganisational links.
COOPERATION WITH IAEA On behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cyber security experts of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology are developing a special, virtual IT training and simulation platform, which is designed for highly sensitive industrial control systems. The particularity lies in the holistic and practical consideration of all factors that interact - technology, organisation and operation.
PHOTO: AIT/Zinner
T
he AIT is one of the leading players in European cyber security research. As part of extensive collaborations in the scientific, research and industrial sectors, the Center for Digital Safety & Security has developed a special know-how and solution portfolio in the global context which range from new encryption technologies („post quantum safe“) and security-by-design approaches to cuttingedge protection mechanisms by artificial intelligence through to training and education concepts. As a result, AIT is taking major responsibility for and playing a leading international role in driving forward national flagship projects such as the Trustworthy IoT for CPS (IoT4CPS) national
flagship project, launched in late 2017, as well as key European initiatives in the field of intelligent encryption technologies for cloud systems or forensic analysis technologies for blockchain applications. GROUNDBREAKING IT TRAINING AND SIMULATION PLATFORM In addition, a main focus is on the development of a modern cyber training center. In this „Cyber Range“ of the AIT, protective and defensive measures of critical IT infrastructures can be realistically tested and operating processes can be tested and trained on. In this way, both technological aspects are supported in the course of the training of cyber experts as well as operational skills effectively and practically developed. The Cyber Range is a virtual environment with online access for the flexible simulation of critical digital IT systems with different system components and user structures. It provides a secure and realistic environment to analyse and test incidents in a variety of scalable scenarios without the use of stakeholders‘ real production systems. In this way, different security processes can be trained in during operation or special incident response processes can be tested for cyber incidents in order to prepare organisations for emergencies in the best possible way. With its flexible architecture, the AIT‘s Cyber Range can be used for a variety of applications in a wide variety of configurations, such as for digital industrial control systems, digital networks, and critical infrastructures.
20
PIONEER IN DIGITAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT The AIT Center for Digital Safety & Security is developing key technologies for identity identification in the area of border, police and access control. In doing so, the latest methods and approaches for collecting biometric features are researched and developed within the framework of international proof-of-concepts for future use in high-security areas.
• Biometry allows a high level of user-friendliness (no remembering of passwords). • Border controls should be fast and secure - biometrics are essential for reliable identity identification. • Growing need for security (cyber security and protection of privacy and personal data) • Digital information with a personal reference should have an expiration date and be automatically deleted („right to be forgotten“). There is no so-called “silver bullet“ to solve all requirements, but some future trends can be deduced, such as contactless biometrics (also in passing), which are always combined with another token (smart card or keyfob) due to possibilities for abuse. The fields of application here are PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: MIchael Mürling
I
dentity management refers to the targeted and conscious approach to identity. The identity card or passport is an example of a state-prescribed form of identification. In this context, biometric recording and the new EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) play a major role. The global and European driving forces of new developments are: • Passwords are among the biggest security risks on the web. Biometric methods in combination with passwords enable intelligent multi-level procedures. • Increased security through a more reliable identification • ID cards are to contain biometric data (fingerprints) in the future. • Use of biometric authentication in new business areas e.g. banking und payment
SECURITY/BIOMETRICS/DIGITAL IDENTITY
21
The AIT has developed a mobile device for secure biometric identi fication and passport control for security agencies.
FORENSICS AIT technologies make it easier for the authorities to investigate terrorist attacks or serious crimes.
manifold: Border Control, identification procedures, access control, time recording, eGoverment processes, healthcare, biometrics for things, and much more. Taking all these factors into account, the Center for Digital Safety & Security is developing the following cutting edge technologies for identification systems: SECURE MOBILE DEVICE FOR BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION The AIT research team has developed a mobile device for secure biometric identification and passport control for security agencies which, above all, is used in border controls. The platform combines state-of-the-art technologies such as non-contact fingerprint scanning, face recognition, optical passport scanning and passport chip reading. In contrast to existing smartphone-based mobile sub-solutions, the hardware itself is a trusted platform module with encrypted operating systems and applications. The device has 3G/4G, WiFi and Bluetooth to ensure interoperability with other IT systems. The developed system is based on a Multiprocessor System on Chip (MPSoC) design paving the way for future applications such as iris detection. CONTACTLESS FINGERPRINTER RECOGNITION The fingerprint is the most widely used biometric feature worldwide. It is used in passports, visa and various access control solutions. Driven by the smartphone industry, acceptance for this type of identification is increasing. However, the quality of a single fingerprint is not ideal. The AIT has developed two different innovations for contactless 4-fingerprint recording. Above all, the new method
is contactless, which means that no surfaces are touched anymore - thus extending its use to sensitive fields of application such as in the area of healthcare (hospitals, doctors, labs, pharmacies, etc.). In addition, the recording technology is very fast. This technology enables the taking of four fingerprints in under one second. Due to this advantage, the fields of application increased once again, for example for fast access control. The industry‘s interest in its use for the verification of visa applications is high. In the future, the verification of biometric features from identity cards (eID) will be an issue as well. Another new aspect is a method by which fingerprints can be taken with the camera of the smartphone; this also opens up new fields of application, be it to assist patrol officers in the establishment of identity or as a unique identifying feature for opening a secure area with their own smartphone without the need for additional reading devices. PRIVACY PRESERVING BIOMETRICS THROUGH PRIVACY BY DESIGN How do you solve a biometric access control, without storing biometric data centrally or even just in the access terminal? Through the so-called matcher-on-card technology. In this case, the biometrics on the card are made inaccessible during the personalisation of the chip card. There are no more mechanisms to read them from the card, only the processor knows them. But how can biometrics be checked then? The processor has to do this on the card itself now - the biometric data never leaves the card. The challenge is to make the so-called matcher - the module that compares the prespecified biometrics with the saved ones - available on the small card chip as fast and high quality as possible. However, this automatically takes into account the „right to be forgotten“: If the chip card is destroyed, there are no more digital traces. If the card is stolen, it is useless without biometrics. If the card is printed anonymously, no conclusions can be drawn with regard to the owner.
22
Using state-of-the-art analytical knowledge, AIT experts develop tools to integrate secure systems into an IoT context.
SECURITY BY DESIGN FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 AND IOT
W
ith effect from 1 December 2017, the new Austria-wide flagship project „Trustworthy IoT for CPS“ (IoT4CPS) was launched. In this project methods, guidelines and tools are developed to make the complex and networked cyber-physical systems that are emerging everywhere today safe and trustworthy. The project involves 17 partners from the Austrian industrial and research landscape working together to fully exploit the potential of cyber-physical system applications. The objective here is to ensure a trusted interaction across devices, machines, and networks as well as the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of information, production data, and intellectual property. At the same time the underlying security concepts should support a simple implementation while also not affecting the performance of the entire system and the user experience. The project focuses on networked systems in autonomous vehicles and in industry 4.0 applications. These areas open up new opportunities for increasing product quality and reducing development and operating costs and the introduction of
new products and business models. Therefore, the timely, intensive examination of this set of topics is of enormous importance for the Austrian automotive supply industry‘s ability to compete at an international level. Here, the AIT optimally contributes its broad competence in security research towards the goal of strengthening the Austrian economy. The project partners are AVL List GmbH, Danube University Krems, In neon Technologies Austria AG, JK University Linz, Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Nokia Solutions and Networks Austria GmbH, NXP Semiconductors Austria GmbH, SBA Research GmbH, Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft, Software Competence Center Hagenberg GmbH, Siemens AG Austria, TTTech Computertechnik AG, TU Graz ITI, TU Graz IAIK, TU Vienna, X-Net Services GmbH. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) as part of the funding program „ICT of the Future“.
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: iStock.com/Zapp2Photo
In the field of secure and reliable IoT-based systems, AIT develops state-of-the-art solutions, sustainably incorporating privacy requirements in system designs. This strengthens, among other things, industrial enterprises in international competition.
IOT/INDUSTRY 4.0/CLOUD SECURITY
23
CLOUD SECURITY
SECURITY IN COMPLEX, NETWORKED SYSTEMS
With annual sales around 150 billion USD, cloud computing is today the fastest growing information technology sector. But the foundation of cloud computing, which is based on data outsourcing and processing, inherently poses issues for information security and privacy. Although cryptographic research has made significant progress in recent years and provides a whole range of innovative, applicable procedures in the field of cloud computing, these are largely not being used in practice. AIT develops state-ofthe-art concepts, methods and technologies for the implementation of protected, reliable and highly secure cloud computing environments for critical IT infrastructures. A special focus is on achieving strong security features through the use of cryptographic methods.
In another research focal area, AIT is dedicated to modelling and validating security requirements for resilient critical infrastructures as well as increasing the security and reliability of cyber-physical systems. Today, these systems already play a significant role in our daily lives, for example, in the form of driver assistance systems for highly automated vehicles, intelligent energy networks or telemedicine for increasing quality of life. Therefore, the security and reliability of cyber-physical systems are of utmost importance to protect people and society from harm. That is why internationally recognized AIT experts are working to develop state-of-the-art security procedures and technologies for this complex area. The high complexity of CPS, the hard real-time requirements and the time to market pressure can very easily have a negative impact on the quality of the developed systems. To prevent this, AIT provides tools for runtime verification (monitoring) and test case generation technologies for the efficient verification of CPS. In addition, AIT is actively contributing its knowledge to the creation of future security standards.
PRISMACLOUD IS BREAKING NEW GROUNDS The EU research project PRISMACLOUD aims to provide secure and trusted cloud-based services by improving and adopting new tools in cryptography research. The approach here: Instead of integrating cryptography directly into applications or services, the PRISMACLOUD architecture introduces an extra level of abstraction. From this so-called tool level, the secure services of the next level, and in turn applications thereof, are created. Based on this concept, the development of cryptographically secured services and applications should be massively simplified.
PHOTO: AIT/Zinner
COOPERATION WITH SECURITY COMPANIES The IT security company ProCom-Strasser is also pursuing a new approach with its new „fragmentiX“ product for cloud applications. This should enable companies, operators of critical infrastructures and authorities in the future to store their data in cloud storage in a verifiably secure manner. The special technological security concept behind it was developed in close cooperation with cryptography experts at the AIT. In contrast to classical encryption, which is threatened by the imminent realization of quantum computers, fragmentiX provides users with true information-theoretical security through fragmentation and by storing these fragments in different storage services. Even a future quantum computer will not be able to restore the original file from too few fragments alone. In addition, fragmentiX also significantly reduces the risk of eavesdropping. Further proof that the central concern of AIT is to make leading know-how from research and development useful for strengthening Austria as a business location.
Mario Drobics, Coordinator IoT4CPS: „Through close collaboration with leading industrial companies and research organizations, we address the issue of security in complex, cyber-physical systems at all levels of system integration and product life cycle.“
24
Hansjörg Stampfl, Maria-Amparo Asensi-Fabado, Natalie Freiberger, Claudia Jonak, Bikram Pandey, Florentina Freynschlag and Zoltán Takács (from left to right) are identifying potentials for innovative strategies for improving crops.
IMPROVEMENT OF PLANT QUALITY & VIGOR Plants are often exposed to adverse growth conditions. These reduce agricultural productivity. AIT researchers are employing a combination of various methods to decode the mechanisms of stress tolerance so as to develop the basis for innovative breeding and stress management strategies and to increase plant stress resistance.
Assessment of plant vigour under various environmental conditions Mode of action analyses Cellular redox status analyses Evaluation of metabolic enzyme activities
P
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: PicturePeople
OUR SERVICES
lants are a primary resource of great economic and ecological value: Their production systems are the basis for the „4 Fs“ – Food, Feed, Fibre and Fuel. Corn, rice, wheat, and soybean today account for nearly two-thirds of all agricultural production worldwide. Several studies have shown that global crop production needs to double by 2050 to meet the challenges of rising populations, dietary changes and increasing biofuel consumption. But current growth rates are far from covering future needs. Factors such as climate change, the increase of extreme
BIORESOURCES/RESILIENCE/PRODUCTION
heat or cold spells, drought or other extrinsic influences are strongly affecting the growth and development of plants – and therefore their potential and agricultural benefits. GROWTH RATES DO NOT MEET THE NEEDS „In recent decades, we have been able to successfully increase crop yields. But these growth rates do not keep pace with the anticipated need for plant products,” says Claudia Jonak, Principal Scientist in the Field of Plant Stress Biology. Under the direction of Claudia Jonak, AIT develops innovative, sustainable technologies that increase the yield potential and the resilience of plants to environmental stress. The average yield loss for corn is two-thirds of the total potential, for wheat it is almost 80 percent, for potatoes and sugar beets about 50 percent. Humanity simply will no longer be able to afford such losses caused by suboptimal or adverse growth conditions in the future: „We have to find new solutions to sustainably increase crop production without clearing more land for agriculture. To do so, we must increase the yield potential and resilience of crops to environmental stress.“ In order to develop the corresponding innovative and sustainable technologies, it is important to understand the mechanisms of successful plants. „They use a combination of different strategies at different
25
organizational levels,“ says Jonak who has obtained more than 1,000 citations since 2014 and got four patents. AIT is one of the leading RTOs in her field of research „To improve biomass and seed yield in fluctuating environments“. INCREASING YIELD RELIABILITY Based on her knowledge of stress signal transduction and metabolic regulation, which complements and expands the existing expertise at AIT, Claudia Jonak is developing a new research topic at AIT: „As part of the new AIT Strategy (2018–21), we are pursuing two interdisciplinary, complementary technological approaches to increase the vitality, robustness and thus the yield reliability of plants under adverse environmental conditions.“ Metabolism is closely linked to plant growth and development, and thus plant performance. Adverse environmental conditions have a major impact on metabolism. In order to successfully adapt to environmental stress, it is important that the metabolism adapts to the prevailing conditions. While being embedded in an excellent research environment, development synergies are created with the research group led by Angela Sessitsch which deals with the interaction between plants and beneficial microorganisms. In some areas, AIT is conducting frontier research and entering new technological territory. Projects already rolled out and contract research show enormous potential from which both industry and society will benefit in the long term. BILATERAL PROJECT
Current crop yields do not keep up with the future need for plant products. With different research approaches, the AIT develops new methods for higher yields.
The global importance of plant research is demonstrated by the project „Sweet Immunity“, a bilateral project between Belgium and Austria. Here, Jonak‘s team is investigating how plants can quickly adapt their metabolism to prevailing conditions: „We are working on developing cellular energy sensors that swiftly coordinate the metabolism with the current energy status in order to enable a rapid adaptation of plant growth to prevailing environmental conditions.“ Among other things, the communication structures of the various organizational units are analysed. „Timing is everything in intracellular communication,“ says Jonak. „We investigate fundamental mechanisms and how they can be modulated“, emphasizes the internationally recognized expert with regards to stress signal transduction in plants.
26
AIT is one of the leading RTOs in the study of biological barriers.
DECODING OF BIOLOGICAL BARRIERS Biological barriers are vital to humans. Their function or dysfunction can decide between life and death. The AIT is developing new models and methods for the characterization of biological barriers.
OUR SERVICES
Barriers as therapeutic targets Elucidation of relevant disease mechanisms
Biomarkers for chronic and acute diseases Development of in vitro models Comprehensive characterization of barrier models with regard to paracellular, transport and metabolic barrier function
Disease models based on qualification and cross-validation with in vivo models & clinical samples Research and development of biological barriers
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: AIT
Disease screening models
HEALTH/BIOLOGICAL BARRIERS/EARLY DIAGNOSIS
P
eople in the developed world are getting older: While in 2010 around 524 million people worldwide were over the age of 65, there will already be 1.5 billion in 2050. Thus, the proportion of 65-plus-year-olds will be doubled in 2050. In Europe, it is estimated that by 2050 nearly 30 percent of people will fall into this age group. The big question here is: Will people age in health or will aging be associated with more illness, disability or dependencies? The WHO has therefore already pointed out some time ago that while it is necessary to understand the link between health and aging, efforts should be made to understand, prevent and cure age-related diseases. Improving public health is not least a key issue in EU policy. The focus here is on the reduction of risks as well as the enhanced early detection and the timely treatment of illnesses. The strategy of the Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics of the Center for Health & Bioresources at AIT seamlessly connects: The goal is to identify, verify, validate and apply biomarkers for the prognosis, diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic success as well as to develop new technologies and analytical methods. These include, for example, „point of care“ systems for measuring biomarkers on site. UNDERSTANDING A DISEASE AS A DYNAMIC PROCESS To evaluate the reliability and relevance of a biomarker, one of the major challenges is to clarify the causality between the measured biomarker and the investigated disease state. However, there is a large discrepancy between the many published biomarkers for certain diseases compared to the number of biomarkers coming into clinical trials and eventually approved: For instance, more than 170,000 scientific publications are about „biomarkers“, but only about 400 clinical trials and only three biomarker targets per year have been approved by the FDA between 2003 and 2014. TRENDSETTING RESEARCH AREA The role of biological barriers is a research field with great potential. This is based on the assumption that tissue biomarkers must overcome biological barriers in order to be detectable in body fluids such as blood or saliva. In turn the biological barriers can release biomarkers themselves. Understanding the role of biological barriers is crucial to understand why, how, and where a biomarker enters the body fluids to be analysed. Epithelial or endothelial cells are the major components of biological barriers. Epithelia separate organs from the outside world or an internal space in the body (skin, intestine, lungs or glands), whereas endothelia
27
Principal Scientist Winfried Neuhaus: „The role of biological barriers is a research field that holds great potential.“
form a cell layer within vessels and separate the vessels from surrounding tissue (blood and lymph vessels). Biological barriers protect tissues from physical or chemical damage or infection. At the same time, they provide communication interfaces between body fluids and tissues and are an essential factor in maintaining homeostasis in tissues. Biological barriers can also be understood as selective filters for substance transfer and transport. BIOLOGICAL BARRIERS AS THERAPEUTIC TARGETS During diseases, functions of biological barriers are frequently changed. These changes can be causally linked to the course of the disease. Stabilizing the biological barriers or returning them to healthy status can help mitigate disease progression. Damaged or altered barriers release substances in bodily fluids that can be used as biomarkers. FOCUS: BLOOD-BRAIN / BLOOD-SALIVA BARRIER One focus of AIT research is the use of saliva for non-invasive diagnostics and therefore, an important part of the work is focused on the blood-saliva barrier. The second focus is the blood-brain barrier, which regulates the passage of substances from the blood circulation into the central nervous system. The function of the blood-brain barrier is disturbed in many diseases, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer‘s, Parkinson‘s disease, pain, brain tumours, viral or bacterial infections, diabetes mellitus, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), lysosomal storage disorders, depression, schizophrenia or hypertension. Even in autism a causal link is postulated between the disease and changed functions of the blood-brain barrier.
28
ON THE WAY TO MARS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DIAGNOSIS Space physiology opens up another research topic for the oscillometric pulse wave analysis Âdeveloped at the AIT: This AIT technology is used on the International Space Station (ISS) and a  nalyses the effects of prolonged stays in weightlessness on the human body as well as the cardiovascular system.
Identification and research of new risk parameters in cardiovascular diseases
Certified hardware solutions for clinical research and extramural medical care
Innovations in the field of cardiovascular research
Competence in hardware development and biomathematical models
Development of new diagnostic procedures and therapy concepts
Flexibility in a dynamic international environment characterized by high ethical and regulatory aspects PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: Eyevine/picturedesk.com
OUR SERVICES
PULS WAVES/SPACE TRAVEL/MEDICINE
29
The instrument with AIT pulse wave analysis was transported to the ISS using the SpaceX Dragon supply ship.
Siegfried Wassertheurer, Senior Scientist, deputy Head of Biomedical Systems „Our expertise in developing innovative technologies is based on many years of experience in hardware development and biomathematical models.“
I
n the course of evolution, the blood circulation of humans has adapted to the conditions on Earth. The heart pumps blood through the arteries and thus supplies the cells in the body with oxygen. As early as 15 years ago, the team of the AIT competence unit Biomedical Systems started researching at the Technopol Wiener Neustadt in the area of central blood pressure and the pulse wave - i.e. the blood pressure in the course of the heart activity. As a result of this work, it is now possible to determine both the blood pressure non-invasively directly at the heart, and the arterial vascular properties. This technology is already available worldwide for early detection of cardiovascular risk factors.
PHOTO: AIT/Krischanz.Zeiller
AIT GOES SPACE For some time now, the AIT has been pursuing another exciting research topic with space physiology: The disturbance or irritation of the cardiovascular system changed by gravitational forces in space. For example, weightlessness leads to a redistribution of blood and tissue fluids. In addition to immediate effects, there are also long-term changes in the cardiovascular system, which can be attributed to the adaptation of the body to the changed environment. To deepen the understanding of the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system, the Canadian Space Agency is
using the arterial pulse wave analysis methodology as part of its vascular aging project. The worldwide proven 24-hour blood pressure monitor Mobil-O-Graph (IEM GmbH, Stolberg, Germany) is used with the ARCSolver® algorithm developed by AIT for pulse wave analysis. EVALUATION OF ARTERIAL STIFFNESS Previous studies by Canadian space scientists have found evidence that the arterial system ages by 10-20 years during a six-month space visit. This problem will now be examined more closely with the help of the Mobil-O-Graph. The oscillometric pulse wave analysis allows the evaluation of arterial stiffness as well as the pulse wave reflections in the vascular system. The non-invasive measurement is similar to a conventional blood pressure measurement with an upper arm cuff and can be performed independently and quickly by the astronauts. Measurements before, during and after the space stay provide a time course of the measured quantities, which can be used to determine the effects of weightlessness and the degree of regression after the return to Earth. With the algorithms of the AIT from Wiener Neustadt for pulse wave analysis having already become part of worldwide clinical research and practice, they now also make an important contribution to the understanding of the human cardiovascular system in the field of space physiology. These results are also of great importance for the upcoming flights to Mars in the future. The resulting findings will in turn feed into the development of the technology and thus also benefit patients on Earth.
30
The AIT solutions enable new ways of „patient involvement“.
INTEGRATED E-HEALTH SOLUTIONS Information and communication technologies (ICT) enable new approaches to a information-based health care (eHealth) and to age-friendly assistance systems (active and assisted living/AAL). The AIT is a leader in research and development here.
Contract research Accompanying innovation management Telemonitoring and Therapy Management ICT for Biomedical and Translational Research Biosignal Processing and Knowledge- Based Systems Predictive Healthcare Information Systems
M
odern information and communication technologies (ICT) form a crucial basis for more safety, reliability and efficiency in the health sector. Above all, they offer new approaches to the active support of patients, enable new individual responsibility and create completely new concepts for patient support, care and monitoring methods. Future next-generation therapy approaches are based, for example, on closed loop control systems (closed loop healthcare), in which the health status of patients is continuously monitored and the therapy adapted, if necessary. State-of-the-art technologies help with designing the cooperative treatment process flexibly and efficiently in terms PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: AIT/Zinner
OUR SERVICES
TELEMEDICINE/PREDICTIVE MODELING/4P-MODEL
of time and space though asynchronous communication, adapted to the respective work rhythm of both the health professionals and patients. New approaches for intuitive and mobile data collection by patients using KeepInTouch technology make it possible to capture the medical condition (individual measurements) with ongoing telemonitoring and to provide health professionals and caregivers with the necessary data for individualized therapy. These new functions and systems are embedded in already existing complex IT infrastructures and are evaluated and validated in a medical context.
31
Günter Schreier, Senior Scientist, Digital Health Information Systems: „IoT and predictive analytics have the potential to provide patients and caregivers with an intelligent infrastructure as the foundation for a new paradigm for health.“
USING SYNERGIES AND CREATING INTEGRATION In the research service “health information systems“, the AIT experts focus on integrated eHealth solutions for biomedical research and patient-centered healthcare, working closely with the leading medical and technical universities in Austria and beyond. In recent years, for example, pioneering solutions have been developed that open up entirely new opportunities in healthcare and, in some cases, open the door to prevention. One research focus of the AIT is the use of the Internet of Things (IoT). Automated communication between devices as an extension of the internet creates new connections between physical and virtual worlds: Intelligent devices and communication technologies such as Near Field Communication (NFC) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) will form an even more integral part of everyday life in the future. Approaches are being pursued and researched at the AIT to analyse if and how the Internet of Things for personalized Health (IoT4pH) can contribute to a new health paradigm in the sense of „4P“ - participative, personalized, predictive and preventive. The AIT experts are exploring digital health information systems for the health care of tomorrow.
PHOTO: AIT/Zinner
PIONEERING THE „4P“ CONCEPT Participation: As part of a „co-production of health“, patients become active participants and gain more responsibility and control over their healthcare. The interaction between healthcare professionals and medicine with the patients is of utmost importance here in order to ensure the participation of all those involved in the care (hospitals, doctors in private practice, mobile care, relatives). Patient-oriented systems require technology that is also accessible to people of all ages. The smartphone and the IoT are becoming central elements here.
Personalization: The adaptation of healthcare to the needs of individual patients increasingly takes into account biomarkers, but also includes environmental factors such as weather conditions and pollutant concentrations as well as ambient parameters such as room temperature and humidity. IoT-based systems and sensor networks can help to collect and evaluate most of this data. Prediction: Situations with negative health impacts are identified in advance (“prediction“). The concept is applicable to chronic diseases as well as to the support of self-determined life of older adults. IoT4pH systems use a variety of sensors for this. One key aspect is the combination and evaluation of the data with machine learning in the sense of „predictive analytics“. Pseudonymization concepts like EUPID (EUropean Patient IDentity management) make sure, the privacy of subjects is preserved. Prevention: The IoT can have a supportive effect by communicating relevant messages via various devices or channels, such as medication reminders via SMS, activation of LED indicator lights on pill boxes, or information via a „SmartMirror“ or via PC / tablet. IoT tools help to adapt the personal lifestyle such as to increase sports activities. For example, preventive measures could be initiated on the basis of subtle changes in gait patterns to prevent falls. NFC and similar technologies have already begun to profoundly change the way we interact with the physical world and provide intuitive methods to also usefully connect physical-world objects with the virtual world in the healthcare context.
32
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM): High-performance LKR filler wire materials can be processed fast and cost-effective to prototypes and AM components at a minimum of scrap.
WAAM OF LIGHTWEIGHT COMPONENTS FOR THE MOBILITY OF TOMORROW The LKR research area „Material-based structural design“ is developing special alloy filler wires, prototype components and component systems with the maximum mechanical performance and high potential for lightweight design and construction using light metal materials. OUR SERVICES Component design under consideration of manufacturing constraints
Concept development for maximum utilisation of materials from an economic viewpoint
Numerical optimisation of structures under multiple load cases
Development of innovative joining technologies for metal and metal to polymere material combinations
Numerical simulaton of vasting, forming, joining processes, as well as static and dynamic loading of components and assemblies Application of different optimisation algorithms (Topology, Topography, Fluid)
Numerical process simulation, subsequent process parameter studies and investigations including validation through experiments and tests Joints, Welding and filler wires, WAAM prototyping
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION/LIGHT METAL/ALLOYS
33
PROJECTS High-tech materials for additive manufacturing LKR is developing new, modified aluminium and magnesi-um materials which are used as filler wires for welding, bracing and wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) for rapid prototyping. The alloys must meet the high demands of the processes and the expected properties of the resulting joints and components. From a sustainability and cost reduction viewpoint, the LKR pays great attention to alloys which are independent of non-sustainable, costly rare earth materials and expensive chemical elements. This allows a variety of economic materials being available in the future. URBAN-EV The URBAN-EV (Super Light Architectures for Safe and Affordable Urban Electric Vehicles) project will mainly uses light weight metals for future urban electric vehicles. The project aims at a weight reduction of 17 %, vehicle prototypes already exist. In the manufacturing of the frame structure, the joining of the integrated casting nodes was realised by electromagnetic pulse technology as an alternative to fusion welding.ernative to fusion welding.
PHOTOS: AIT/LKR/LANG
F
or the mobility of the future, AIT experts are researching solutions for an ef cient, safe and environmentally friendly passenger transport, including the production of means for transport. For this purpose, scientists at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen are developing design methods. In these, they pay particular attention to the properties of light metals as well as specific manufacturing methods and resulting histories (e.g. residual stress profiles, warpage, uncertainties, etc.). Within the research area „Material-based structural design“, projects focus on the highest performance and maximum potential of lightweight construction through use of light metals in components and component systems. Cooperations with the automotive, marine, aerospace industries as well as the supply industry and scientific partners enable a holistic, industry-chase approach when researching and realising set objectives. Technical, economic and implementation-relevant objectives are pursued with bilateral as well as multilateral partner consortia in which industry-relevant production solutions are being developed. AIT experts at LKR develop, research and use methods which allow the design of high performance structures in single and multi-material design with the focus on minimum weight, high production rates and alternative passenger transport concepts. The methods enable the determination of process histories on subsequent models and the mapping of manufacturing processes of semi-finished component products. Ultimately, both virtual and real demonstrators can be optimised and prototype produced.
AIT Research Team Material Based Design
MATERIAL CARDS & CRASH SIMULATION Safety is an important issue and design aspect in the automotive sector. In this area, LKR deals with the parameter determination and adaption of specific material cards for light metal, cast and wrought materials for low as well as high loaded velocities (strain rates). As well, there are uses for the design of structures, space frame structures of an entire vehicle. LKR experts take always into consideration the legal guidelines and provisions as well as the objective of achieving maximum lightweight design potential. JOINING TECHNOLOGIES AND MULTIMATERIAL LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN METHODS The realisation of alternative vehicle concepts relies on the use of new, improved materials and further developed innovative joining technologies. Particularly in the new e-mobility area, the focus is on weight reduction through application of multimaterial design solutions. The use of a wide variety of materials such as light metals or fibre reinforced polymers is intended to exploit the maximum potential for lightweight design and to ensure crash safety. STRUCTURAL, TOPOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY AND SHAPE OPTIMISATION INCLUDING PROTOTYPING The research field of lightweight construction is primarily concerned with the goal-driven, target oriented reduction of the weight of component assemblies forstructural optimisation. By means of different optimisation methods (topography, topology, design of experiments), the design process can be supported in an application- and ancillary conditions-specific manner. Materials and adjusted model cards defined at LKR for innovative light weight design can also be considered here.
34
New at the LKR: The cold chamber die casting machine makes it possible to produce complex pressure die cast aluminium and magnesium components on an industrial scale.
CASTING TECHNOLOGIES: ONE STEP FURTHER The LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen is a subsidiary of AIT and leader in the field of light metal casting technology. The development of light metal alloys, process optimisation and component design are the focus of research.
OUR SERVICES
Process Âdevelopment and associated process simulation Die-casting tool development and test operation of tools on an industrial scale
Improvement of mechanical and dynamic material properties and their characterisation Metallographic examination, characterisation and evaluation Support for damage analysis (quality/optimisation)
Component sampling/prototyping/pilot series Process-dependent and application-oriented alloy and Âmicrostructure development PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: AIT/Lang
Component development, simulation and design
TECHNOLOGY/LIGHT METALS/PRODUCTION
35
stock from special alloys on a semi-industrial scale for extrusion moulding, direct forging as well as the production of welding wire. NEW AT THE LKR: COLD CHAMBER DIE CASTING MACHINE The LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen recently expanded its industry-related casting technology portfolio with a K-DAK 1100-112 die casting machine of the company Oskar Frech GmbH + Co. KG. The cold chamber die casting machine with horizontal injection unit will produce aluminium die cast components with a casting weight of up to 20kg on a semi-industrial scale. With a clamping force of up to 12,000 kN and a mould height of up to 1,200 mm, structural components of the respective size can be cast. The casting cell is also being expanded by a magnesium melting and dosing system. The current research focus at the LKR is on alloy development in the area of aluminium and magnesium as well as process development and optimisation. FIRE RESISTANT MAGNESIUM ALLOYS
A
deep metallurgical understanding and the material-side consideration of the interactions with the macroscopic environment is necessary for the development of new light alloys based on aluminium and magnesium as well as their processing. For this reason, the entire process chain is considered taking into account the individual process steps (for example mould casting, continuous casting, forming processes) in the development of materials at the AIT in order to create cost-efficient solutions for optimum quality requirements. Experimental material and component characterisations support this process.
In a research project, LKR scientists have succeeded in developing flame-retardant magnesium alloys, which extinguish on their own in the event of fire. This improvement in fire resistance could be achieved by the targeted addition of elements which positively influence the oxidation behaviour of the material. The focus is primarily on calcium-containing alloys, as calcium is inexpensive and generally readily available. Elements from the group of rare earths are also introduced into the alloys. Thanks to its low density and its high specific strength, magnesium is particularly well suited for use in the mobility sector when it comes to weight and emission reduction, for instance in aircraft construction.
FROM THE MELT TO THE FINISHED WELDING WIRE In 2017, the new horizontal continuous casting plant (HCCP) was commissioned at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen. The tailor-made plant technology was developed by scientists of the LKR together with partner companies as part of the project „BAWeRIA“ (Bavarian-Austrian advanced Welding Wire Research and Innovation Action). The HCCP makes it possible to produce high-quality bar
The AIT research team Casting Technologies
36
A dry room and a state-of-the-art research pilot facility for the production of prototype pouch cells e nable industry-oriented prototyping and thus close the gap between basic research and market application.
FROM THE LAB TO INDUS– TRIAL IMPLEMENTATION AIT researchers are promoting the strengthening of European battery material development and cell production in their work. In doing so, they cover the entire value chain up to the post-mortem analysis.
OUR SERVICES
Industry-oriented electrode engineering and cell production Comprehensive physicochemical and electrochemical characterisation (in- and ex-situ methods) Post-Mortem Analysis
Accredited electrical, environmental and safety tests on cell, module and system level SOX determination (State of Health, State of Charge etc.) Simulations in 1D and 3D at cell and system level including ageing Cell selection and benchmarking according to customer requirements PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: AIT/LANG
Model-assisted battery material development and -optimisation
ENERGY/RESEARCH/BATTERY LAB
FOCUS ON EU CELL TECHNOLOGIES In the H2020 research project eCAIMAN (Electrolyte, Cathode and Anode Improvements for Market-near Next-generation Lithium Ion Batteries) which is coordinated by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), European competences are combined in order to develop an excellent lithium-ion battery for production in Europe. All components and their coordination are optimised in a targeted manner in order to build up a 5V cell. The aim is to increase the energy density by at least 20% compared to current products. In addition, a module is being developed which can be then integrated in light, passenger, and heavy duty vehicles. The high quantity resulting from the modularity contributes to the cost reduction.
T
he battery is the centrepiece of modern electrical drive concepts. Therefore, great efforts are being made worldwide to make this electric energy storage unit as efficient, powerful, cost-effective and safe as possible. AIT scientists are pursuing a holistic research and development approach to improve the key performance indicators of the batteries and their integration in vehicles. The development process spans the entire value chain - from the synthesis of new types of battery materials to electrodes and cell production, battery test diagnostics and simulation all the way through to post-mortem analysis.
37
also be key factors in e-mobility or as a storage medium for renewable energies. STRENGTHENING EUROPE‘S POSITION Last but not least, it is also about the further development of Europe as a technology location: The Asian share in lithium-ion production is more than 80 percent; in the EU, battery cell production is only of minor importance as part of the value added chain in automotive manufacturing. Due to stricter climate goals, the use of electric vehicles will increase significantly in the future: By 2020, market shares are expected to range between 5-10 percent, and that is just the first step. Therefore, the research and production of battery cells is of enormous importance. The focus is on batteries with increased energy (for longer driving ranges) and power densities, faster charging times and longer service life, as well as lower production costs. Research into the influence of cell/battery production on their performance and the involvement with LIB and post-LIB materials are supplemented with approaches to the design of cell components and their effective integration. The special equipment in the AIT battery materials laboratory enables comprehensive research into battery materials through accredited analysis and testing methods. The research focus here is on the development of high-performance cathodes and high-energy anode materials as well as on the optimisation of current cell chemistries. AIT is one of the few institutions worldwide to cover the entire battery research and production value chain. A dry room and a state-of-the-art research pilot facility for the production of prototype pouch cells enable industry-oriented prototyping and thus close the gap between basic research and market application. Besides the lithium ion battery, future technologies such as advanced lithium ion technologies (high-voltage cathodes), Mg-ions/Na-ions and all-solid-state bulk batteries are being explored as well.
LITHIUM ION TECHNOLOGY AS A KEY FACTOR One focus is on the further development of the lithium ion technology as energy storage. Here, industry experts expect a market volume of around 150 billion USD by 2025. Lithium ion cell technology is so attractive because it has the highest energy density compared to other battery technologies. The low self-discharge, the high cycle stability as well as the lack of the „memory effect“ are further positive characteristics. However, lithium ion batteries (LIB) are sensitive to extreme temperatures as well as deep discharge or overcharging. Today, they are valuable companions in virtually all areas of life, and in the near future they will
The AIT research team is setting new standards in battery development.
38
Quality control of electronic Âcomponents is significantly improved by AIT technology.
INCREASE QUALITY WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE VISION
W
ith over 25 years of experience in the field of image processing, the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) has firmly established itself as a leading technology supplier worldwide. We possess the most innovative technology in the field of optical inspection systems. Every single component of our inspection systems is outstanding in itself: The world‘s fastest line scan camera, excellent processing software, high-performance hardware and intelligent algorithms. We offer our customers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions, consulting and profound application knowledge. In addition to the excellent know-how of all technical dimensions, we possess solid market knowledge. Particularly in the area of quality
control of security documents (banknotes, ID cards, passports,etc.), we have established ourselves as a successful player on the market. Our scientific and technical expertise makes us the ideal research partner for the development of new technologies. Our partners include industry leaders, high-tech suppliers, start-ups, universities, research institutes and other AIT centers. INLINE COMPUTATIONAL IMAGING FOR SIMULTANEOUS 2D AND 3D INSPECTION Fast and reliable inline inspection systems are the key to a high quality product. There are several defect detection technologies on the market, but only ours is capable of PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: Gettyimages/fotocute
Inline Computational Imaging (ICI) methods are suitable for all areas of optical inspection, electronics manufacturing, packaging and security printing and other application fields. The AIT has developed a state of the art procedure here.
INDUSTRY/QUALITY CONTROL/IMAGING
performing reliable, fast and accurate inline 3D and colour inspections with a single camera. We developed the Inline Computational Imaging (ICI) method for optical inline inspection, which is extremely flexible and has the potential to meet all of these requirements. The ICI method combines new image acquisition technologies with smart algorithms. The goal is to simultaneously generate both image information and 3D information that cannot be obtained with conventional image processing. Our inline computational imaging approach uses only one multi-line camera that simultaneously captures multiple views and makes the most of movement between camera and object. The high-performance processing of the light field data makes it possible to obtain depth information and precisely focused images. With the help of the ICI method, even highly complex security features such as holograms, tilting effects and microtext can be examined precisely. In addition, the method is particularly suitable for different materials, despite different reflection properties. .
39
AREAS OF APPLICATION FOR INLINE COMPUTATIONAL IMAGING The method developed at AIT can be used in a wide variety of areas - from electronics production to packaging through to security printing. The possibilities offered by Inline Computational Imaging are comprehensive: • Simultaneous 2D inspection and 3D measurement • Increase of the depth of field (all-in-focus) • Increase of the dynamic range (high-dynamic range) • improved signal-to-noise ratio • Flexible gloss and shadow reduction • Material classification (e.g. glossy, semi-glossy, matte) The advantages are also obvious: • Many view ingangles in a compact multi-line setup with a single camera and illumination • Suitable for high-speed inline applications • Precise 2.5/3D surface reconstruction • Flexible choice between accuracy and speed • Patent-protected technology
PHOTO: AIT
The method finds particular application in industrial inline inspection. The achieved inspection speeds are already high and with ever faster cameras further increasable. The ICI recording system is suitable for a wide variety of objects. It works largely independently of the surface properties of the test objects and can therefore simultaneously inspect shiny and matte, textured as well as untextured or even black objects. In doing so, defects in the micrometer range can be detected while the object is moving. This adaptive process represents a sustainable solution for industrial inspection in particular. One advantage lies in the particular flexibility of the method: The number of observation and illumination angles can be changed dynamically by parameterisation. As a result, the user determines the optimum balance between accuracy and speed at all times.
xposure, the world‘s fastest line scan camera, is the basis for the latest image processing solutions such as Inline Computational Imaging.
The success of Inline Computational Imaging speaks for itself: At the end of 2017, the independent technology network Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfalenLippe rated the technology as the best in its field. Furthermore, ICI is protected by numerous patents.
40
SMART TOOLS FOR ÂURBAN PLANNING OUR SERVICES Big data-informed urban and regional planning AI-based rapid urban prototyping Digital participation platforms City Management Center PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: Schreiner/Kastler, AIT
AIT offers municipalities and the private sector expertise in building capacity for smart and resilient urban development.
URBANISATION/PLANNING/SMART CITY
41
Nikolas Neubert, Head of Competence Unit
Cities are gigantic data storage media. AIT technologies help to gain planning-relevant information from it.
Sustainable Buildings and Cities: „Planning processes can be accelerated by using innovative digital methods.“
URBAN DEVELOPMENT 4.0
W
orldwide, the centre of gravity of the world‘s population moves further and further into the cities. For a long time, the urbanisation forecasts of UN-Habitat and the predictions of climate impacts in the cities seemed abstract and distant. But the past five years have shown what these models and predictions mean for our lives and cities. Even in the comparatively slowly urbanised European area, cities are facing enormous challenges. They are called upon to solve the rapid population influx with city expansion and consolidation measures and all related infrastructural measures in record time - without, however, neglecting the growing demand for quality of life. To this end, city dwellers learn what the consequences of climate change mean for their living space and their lives: Heat waves that put enormous pressure on residents and urban infrastructures such as energy grids, heavy precipitation that stops the entire economic life of a city and causes billions of dollars in damage. It is against this backdrop that AIT works on innovative solutions that enable the smart and resilient development of our cities.
With Smart Spatial Planning, AIT is developing tools that can make urban living spaces sustainable and climate-resilient right from the planning stage. Using big data analytics and the use of artificial intelligence, AIT helps cities and regions to design and adapt strategic urban development plans as well as neighbourhoods to new challenges. Complex scenarios such as on climate impacts, energy consumption or demographic trends can already be run through in varying degrees during the planning process, thus providing developers and decision-makers with valuable, concrete decision-making aids. Smart Spatial Planning thus brings in twice the added value. Complex and diverse scenarios already make planning more resilient for one thing. On the other hand, planning processes can be accelerated by the use of innovative digital methods. SMART URBAN MANAGEMENT Cities are gigantic data storage facilities, their citizens produce terabytes of data every day. In addition to the private sector-driven search for exploitation models, we help cities to answer the question of how they can put this data to good use for routine tasks in urban management. To do this, we develop IT strategies with cities that show which data can be used for which processes. A concrete example is the use of data in the monitoring of urban climate protection goals in the context of resilience strategies. In addition, data can also be evaluated and visualised for decision-making processes. For this purpose, we design city management centers for urban administrations and digital participation platforms for citizens. By means of digital participatory approaches with augmented reality, citizens can be involved more concretely and faster in the planning of their living environment.
42
In cooperation with Frequentis, AIT is making a significant contribution to Âimproved safety and efficiency, both on the ground and in the air
AIT TECHNOLOGY MAKES AIRSPACE SAFER Frequentis and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology are developing future technology for increased airport security.
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: Deniz Altindas/Unsplash
W
ith more than 500 customers in 140 countries, Frequentis is an internationally appreciated provider of communications and information systems solutions - in particular with a special focus on air traffic control. In order to realize these innovations, the company consistently uses the image processing expertise of the AIT Center for Vision, Automation & Control. The success of the partnership is particularly clear when it comes to remote tower technology: This technology allows air traffic controllers to monitor and control events in the airspace and on the runway without direct visual contact. This allows air
SECURITY/AIRSPACE/COOPERATION
traffic controllers to be at the aerodrome at the same time as being in an air traffic control center several hundred kilometers away. The AIT contributes significantly to greater safety and efficiency in the air and on the ground. The remote tower technology is an important and promising aspect of the SESAR Joint Undertaking (Single European Sky ATM Research) and was funded under Grant Agreement No. 730195 of the European Union‘s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.
43
Christoph Sulzbachner is Senior Research Engineer at the Center for Vision, Automation & Control. As aviation expert, he serves as the point of contact for our partnership with Frequentis.
REMOTE TOWER TECHNOLOGY - AIT IMAGE PROCESSING AT ITS BEST
PHOTOS: AIT
Remote tower technology gives air traffic controllers a comprehensive view of the airspace, the apron, the taxiways and the runways even in poor visibility. The aim is the detection and tracking of moving and static objects on the ground and in the airspace using an artificial external view. The technology is being developed in close collaboration with the Center for Vision, Automation & Control. In a first step, a visual and thermal-infrared 360° panoramic image is generated, which seamlessly lines up the camera images of the correspondingly arranged optical sensors. This gives the air traffic controllers an authentic representation of the actual external view in real-time. Next, static and moving objects are captured and visualized into the panoramic view. For air traffic controllers, this opens up completely new possibilities. In addition to detecting objects, such as landing aircrafts or vehicles on the apron, the artificial external view can also be augmented with meteorological and geographical data. This way, the providing air traffic controllers have all the important information they need at a glance. All relevant data required for monitoring and controlling the airport can thus be captured significantly faster and more reliably.
Detection and tracking of a moving object (aircraft) during the landing approach. The flying object is detected and tracked, and its trajectory displayed for the air traffic controllers.
A combination of state-of-the-art methods and modern deep learning approaches in combination with extremely powerful hardware ensures that image processing is as robust and reliable as possible. The information obtained from image processing is correlated with conventional surveillance technologies in a so-called multi-sensor data fusion. In addition, image processing is integrated into the existing air traffic control infrastructure for operational use. Remote tower technology is currently in use at several test installations in Europe and is generally operated away from the major aviation hubs. For instance, Saarbrücken, Erfurt and Dresden airports are to be operated from Leipzig using remote tower technology. This pioneering technology will also be used at busier airports in future. AIT and Frequentis are an outstanding example of cooperation between research and industry to strengthen the competitiveness of the Austrian economy. Innovative sensor systems from the AIT Center for Vision, Automation & Control open the door to a wealth of new applications for transport, industrial automation, inspection, and monitoring. The platform-optimized implementation of state-of theart image processing methods and techniques is a core area of expertise for AIT. We focus primarily on autonomous land and rail vehicles as well as aviation.
44
MEASURING AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE AIT has access to approaches, measurement methods and tools that are key for the data-driven optimisation of the technology experience. With this in mind, QoE measurements from a number of projects have led to improvements in the user experience, such as video-on-demand platforms.
OUR SERVICES
Development of quality models for measuring and predicting perceived quality
Development of QoE-based Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as complementary quantitative control variables for product development, operation or marketing Identification of QoE user requirements and optimization potential to improve
QoE with the goal of increasing customer and user satisfaction Development or improvement of measuring systems with a view to user-orientated capture of network and service quality
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTOS: AIT/Zinner
Capturing how users perceive the quality of your product (for example, using lab testing, field studies or crowdsourcing)
TECHNOLOGY/EXPERIENCE/QUALITY MEASUREMENT
45
Optimizing the experience and making the most of experience research are key to the success of technological innovations. VR and AR training applications in the context of Industry 4.0. Likewise, the KF project MMassist II is examining QoE requirements and models in order to better design and optimize cyber-physical assistance systems in a production environment. WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS As part of its research work, AIT has developed tools for accurately measuring the quality of mobile networks from the application and end-user perspectives. Quality models and measurement systems have also been generated to enable ongoing monitoring of the experience of IPTV & Video-on-Demand services in live operation. The Quality of Experience technology can be used for a wide range of applications in fields which are themselves becoming increasingly important. For example, AIT has particular interests in the following areas: • Mobile networks: What level of quality does a mobile network need to reach to ensure customer satisfaction? How can this (subjective) standard be measured and optimized during operation?
P
roviders of digital applications have known for a w hile that service quality, customer satisfaction and competitiveness are inextricably linked. After all, it is the paying end customers who decide on the quality of a product or service. That‘s why, AIT‘s Quality of Experience (QoE) research provides methods and tools to understand, measure and sustainably improve the quality of digital applications and underlying infrastructure from an end-user perspective.
• Video streaming services: What level of quality do users want (and what are they prepared to pay for It)? • Apps / websites: How do technical performance and design influence an app or website‘s perceived quality? • New technologies: What technical quality requirements must new technologies (e.g. virtual or augmented reality) fulfil in order to be accepted by users? • Experience Monitoring & Analytics: How can data be collected and evaluated on a large scale in order to estimate and optimize quality from the customer‘s point of view?
AN INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION The Center for Technology Experience deals with fundamental questions about the interaction between humans and technology. We do not just use technology, we live with it. More than ever before, technology touches us on an emotional, intellectual and sensual level. GROUNDBREAKING PROJECTS The QoE approach has already been used successfully in numerous AIT projects. In the KF project NAFI 4.0, for example, laboratory studies were carried out to quantify the impact of 3D rendering types and tracking parameters of
Raimund Schatz, Senior Scientist at the Center for Technology Experience: „The combination of service quality, customer satisfaction and competitiveness is key to the success of the company.“
46
IMPLEMENTING ÂASSISTANCE SYSTEMS
I
n the MMAssist II project (assistance systems in production in the context of man-machine cooperation) aims to develop just this kind of modular, reusable and user-oriented assistance systems by 2020. The objective of MMAssist II is to research and implement modular, reusable and user-oriented assistance systems for employees in manufacturing companies. With this in mind, the project partners will analyse the basic requirements for assistance systems from a technical and socio-economic perspective using use cases including maintenance and repair, set-up and multi-machine operation or assembly as examples. The flagship project MMAssist II started on 1 May 2017. PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: Designed by fanjianhua/Freepik
Products are becoming more and more individual, and so are their manufacturing processes. Assistance systems should make life easier for production staff by adapting properly to people, process and context.
PRODUCTION/WORK ENVIRONMENT/ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS 47
47
Manufacturers need machines and technologies who can follow what is going on, and which humans can accept.
COGNITIVE PROPERTIES REQUIRED These requirements mean that assistance systems need to have the cognitive ability to bridge the gap between individuality and mass-production. What does that mean in practice? The solution is machines who can follow what is going on and provide help where it is needed. This does not change the fact that a factory without people is no longer a vision for Europe. We have a lot of work to do before our factories can operate with assistive machines machines people will have to accept. „The synergy of man and machine is the central theme for future production environments. Assistance means addressing specialist operating environments and implementing innovative solutions for them,” emphasises scientific project manager Manfred Tscheligi. Assistance units are being researched and developed as part of the project.
MODULAR BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS So-called „assistance units“ are developed based on a strongly context- and worker-oriented requirement analysis. Assistance units are modular building blocks for user-centred assistance systems, which are set up in such a way that they can be reused in different application environments and with different user groups.
PHOTOS: AIT/Zinner
CONFIGURING OF USE CASES Before the assistance units can be deployed, a software framework must first be implemented. This framework then allows assistance units to be dynamically configured into assistance systems for a given use case. The configuration uses various multimodal input and output modalities as well as context generation modules, which are also developed as part of the project. To assess the effectiveness and feasibility of the project approach, specific assistance units are used as prototypes in the lab and in real-life manufacturing environments, as well as being tested by the workers themselves.
Manfred Tscheligi, Head of Center for Technology Experience: „The result of MMAssist II is a profound empirical, social and technical understanding of the needs and requirements for assistance systems in a manufacturing context.“
Sebastian Egger-Lampl, Scientist at the Center for Technology Experience: „Digital assistance systems are designed to help employees in industrial environments to do their jobs even better.“
48
DIVERSITY - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A POSITIVE TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE A research team at the AIT is examining special needs & diversity from a technology experience Âperspective. Among other things, the focus is on technologies for intelligent daily living assistance and support for carers.
to get the best for their loved ones at the same time as maintaining their own health and quality of life. Those who are less comfortable with technology are more exposed to threats from cyber-attacks than so-called digital natives. INCLUSIVE AND INDIVIDUALISED Design and technology development must take all these aspects seriously, because it is the special requirements that ultimately determine the success of a product. Neglecting these aspects PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: ZINNER
T
echnology has the potential to change the world for the better. However, deciding precisely which aims and effects should be pursued using technology, whose needs technology ought to meet, and how to design technology in a participatory manner. Quite the opposite, in fact: Often there are no right answers as such, because the needs and demands of individuals and social groups can be diametrically opposed to each other; often, two single individuals have contradictory needs. For example, a carer wants
AGE/QUALITY OF LIFE/AAL
The WAALTeR project is examining the effects of an integrated AAL solution on aspects of the quality of life of older people.
49
SUPPORT AT ALL STAGES OF CARE This applies to support for family caregivers and the strengthening of digital skills in companies. As part of the international research project SUCCESS, the AIT Austrian Institute for Technology is coordinating the development of an app-based solution that enables those caring for people with dementia to learn and train communication and interaction strategies for everyday care. This project focuses on supporting different care relationships, learning types and usage contexts. Also focusing on the diverse needs of different user groups, the SecLearn research project, launched at the beginning of February 2018, will develop persuasive strategies to increase awareness for threats related to cyber-attacks in companies. IMPACT ANALYSES AS BASIS FOR DECISION
means risking excluding entire user groups and thus failing to achieve social or economic objectives. Individuality, identity and diversity are also enriching for society and its members. Supporting these aspects and valuing individuals for who they are is not just an ethical responsibility, but an economic factor too.
In addition to identifying usage decision-making, the methodological framework of the Center for Technology Experience also allows the implementation of studies to analyse the impact of technologies deployed in specific contexts. The goal is to understand the complex nature of interactions on individual, institutional and societal levels. At the beginning of March 2018, an experimental long-term study was started as part of the Vienna AAL pilot region WAALTeR, involving 150 older adults living in Vienna, as a result of which scientifically substantiated statements could be made. Goal is to show the impact of an integrated AAL solution on certain aspects of the quality of life of older people. Results such as these serve as an important basis for decision-making for the further development and acquisition of innovative technologies.
PHOTO: Foto Schuster
FOCUS ON USERS The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology‘s Center for Technology Experience meets this challenge by applying user-centered development methods which allow the identification of individual needs and requirements with regard to technology development. The methodological framework developed as part of the Center‘s research activities enables the identification of differences in the way individuals use technology, particularly in terms of social categories such as age, gender, physical or mental abilities or education. In order to obtain meaningful results, it is also important to adapt the research methodology to the specific context in which the technology is to be used or in which the work will be carried out, as well as to include contextual factors such as economic conditions in the analysis.
Markus Garschall, Expert Advisor at the Center for Technology Experience: “Design and technological development must take a variety of diverse requirements seriously in order to be successful.“
50
A GUIDE FOR POLITICAL ÂDECISION-MAKERS The development of future technologies, innovation systems and resilience in democratic societies must take long-term developments and potentially disruptive events into account. AIT is using forward-looking methods (foresight) to develop new tools and approaches for addressing technological and societal challenges.
OUR SERVICES
Development of scenarios, visions, roadmaps and policy strategies for public bodies, industry and companies Participatory foresight processes for a forward-thinking innovation policy at city, regional, state and European level PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: AIT/Zinner
Identification and analysis of trends, future technologies and transformation requirements (monitoring, horizon scanning)
POLITICS/IMPACT ANALYSIS/FORESIGHT
51
Matthias Weber, Head of Center for Innovation Systems & Policy, leads a team dealing with future RTI requirements.
Petra Schaper-Rinkel, Senior Scientist at the C enter for Innovation Systems & Policy: „We help policy- makers to contribute to designing technologies that will change society.“
T
PHOTO: Jessica Karle
he AIT combines a broad knowledge of current scientific, technological and socio-economic developments with various foresight methods such as scenario development, horizon scanning and analysis of options for action. By closely linking our projects to political decision-making processes, the AIT ensures its work remains relevant. Advanced process designs help integrate the expertise, experience and views of various stakeholders. We use our knowledge of the way research and innovation systems work in order to interpret findings, as well as the broad thematic expertise of the AIT as a whole. With a strong presence in European and international foresight networks and projects, AIT has excellent access to first-hand information in other parts of the world.
priorities that should be pursued within these key areas. It also provides guidance on the conditions which need to be created in related policy areas in order for the solutions to be effective in practice. FORESIGHT UND TA FOR THE AUSTRIAN PARLIAMENT Today, technology policy is social policy, because big data, biotechnologies and industry 4.0 will fundamentally change society. In order to support parliaments in their role as the central institutions for creating the underlying conditions for tomorrow‘s technology we are examining both technological and societal trends. Together with the ÖAW / ITA, AIT supports the Austrian parliament in the areas of foresight and technology assessment. Six-monthly monitoring reports are used to continuously assess current scientific and technological developments, trends and societal implications.
BEYOND THE HORIZON
FRESHER
Foresight in support of the future European R&I policy (BOHEMIA): The 9th Framework Program for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) is a central building block for the future positioning of the European economy and its ability to address future societal challenges at an early stage. Under the auspices of the Center for Innovation Systems & Policy, a number of topics of potentially major importance to Europe‘s prosperity around 2035-40 were identified. The future framework programme for research and innovation is intended to make a major contribution to these areas. The study focussed on new and surprising developments that are intended to supplement the established long-term research and innovation agendas. In addition to the key topics identified, the study results also include information on
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs such as diabetes, cancer, obesity or cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death among people in the EU and the biggest driver of health expenditure. How can we limit these diseases and their causes, and what role should government policy play on this issue? These were the questions posed by the FRESHER project. The results include various scenarios for the development of NCDs. These differed, for example, in terms of population growth forecasts, emission characteristics, the extent of future urban development, or whether people were assumed to follow a healthy diet. The researchers identified the elimination of social inequality and better and more equitable access to health care as the most important points to be addressed.
52
EUROPE’S INNOVATION AND RESEARCH LANDSCAPE IN FOCUS
H
ow many and what types of research institutions are there in Europe? How is the European high-tech sector developing? And who participates intensively in EU research projects and also registers new patents? These are very central questions for both the RTI policy and PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
GRAPHIC: AIT
RISIS impressively illustrates the benefits of a pan-European research infrastructure for S&T studies, both for scientific progress and for the RTI policy.
RESEARCH/INFRASTRUCTURE/RISIS
53
Infrastructure networks play a central role in excellence research.
RISIS WEEK IN VIENNA The annual RISIS Week was held in Vienna in 2017. The host was the AIT Center for Innovation Systems & Policy (ISP) Experts from across the European Research Area came together to discuss progress in the harmonisation of data and infrastructures, design roadmaps, analyse potential problem areas and demonstrate the usability of the infrastructure in application examples.
for science, but could barely be answered in a systematic way due to the lack of an empirical basis. For this reason, the EU project RISIS (Research Infrastructure for Research and Innovation Policy Studies), in which the AIT plays a key role, was launched in 2014. It is instrumental in building a spatially distributed research infrastructure in Europe to support science and innovation studies, which should serve as the basis for further research and support for RTI policy.
PHOTO: AIT/Krischanz Zeiller
OPEN SCIENCE MADE BY AIT After three years of project work which was used to integrate and harmonise the databases, the infrastructure was opened to researchers from Europe in 2017. This allowed users not only to access the data themselves but also new functionalities, such as the systematic geographical location of data points (for example organisations). So far, about
100 research projects that use RISIS datasets and platforms have been initiated. A follow-up project is already in preparation for 2019. In addition to updating and further developing the relevant databases, the focus should be on the professionalisation of the infrastructure, in particular with regard to the possibility of using the harmonized RISIS databases online and with modern analysis and visualisation tools.
Senior Scientist and Project Manager Thomas Scherngell: „RISIS is helping to build a spatially distributed research infrastructure in Europe to support science and innovation research.“
54
One focus of AIT‘s work is the question of the impact of Industry 4.0 on the working environment.
RECOGNISING THE POTENTIAL OF INDUSTRY 4.0 The digital transformation of the industry not only involves the development and introduction of new technologies, but also requires new business models, training concepts and policy strategies.
INDUSTRY 4.0 AND EMPLOYMENT In 2017 and against the background of great uncertainty about the effects of industry 4.0 on employment, we first examined how employment could develop by 2030 in Austria in terms of employment status, qualification requirements and job profiles. Together with more than 100 experts and stakeholders, we defined strategies and approaches that open the door to a successful transformation to industry 4.0 on the basis of four scenarios for its possible development. The study shows that the digitisation of the industry can also lead to a net job growth if the right steps are taken. New jobs are created where companies can esPROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
FOTOS: AIT, Designed by nikitabuida/Freepik
W
e support private and public organizations in the development of longer-term innovation strategies.“ In doing so, we support players in assessing and reducing risks, identifying new business opportunities as well as providing guidance. In cooperation with other AIT Centers, we bring in technological expertise in the fields of urban development, energy supply, mobility, health and digitisation as required. The team has access to a variety of data infrastructure (eg. patent databases) and is integrated into international networks, thus making it possible to harness the findings from international research projects for specific issues.
DIGITALE TRANSFORMATION/INDUSTRIE 4.0/STRATEGIEN
55
From analysis to implementation:
HOW OMPANIES C CAN BENEFIT FROM INDUSTRY 4.0 • Analysis of the potential and the spread of digital technologies • Design of transformation scenarios • Development of roadmaps for industry and companies • Development of political • strategies for public institutions
POTENTIAL OF 3D-PRINTING 3D printing is gaining in importance as the industry transforms and has great potential for a wide variety of industries. As part of a project funded by the European Commission, the value chains for 3D printing and barriers for further use were recently analysed for selected fields of application. Increased interregional cooperation, anchoring of the topic in curricula, awareness raising and further efforts in the field of certification are necessary, among other things, to quickly realise the potential in Austria and Europe. ROADMAP FOR THE DECARBONISATION OF INDUSTRY
tablish themselves internationally as innovation leaders. Such companies manage to develop not only process innovations but also new products, services and business models and ultimately create jobs. DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY 4.0 IN AUSTRIA As a member of an international research consortium, process innovations in the Austrian industry are examined every three years as part of the European Manufacturing Survey (EMS). The collected data help to analyse the status of process innovations in the Austrian economy and thus to gain information about the modernity and efficiency of Austrian industry as well as barriers to modernization. The most recent survey has shown that only a small group of around 25% of all industrial companies has achieved a high degree of maturity in the use of industry 4.0, while others, especially small ones, are still at the beginning. These differences in the use of digital production technologies, along with other factors such as globalization, are leading to an ever-increasing divergence in productivity development at company level.
As part of a project commissioned by the Climate and Energy Fund, the AIT team was responsible for the process of developing an R&D roadmap. Together with industry representatives, a strategic R & D agenda for the development of technologies which allows greater use of renewable energies was developed in 2017. The key challenge here is to coordinate industrial processes with the often-fluctuating energy supply from renewable sources. New storage technologies, increased energy efficiency and better coupling between individual consumers and producers are important solutions for the future decarbonisation of industry. The roadmap provides guidance for future investment planning for both the industrial companies involved and the RTI policy.
Karl-Heinz Leitner, Senior Scientist at the Center for Innovation Systems & P olicy: „We support private and public organisations that develop longer-term innovation strategies.“
56
OUR SERVICES Grid studies on grid amplification, voltage band management, optimised load calculation
Interoperability tests in the laboratory, control tests, power hardware-in-the-loop tests, comprehensive functional tests of communication and power interfaces ICT solutions for network operation, development and validation of control architectures, measurement analysis and data processing PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
PHOTO: AIT/Krischanz Zeiller
Pre-qualification of system components
ENERGY/INFRASTRUCTURE/SMARTGRIDS
SMART GRIDS Flexible network structures form the key basis for a new, integrated and smart infrastructure. For this purpose, AIT conducts studies for network planning or pre-qualification of system components for partners from the energy sector.
T
he transformation of the energy system and the paradigmatic shift towards intelligent network operation influencing our lives. At the same time, industry and society demand the highest degree of security of supply. Energy producers are therefore forced to put their network and operating structures to the test and to enquire into new products and services (“Smart Grids”). With the SmartEST Laboratory, AIT possesses a unique infrastructure and assumes a global position through collaborations and interdisciplinary know-how. This allows hardware tests to be combined with the advantages of the digital real-time simulation. In „Power Hardware-in-theLoop“ (P-HIL) simulations, network models are linked to real components in order to investigate control algorithms, system concepts and components for intelligent power networks under realistic conditions.
57
IMPRINT Publisher, media owner AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH Giefinggasse 4, 1210 Vienna cmc@ait.ac.at, www.ait.ac.at Place of publication Vienna, June 2018 Editorial management Michael H. Hlava, Harald Hornacek Production management Daniel Pepl Editorial staff Angela Balder Florian Hainz Silvia Haselhuhn Michael MĂźrling Fabian Purtscher Vanessa Schuster Juliane Thoss Design and typesetting Repromedia/Sofia Smolyar Printing Wograndl, Druckweg 1 7210 Mattersburg Publisher Verlag Holzhausen GmbH, A-1110 Vienna, LeberstraĂ&#x;e 122
PROFILE & HIGHLIGHTS
STAY IN CONTACT The media of AIT at a glance
TOMORROW TODAY
THE PROFILE
#EFATEC
The customer magazine of the AIT is published three times a year and is aimed at decision-makers from research, industry and education. It addresses all key stakeholders of the Austrian innovation and knowledge system.
The yearbook of the AIT, which shows highlights from research and development, vividly presents a representative cross-section of AIT research topics and developmental focuses.
This annually published review summarises the most important statements, lectures, breakout sessions and topics of the Alpbach Technology Talks which are hosted by AIT and ORF Radio Ă–1 in a reader-friendly and compact way.
In social media too, AIT is considered one of the most respected destinations for all those interested in RTI. Current topics and the researchers working on these topics at the AIT are presented in an accessible way. https://www.linkedin.com/company/ait_2/ https://de-de.facebook.com/AITtomorrow2day/ https://twitter.com/aittomorrow2day?lang=de https://www.youtube.com/user/AITTomorrowToday
AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH Giefinggasse 4, 1210 Vienna cmc@ait.ac.at | www.ait.ac.at