TOMORROW TODAY
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Andreas Vrabl, Head of Center for Vision, Automation & Control, Nicole Brosch, Junior Scientist and Petra Thanner, Research Engineer (r.).
TRACKING DOWN VIRTUAL CURRENCIES // Powerful analysis tools for Fintechs RAPID PROTOTYPING // High-tech materials for additive manufacturing ENTREPRENEURSHIP LAB // Work 4.0 as a model for the future
QUALITY CONTROL WITH XPOSURE
THE FASTEST LINE SCAN CAMERA IN THE WORLD
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MAKING MORE OF SENSORS AND SCANNERS
Some of about 60 AIT experts who are working on sensor technology and
The fastest line scan Andreas Kugi and Andreas Vrabl are in charge of the AIT Center for Vision, Automation & Control.
camera in the world.
Photos & cover image: AIT, AIT/Christian Husar
high-speed vision.
Top-Story
One AIT project that has attracted a lot of attention is the autonomously driving tractor.
When we talk about automation today, we often think about rigid systems. With its developments, the AIT Center for Vision, Automation & Control helps make applications more flexible and more beneficial to people.
The visit to the dentist can be a bother. Especially when one needs crowns, bridges or possibly implants. Today’s dental casts are unpleasant for many patients. Moreover, they unfortunately do not always fit 100 percent. Dental laboratories then create the “new” teeth based on these casts. This may take a few days. The dentist then puts them in place. This is not always pleasant either, since the jaw and the gums have started changing in the meantime. And even if everything is right, the entire procedure may take a few weeks. But it could also be different, more pleasant, faster, 100 percent accurate: A mini-camera scans the entire dentition, passes the data to a 3D printer, which produces the new tooth in a short time in the room next door – and the dentist can complete the entire treatment within a few hours. In a few years, this might already be reality.
Thanks to the AIT technologies, banknote printing companies all over the world can be sure that their banknotes come into proper circulation.
Change of scene. Where once, interestingly enough, mostly women checked large print sheets with banknotes, super-fast, high-resolution cameras now provide optimal quality control. These cameras do not miss anything. And customers like the Oesterreichische Banknoten- und Sicherheitsdruckerei (Austrian banknotes and security printing company) as well as dozens of other banknote printing companies around the world can rest assured that their banknotes come into circulation in an absolutely proper way.
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PROACTIVE OFFERING OF SOLUTIONS FOR THE INDUSTRY
VISION TECHNOLOGY, STRONGLY MINIATURIZED
Two examples from very different areas that have one central theme: R&D at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. In the Center for Vision, Automation & Control, around 60 experts conduct research in the key technology areas of “automation”, “3D image processing” and “optical quality inspection” in close collaboration with industry, science and the public sector. The Center was established in order to have a unit that is close to the industry and can proactively offer comprehensive R&D solutions. “Topics such as the automation of processes are gaining greatly in importance,” says DI Andreas Vrabl, who, together with Professor Andreas Kugi, is in charge of the Center as Head of Center. “A key advantage for our customers is our close synergetic linkage of in-depth scientific methods and technological expertise. Our portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum from consulting via medium- and long-term strategic research cooperation and the development of prototypes through to the support of industrial implementation and application”, Vrabl emphasizes. In close cooperation with industrial partners, the experts at AIT also help with the efficient implementation of new software, the use of the latest
An example of this is the situation at the dentist’s described above: A dental scanner was developed based on vision technology at AIT, representing a revolutionary way of image processing. “We greatly miniaturized the vision technology, and to put it simply, we have developed a stereo camera with a light projector in toothbrush size that allows you to scan the dentition. One can then see live how the model of the dentition is being created on the computer. The local accuracy is optimal which ensures an exact fit,” says Vrabl. And he thinks that we will see totally new areas of application in the next 5–10 years – it will then be possible to very rapidly produce the final product for the patient in 3D printing. It should be noted that technological gimmicks are not of interest to AIT. “We aim at changing and optimizing process chains,” explains Vrabl, “thus opening up new time frames for hitherto undreamt-of business models. It is not about patching up a problem, but about making basic new decisions based on a system approach and understanding.”
THE FASTEST LINE SCAN CAMERA IN THE WORLD This also led to developments in the field of vision. “Imaging sensors are becoming a key technology in process automation. With vision technology, we can achieve much more and open up new fields of research in the field of automation. The result is a better control of the processes, more efficiency, less energy input and less waste in production and thus also a CO2reduction.” At AIT, a new high-speed vision technology The AIT experts are working on autonomous solutions to further con-
In the future, hazardous work will be able to be carried out by autonomous machines thanks to AIT.
sensors and dedicated computer hardware, and they possess excellent specialist-specific knowhow in different areas thanks to their many years of experience. “We place particular emphasis on system understanding as well as on the holistic system approach,” says Vrabl.
Photos: ÖBB/Philipp Horak, onlyyouqj / Freepik
dense the intervals in public transport.
Top-Story
has recently been developed to this end: it combines previously unachieved speeds with top optical resolution and opens up completely new applications for industrial image processing. With the introduction of the new high-speed vision technology xposure at the VISION 2016 in Stuttgart, AIT took a major step into the future of process automation. xposure consists of the world’s fastest line sensor (xposure sensor) with line rates up to 600 kHz, installed in a high-performance multi-line scan camera (xposure camera) with a 40 GigE vision interface. xposure is complemented by the unique embedded vision evaluation platform (VisionBox LeMans) which is based on the currently fastest multicore server/ network processor ARM Cortex-A72. “Developed by AIT, this technology provides unprecedented speeds with top optical resolutions and opens up entirely new possibilities. Especially in connection with Industry 4.0, xposure acts as a door opener for new, revolutionary high-speed applications in the embedded vision area. Thus, the multi-line scan camera can be used e.g. for multispectral imaging and thus for measuring material properties, while the simultaneous detection of different polarization properties permits the examination of shiny and transparent objects, and a 3D capturing of the objects is possible as well,” emphasizes Andreas Vrabl. In a later stage, producing digital twins of the test items could make it possible to detect wear and tear and to optimise production. The same is true for the field of “predictive maintenance”: The machines can report service issues or possible damage in time. “This is always a key question for us: What do our customers need? We listen, we see our customers as strategic partners, and we help them to gain a stronger position in the competition.”
Photo: AIT
COLLABORATIONS OVER DECADES Often these partnerships grow over decades, as the example of banknote quality control illustrates: High-performance image processing has been established for many years in the area of banknote inspections, and AIT has been involved in industrial partnerships for 30 years here. “Today, the highest quality of banknotes is required. The automation of the money cycle requires high-quality banknotes – and even more so because the growing number of automated teller machines (ATMs) are money bins which must always remain well-filled. The financial crisis has also created a need for additional cash. People put banknotes into the safe again,” as Vrabl reports. “Recently, the lifespan of euro banknotes was massively increased. A note of the series 2 has a life expectancy twice as high as one of the series 1,” Vrabl reveals. Thanks to AIT’s high-speed vision solution, it is even possible to test tilt-sen-
AIT is revolutionizing dentistry with the dental scanner.
sitive elements of the banknotes. “Our multi-line scan camera can view and capture a banknote from 11 viewing angles. Different light effects and physical effects are taken into account in order to check the authenticity features. This new technology, patented by AIT (Inline Computational Imaging), now also enables testing other complex industrial products. We achieve excellent results in the inspection of wafers and printed circuit boards as well as in the inspection of high-gloss surfaces and polished metals.”
DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIES FURTHER It therefore is not really a long way from the aforementioned tooth scanner to the ear scanner: That device is even smaller, the ear is accurately measured to the micrometer – offering good possibilities for developing e.g. custom-made hearing aids. It is thus an ideal solution for an aging society – which at the same time is also becoming increasingly mobile. Mobility offers will not only have to increase significantly in the big cities, but also in the countryside. The experts at the Center for Vision, Automation & Control are working on this issue as well. Public transport in Vienna, for example, is among the best in the world. The density in terms of metro, tram and buses is outstanding. But what will happen when more and more people use public transport in the future? When a metro should arrive every minute as opposed to every few minutes? This increase of the traffic volume density would only be able to be achieved with autonomous vehicles. “We come full circle to many other applications that we develop in our Center,” explains Andreas Vrabl, “and here, too, we are pursuing the clear goal of automating and optimizing systems. Developing ideas that support people.” For this reason, one group is also concerned with the development of autonomous vehicles, such as trams and railways, but also for very specific fields of application – e.g., for autonomous construction machines on large construction sites. “There, autonomous systems can help protect people and provide more security,” says Vrabl.
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More and more companies are being blackmailed and are urged to pay ransoms via the hard-to-trace crypto-Â currency Bitcoin. AIT is at the forefront of global research into technologies for fighting organized financial crime in order to prevent abuse and damage to the economy while at the same time supporting the sensible use of virtual currencies.
Whether in the fight against cyber-criminals as part of the recently launched EU project Titanium, or for the development of new blockchain services for the economy, especially for the booming Fintechs – with its GraphSense platform developed over many years of research, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the European leader in the analysis of cyber currencies, offers the perfect tool for the forensic analysis of virtual currency transactions. The cyber attack with the encryption Trojan WannaCry a few months ago is just one of the rapidly growing blackmail attempts over the Internet which usually involves the demand of a ransom via the hard-to-trace crypto-currency Bitcoin. But how can one most effectively search out such perpetrators? The law enforcement authorities can in particular resort to the cash flows and other activities on the black markets and forums on the darknet.
Photo: unsplash.com/Markus Spiske
TRACKING DOWN VIRTUAL CURRENCIES
Big Data
Crime scene and trading venue at the same time: companies can be damaged from a notebook or tablet. At the same time, the importance of crypto-currencies as a legal means of payment is increasing.
RESEARCH INITIATIVE AGAINST THE DARK WEB AND VIRTUAL CURRENCIES At the same time, the EU project Titanium (“Tools for the Investigation of Transactions in Underground Markets”) was launched in May 2017. 15 consortium partners, security authorities, ministries, universities and companies from seven EU countries and INTERPOL have joined forces for the AIT-led research project. “Criminal and terrorist activities using virtual currencies and black markets of the darknet are emerging faster and faster and often differ considerably in terms of technical maturity, resilience and goals,” explains project coordinator Ross King. Over the next three years, technical solutions will therefore be developed to help curb cybercrime and terrorism, with a project volume of five million euros. Titanium, however, not only develops forensic tools, but also addresses questions of privacy and other fundamental civil rights in forensic investigations. The focus is on virtual currencies, online forums, peer-to-peer networks in the darknet and on equipment seized by investigative authorities.
POWERFUL ANALYSIS TOOL FOR FINTECHS
HIGH-PERFORMANCE BIG DATA TECHNOLOGY With its analysis platform GraphSense, AIT has developed the appropriate technology in several research projects in order to be able to very rapidly extract the relevant information from the blockchain using high-performance big data technologies and special algorithms. Important foundations for the development of the tool were created in the bilateral KIRAS project BITCRIME which was funded by the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit). The objective here was to develop new methods for fighting organized financial crime. But GraphSense also provides important insights into blockchain for business. “Currently, the interest in our analysis platform is increasing, in particular with FinTechs,” said Ross King, data science expert at AIT and head of the research group Digital Insight Lab, “this is in part due to the fact that existing compliance policies also increasingly apply to virtual currencies, and both FinTechs and traditional financial services providers are required to comply with these guidelines.”
The AIT analytics platform also provides valuable services for business. For some time, the researchers around Ross King and Bernhard Haslhofer, project head of GraphSense, have been working intensively on the structure and dynamics of virtual currency systems in the course of international projects. Countless Fintechs, but also utility providers, banks and many other companies want to take advantage of virtual currencies and the fast, cost-effective and secure blockchain technology (see box: “Keyword blockchain”) for their own purposes. For they allow direct, global transactions without the need for a bank or an intermediary for authentication. Therefore, only relatively low transaction costs are incurred, such as when only one euro is transferred to the United States. The many new opportunities offered by this decentralized and at the same time transparent and secure form of payment and transaction technology have particularly fired the imagination of the financial technology industry in recent years. FinTechs are already offering solutions in all areas – whether for mobile payment solutions, social trading or investment advice – and are creating competition for the old banking and financial industry, which is therefore also heavily investing in the new technologies. In particular, finance is currently feeling the full force of digital transformation.
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anonymous, network analysis methods can be used to precisely trace which addresses are related to each other and which sums have flowed between players. A large number of crypto-currencies and blockchain services with very different structures exist by now. In addition to public blockchains such as Bitcoin, there are also private blockchains which are open only to corporate customers and include different authorization areas. GraphSense is intended to help users capture and better understand the structure and operations of distributed, blockchain-based services. In addition to the current main field of application “Virtual currency analysis”, the use of this tool is currently being evaluated for other areas of applications as well, such as the energy sector.
Ross King, head of the research group Digital Insight Lab: "Currently, interest in our analysis platform is increasing, in particular
DRAWING THE RIGHT CONCLUSIONS But how can one efficiently process the rapidly growing volume of data associated with virtual currencies and draw the right conclusions by means of effective analysis methods? The “big data” analysis platform GraphSense, developed at AIT, can process hundreds of gigabytes in a few minutes and is well prepared for the future through the distributed and thus scalable computing infrastructure underlying it. “We understand virtual currencies, can accurately analyse them and also estimate future developments,” says King. The best-known currency Bitcoin has already been completely recorded by AIT on its own server structures for lightning-fast analyses.
SERVICES AROUND BLOCKCHAIN Many companies already use virtual currencies. Anyone who wants to enter this new, very promising market must also profoundly understand the new payment methods. Bitcoin, for example, is basically a highly transparent currency in which transactions can be viewed publicly and payment flows can be accurately traced. Even if the individual transactions are
Keyword: Blockchain The blockchain technology is actually just a distri buted, self-managed database for storing trans actions of all kinds – such as contracts or securities – that are grouped in blocks. In this way values can be exchanged without an intermediary. The techno logy is a neutral system of information processing ("peer-to-peer network") that belongs to no one or all and provides an automated, forgery-proof and comprehensible notary function for all participating players. It thus provides the digital economy with a reliable basis for a trusting cooperation and provides information in an unalterable way. In addition to currencies, the blockchain can also be used to design many automated services, so-called smart contracts, which offer enormous potential for the financial industry, the logistics industry and many other sectors, including e-government authorities, thanks to its underlying unalterable documents and direct handling. Private blockchains which are only open for a specific group of customers are mostly used here.
Photo: AIT/Johannes Zinner
with FinTechs.“
Performance & Success
FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS MOBILE HCI 2017
PREMIER CONFERENCE ON HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION The „MobileHCI 2017“, the world‘s most important conference on human-computer interaction with mobile devices with around 250 international participants, took place for the second time in Austria this year. From 4–7 September 2017, leading scientists and experts met for an interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge. Industry was also strongly represented,
The new HSG makes it possible to produce semi-finished products from special alloys on a semi-industrial scale.
LKR
Photos: Unsplash.com/Javier Quesada, AIT/Lang
FROM THE MELT TO THE FINISHED, DRAWN WIRE At the end of June, after a one-year development phase, the new horizontal continuous casting line 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 new HSG makes it possible to produce semi-finished products from special alloys on a semi-industrial scale, including those for the production of welding wire, with a short delivery time and at low costs. The current research focus is on further developing the process technology in order to produce customer-specific formats in top quality suitable for direct further processing without intermediate steps – from semi-finished product to finished product. The objective is e.g. to be able to integrate and dynamically operate all core processes from the melt to the finished, drawn wire. In addition to the modern in-house vertical continuous casting technology for magnesium and aluminum alloys, the horizontal continuous casting line rounds off the experimental portfolio of the LKR.
with participating managers from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, and LG. „For four days, we created a platform that allowed researchers and practitioners to exchange and network in the field of mobile human-computer interaction,“ says Manfred Tscheligi, Head of the Center for Technology Experience of the Austrian Institute of Technology and Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Salzburg. As General Chair, Cheligi was in charge of the organization of the „MobileHCI 2017“ in collaboration with Matt Jones. In addition to sessions, workshops and tutorials, two keynotes in particular attracted interest: Elisabeth André teaches and researches at the University of Augsburg and at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. Her lecture „Exploring Social Augmentation Techniques for Mobile Training and Assistive Applications“ stimulated discussions. Indrani Medhi Thies conducts research at Microsoft Research in Bangalore (India) with a focus on user interfaces, user experience design and ICT for global development. Her remarks on the subject of „Designing for Low-Literate Users“ were both exciting and trend-setting. More at: https://mobilehci.acm.org/
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PHOTOVOLTAICS
GUARANTEED QUALITY FOR THE FUTURE OF SOLAR ENERGY According to the technology roadmap for photovoltaics, the share of solar power in Austria is to increase from the current 2% to 15% by the year 2030 and to 27% by 2050. The AIT is now one of the first institutes in Europe to offer component manufacturers the opportunity to test photovoltaic modules according to the latest standards in the PV industry in order to achieve a decisive competitive edge through quality. Tests according to IEC 61215:2016 (type approval), IEC 61730:2016 (safety test), IEC TS 62782:2016 (dynamic load test) and IEC TS 62804:2015 (potential-induced degradation, PID) are new additions to the portfolio.
Renewed international recognition for the expertise of Brigitte Bach, Head of Center for Energy.
APPOINTMENT
BRIGITTE BACH ELECTED AS EERA VICE-CHAIR
AIT relies on POWERLINK for high-performance image processing in money sorting systems.
Photovoltaic modules can be tested according to the latest standards at AIT.
EPSG
AIT SUPPORTS THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF POWERLINK AIT is the newest member of the Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG). The aim of the work of the EPSG is the standardization and further development of the POWERLINK introduced by B&R in 2001. The powerful real-time communication system is a solution based on the IEEE 802.3 ethernet standard to transmit real-time data in the microsecond range. AIT is also actively participating in the further development. With POWERLINK, AIT has already implemented a major project in the area of interface standardization in the field of security documents. „In the course of our evaluation, we have found that POWERLINK meets the requirements of our customers and partners from business and industry for maximum performance and openness,“ explains Andreas Vrabl, Head of Center for Vision, Automation & Control at AIT. With a transmission speed of 100 MBit/s and a synchronization accuracy of +/- 100ns, even the most demanding high-performance image processing tasks for mechanical engineering can be realized.
Photos: AIT/ Ludwig Schedl, AIT
The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) is an association of more than 175 European research organizations and universities in the field of energy research. Energy experts from all over Europe met at EERA‘s Summer Strategy Meeting in Vienna. The discussions focused on strategic issues of European energy research. The work meeting organized by AIT is intended to further strengthen cooperation between the various organizations and was initiated by Brigitte Bach in her new role as EERA Vice-Chair
Light metal alloys will play an even bigger role in industrial manufacturing in the future.
Isabela Erdelean, Scientist, AIT Center for Mobility Systems: „Using the experiences, best practices and lessons of all stakeholders for joint research projects and for creating a European traffic network.”
INDUSTRY
HIGH-TECH MATERIALS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING The increasing industrialization of additive manufacturing methods is also increasing user demand on the material properties of the materials to be used. The LKR has recognized this need and is developing new, modified aluminium and magnesium materials which are used in the form of powders or wires as an additive material for the rapid prototyping using the additive manufacturing route. The challenge is to create the alloys in such a way as to meet both the high demands of the processes and the expected properties of the resulting components. From a sustainability and cost reduction viewpoint, the LKR also pays great attention to alloys that do not require expensive chemical elements, so that a wider variety of affordable materials will be available in industrial applications in the future. „With the step of material development of light metal alloys for additive manufacturing, the LKR is in the process of developing a research topic with great potential and far-reaching e ffects on the production of the future,“ says Walter Stieglbauer, project manager for material development for additive manufacturing processes at the LKR. ENTREPRENEURSHIP LAB
Photos: AIT, AIT/Johannes Zinner
WORK 4.0 AS MODEL FOR THE FUTURE Since March 2017, the AMS Lower Austria has been running the pilot project „Entrepreneurship Lab: Business Skills for the New World of Work 4.0“ together with ÖSB Consulting and update Training on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Two groups of 15 persons each that have registered at the AMS are supported in developing, fleshing out and ultimately implementing business ideas. This measure is scientifically supported by the AIT Center for Innovation Systems & Policy. The team led by Peter Biegelbauer constantly conducts observation days as well as interviews with participants and trainers: „The pilot project is innovative in content and conceived as a political experiment. In the course of it, a policy measure is developed and continuously improved during the experimental implementation.“
TRAFFIC
SECURITY OF THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE The security of the critical infrastructure, in particular traffic routes, is becoming increasingly important in Europe. Developments in the fields of sensors, mobile radio, smart ticketing, and big data offer great potential to make decisions in an easier and more sustainable way. USE-iT (Users, Safety, Security and Energy in Transport Infrastructure) is a 24-month coordination and support action programme funded as part of Horizon 2020 with the aim of defining the common challenges of all modes of transport and developing targeted research projects from this. The AIT Center for Mobility Systems is leading the work package „Safety & Security“ in the USE-iT project. The focus here is on identifying security-relevant challenges – from the availability of high-quality data for all modes of transport via automation to traffic education. More at: www.useitandfoxprojects.eu/
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SEAMLESS
MOBILITY SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF STATUS SYMBOLS
More at: http://www.seamlessproject.at/
Matthias Prandtstetter, Senior Scientist, AIT Center for Mobility Systems
Proud winner: Simon Frank, Junior Scientist at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen
ASMET
AIT SCIENTIST WINS POSTER AWARD Simon Frank, Junior Scientist at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen, was awarded the „Best Poster Award“ at the „International Students Day of Metallurgy“ (ISDM) for his poster on „Development of non-flammable Mg-alloys“. In this research project, scientists at the LKR have succeeded in developing flame-retardant magnesium alloys which, in the event of fire, even extinguish themselves. This improvement in fire resistance could be achieved by the targeted addition of elements from the rare earth group, which positively influence the oxidation behaviour of the material. Thanks to its low density, its high specific strength and its almost unlimited availability, magnesium is a very sought- after lightweight construction material and is particularly well suited for use in the mobility sector when it comes to weight and emission reduction. A possible future field of application for these new alloys could be e.g. armrests and backrests of aircraft seats. The three-day event, organized by the ASMET (Austrian Society of Metallurgy and Materials) and held at the Montanuniversität Leoben, attracted some 300 students from all over Europe.
Photos: AIT/Zinner, AIT/Lang
Electric vehicles are also becoming increasingly important in an operational environment – but fleet concepts are still scarce here. In the SEAMLESS project (Sustainable, Efficient Austrian Mobility with Low-Emission Shared Systems), AIT experts work with project partners from the private sector to develop intelligent and practical e-fleet concepts. „SEAMLESS is intended to pave the way from the company car as a status symbol to a mobility service provided by the employer. This requires a holistic approach or paradigm shift, both among users and employers,” explains Project Manager Matthias Prandtstetter, Senior Scientist at the AIT Center for Mobility Systems. The project will develop a car-sharing technology designed to drive forward the intelligent and convenient use of electric cars in fleet operations, car sharing and carpool models. The green fleet is not only to bring about a reduction in CO2emissions, but also be economically viable – especially in combination with alternative modes of transport. The basis for this is the development of an easy-to-use booking and billing system that optimizes vehicle allocation and charging with integrated route, tour and load planning. „Intelligently-controlled buffer batteries maximize the use of renewable energy and reduce the cost of line infrastructure and electrical connections,“ Prandtstetter emphasises. The solutions developed at AIT are then tested in company fleets (POST AG, iC consulenten, T-Systems/T-Mobile Austria, SMZ Süd Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital of the Vienna KAV and SPECTRA TODAY) with just under 100 vehicles (including at least 55 electric cars).
INNOVATION CALENDAR
POLITICS
SCIENTIFIC ADVICE FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
Photo: Parliamentary Directorate / Christian Hikade
Starting this fall, MPs will for the first time receive ongoing support in research, technology and innovation policy issues. As part of the „Foresight and Technology Impact Assessment“ project, politicians are being advised by technology impact experts. „Politics and science are coming closer together this way,“ says National Council President Doris Bures. The project is being carried out by the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. They emerged from a Europe-wide tender as the best bidder and will now provide well-founded overviews and basic information on future scientific fields and trends twice a year or advise the MPs on research, science and innovation technology issues. Based on this, the MPs can then conduct in-depth studies to react in time to the effects and risks of new technologies.
The scientific expertise and findings of the project are available to all MPs.
24–25 Oct. 2017 // SIDRIVE International leading specialist con ference on the dimensions of social innovation. Location: Brussels AIT contact: Doris Schartinger Details: www.si-drive.eu // 24 Oct. 2017 // TECHNOLUTION – WOMEN FOR TECHNOLOGY! This creative competition is intended to encourage lower and upper-level students and apprentices to engage in substantive discussions on the topic of „women in technology“. Location: Technical Museum Vienna Details: www.technolution.info // 6 Nov. 2017 // WOMEN’S CYBER FORUM An event in cooperation with the Energy pact Foundation. Location: Diplomatic Academy Vienna AIT contact: Maria Leitner Details: www.energypact.org/womencyberforum // 07 Nov. 2017 // 3RD KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE FORUM DISTRICT HEATING AND COOLING For the third time, the AIT Center for Energy organizes a stakeholder meeting on the topic of district heating and cooling systems in preparation for the IEA DHC ExCo meeting. Location: AIT TECHBase Vienna AIT contact: Ralf-Roman Schmidt Details: www.ait.ac.at/3FWKforum // 7–8 Nov. 2017 // ERALEARN 2020 Specialist conference on ERA-LEARN (platform for public-public partnerships). Location: Brussels AIT contact: Michael Dinges Details: www.era-learn.eu/ //
9–10 Nov. 2017 // A3PS CONFERENCE The Trade Fair for E-mobility takes place for the 12th time and shows the latest trends and developments. Location: Tech Gate Vienna AIT contact: Christian Chimani, Helmut Oberguggenberger Details: www.a3ps.at/konferenz/ eco-mobility-2017 // 13–17 Nov. 2017 // INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PHYSICAL PRO TECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL AND NUCLEAR FACILITIES Conference in cooperation with the IAEA. Location: Vienna AIT contact: Michael Mürling Details: www-pub.iaea.org // 15 Nov. 2017 // AUTOMOTIVE.2017 Top impulses and future scenarios from the automotive industry. Location: voestalpine Stahlwelt, Linz AIT contact: Christian Chimani Details: www.automotive-conference.at // 21–24 Nov. 2017 // MILIPOL PARIS Leading international Conference on Homeland Security and Safety. Location: Paris AIT contact: Michael Mürling Details: https://en.milipol.com // 14–16 Nov. 2017 // SMART CITY EXPO AIT is presenting new developments on smart and resilient cities, mobility systems, and innovation systems. Location: Barcelona AIT contact: Elisabeth Mrakotsky Details: www.smartcityexpo.com/en/ the-event //
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QUALITATIVE MODELLING OF TRANSITION DYNAMICS On the way to a society with low CO2emissions, a transition to sustainability with structural changes in thinking, action and organizational matters is necessary in many social areas. In this article, insights from conceptual and empirical work on the role of transition initiatives for accelerating structural change are used as input for the modelling of acceleration dynamics.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
CASE STUDY ANALYSIS Ac m e cel e r c h a ati nis on ms
cs mi s n a te g i e y D tr a &S
QUALITATIVE MODELS
AGENT-BASED MODEL SIMULATION GAME Insights & reflection
Fine-tuning & validation
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS
Qualitative modelling as an intermediate step between qualitative conceptual and empirical work and quantitative approaches of transition modelling
There are already a few case studies on modelling of transition dynamics which make a positive, complementary contribution to qualitative empirical research, which yet also have to cope with central constraints that are also called “challenges�. These focus on the implementation of existing transition approaches (of the transition management theory). However, the dynamic relationships necessary for modelling are often only partially captured by transition theories and frameworks.
Modellers must therefore make ad hoc assumptions in the operationalization of their models. A further challenge concerns the validation of the transition models which include a large number of free parameters that cannot be determined based on empirical data. These two challenges are explicitly addressed by the qualitative modelling approach described in this article. Conceptu-
Scientific Paper
al and empirical work is used here for the development of a transition model using causal effects diagrams. These diagrams show the causal relationships of action, i.e. the reciprocal relations between the different system elements as well as the structural forces responsible for the system behaviour. This qualitative modelling approach provides a methodological basis on which modellers and case study researchers (non-modellers) can work together to address the problems of conceptualization and data collection. It thus represents an intermediate step between qualitative conceptual and empirical work on the one hand and quantitative approaches of transition modelling, e.g. by means of agent-based modelling, on the other. Although a full integration is considered difficult, each approach has its strengths and weaknesses that complement and enrich each other. During the modelling within the framework of the ARTS project, an attempt was made to develop a quantitative transition model in close interaction with the conceptual and empirical case studies, using qualitative modelling to link up the different methodological strands (see figure on the left). The author: Ernst Gebetsroither, Scientist at the Center for Energy,
Photo: AIT
In summary, it can be said that qualitative modelling is a first step in opening up the “black box” of the development of transition models and thereby increasing the transparency of the models. The visual description of the system dynamics supports an interactive process that involves modellers, case study researchers, and stakeholders. In addition, this makes possible a conceptual validation of the question to which extent the central change processes – the transition dynamics – are adequately reflected in the system structure. This article is based on research carried out as part of the ARTS project “Accelerating and Rescaling Sustainability Transitions” (EU FP 7 GA 603654). One of the central objectives of that project was to find out how the transition to sustainability can be accelerated, how cities can reduce their negative impact on the environment and promote well-being through their way of thinking, acting and managing. As part of ARTS, the role of local transition initiatives to promote acceleration dynamics in several European urban regions was analyzed in
Business Unit Sustainable Buildings and Cities
their national and broader European context. The developed qualitative system model in which effect diagrams were used provided the basis for the quantitative agent-based model, which was also developed within the ARTS project.
More on this: “Accelerating Transition Dynamics in City Regions”. Pieter Valkering, Gönenç Yücel, Ernst Gebetsroither-Geringer, Karin Markvica, Erika Meynaerts and Niki Frantzeskaki (2017): Accelerating Transition Dynamics in City Regions: A Qualitative Modeling Perspective, Sustainability 9(7): 1254
TOMORROWTODAY 16
TRADITIONAL OR VIRTUAL PROPERTIES OF NOISE ENVIRONMENT? BARRIERS
PREDICTION OF MATE RIAL PROPERTIES
The use of virtual environments instead of real field or laboratory environments is a promising field of research. Before virtual environments can replace the traditional ones, the differences between the methods must be worked out. In this work, a virtual field environment (CAVE – Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) and a real field environment (city center of Chemnitz [Germany]) were compared in a between-subject design with regard to presence, and the impact on usability and user experience of a “geocaching game" was rated. 60 test persons participated. They showed a much higher ecological validity for the real field environment, but higher values for commitment and negative effects in the virtual field environment. Significant differences between the two environments were verified In terms of usability. All presence factors correlated significantly with the usability in the CAVE, but not in the real environment. In terms of user experience, the CAVE showed significantly higher hedonic quality values while the real field environment had higher pragmatic quality values. Virtual environments can be an alternative to real environments for user experience when a high presence is achieved.
The proper design of the heat treatments of metallic materials is crucial for creating a microstructure that results in the desired properties. In this work, a multi-component simulation method for the quantitative prediction of yield strength, elongation at break and fracture toughness of precipitation-hardened alloys is presented; particular attention is given to Al-Mg-Si alloys. The method combines thermo-kinetic and micromechanical models, taking into account the number and size distribution of different intermetallic phases. The predictions are compared with experimental data from the aluminium alloy 6082 subjected to different artificial aging times and which show a good quantitative correlation between simulation and experiment.
Noise barriers are a widely used technical measure for reducing road and rail traffic noise. The cost of the development process of a noise barrier element can be reduced by the simulation-based prediction of the acoustic properties. For example, in order to predict the reflection behaviour through simulation, both the internal structure of an element and the requirements of the test standard EN 1793-5 must be mapped in a mathematical model. In this work, two such mathematical models – an analytical model and a finite element formulation – were developed and their results compared with measurement data. The analytical model shows the advantage of an extremely efficient computational prediction, but it provides valid results only up to about 2 kHz. The finite element formulation requires a longer computation time but shows a good agreement with measured data in the relevant frequency range up to 5 kHz.
J. A. Österreicher, N. P. Papenberg, M. Kumar, D. Ma, S. Schwarz, C. M. Schlögl: “Quantitative prediction of the mechanical properties of precipitation-hardened alloys
P. Reiter, R. Wehr, H. Ziegelwanger:
with special application to Al–Mg–Si”; Ma-
“Simulation and measurement of noise bar-
terials Science and Engineering: A, Volume
rier sound-reflection properties“; Applied
703, 4 August 2017, p. 380–385
Acoustics, 123 (2017), 123; p. 133–142.
J. Brade, M. Lorenz, M. Busch, N. Hammer, M. Tscheligi, P. Klimant: “Being there again – Presence in real and virtual environments and its relation to usability and user experience using a mobile navigation task“; International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 101 (2017), p. 76–87.
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