Tomorrow's technologies today

Research and Development at the Production Technology Center Berlin

FUTUR Vision Innovation Realization

Tomorrow‘s Technologies Today

Babylonian Treasures in Fragments ORBIT

3D Reconstruction of Clay Tablets

More Insight for Surgeons

INSTITUTE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE FOR MACHINE TOOLS A N D FA C T O RY M A N A G E M E N T T E C H N I S C H E U N I V E R S I TÄT B E R L I N

Content Imprint

04

Babylonian Treasures in Fragments – 3D Reconstruction of Clay Tablets

Futur 1-3/2011 ISSN 1438-1125

06

Tracking down Art Thieves by Cell Phone

Publisher Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann

08

Sketching in Space – Freehand Modeling in Virtual Environments

10

The SimP Toolkit for the Construction of Interactive Physics-based Simulations

12

Better Informed with openOR

14

ORBIT – More Insight for Surgeons

16

On Quiet Wheels through Berlin’s Underground

18

Safe Railroad Tracks, Safe Railroad Traffic

20

MicroCarrier for Urban Logistics

22

Interview

24

Company Profile

25

Lab Profile

26

Events and Dates

Co-Publisher Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erwin Keeve Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Krüger Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Mertins Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Rethmeier Prof. Dr.-Ing. Günther Seliger Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Stark Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF), TU Berlin Editor-in-chief Steffen Pospischil

Compilation, Layout and Production Claudia Engel, Ina Roeder Contact Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK Director Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann Pascalstrasse 8-9 10587 Berlin Phone +49 30 39006-140 Fax +49 30 39006-392 info@ipk.fraunhofer.de http://www.ipk.fraunhofer.de Printed by Heenemann Druck GmbH

Photos Fraunhofer IPK courtesy of the Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Freie Universität Berlin: 5 Steffen Pospischil: 3 TU Berlin, Department of Rail Vehicles: 17

© Fraunhofer IPK Reprint, also in extracts, only with complete references and after consultation with the editors.

Please forward a copy.

FUTUR 1-3/2011

Editorial

Dear Readers,

today, innovative products and processes come into creation in teams and through the interplay of extremely diverse scientific disciplines, competences, and approaches.

Internally, we experience this in our institutes, working interdisciplinarily on specific R&D tasks. However, we also encounter

Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann

it externally in our thematic-oriented cooperation with partners from the realms of science, business and industry, and

tailed insight into the patient’s body. Our

politics.

imaging systems show the location of the operating instrument, indicate where the

For example, »Regional structures with a

focal point of the illness lies, and what the

global effect« is the motto of innovation

safest way to approach it is.

clusters that the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft initiated within the framework of the

In the following pages, you will also see

German government’s high-tech strategy.

how art and technology can enter into a

Together, research organizations, investors,

successful symbiosis. With our automated

and companies combine their resources in

reconstruction technology, we reassemble

order to strengthen the development of

shattered cuneiform tablets from ancient

specific areas. Here in Berlin, in the »Main-

Babylon and other badly damaged hand-

tenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)« In-

written documents. In our Virtual Product

novation Cluster, we are collaborating with

Creation division, we have even developed

firms from the energy and transportation

a brand-new medium for designers in

sectors to advance the development and

which they draw in 3D in a virtual space.

establishment of ressource- and energy-

The enthusiasm with which our develop-

efficient MRO processes and technologies

ments have been received by practicing

having long traditions in the capital region.

artists shows that art and technology

In this edition of »Futur«, we introduce

can and should be combined fruitfully.

you to two projects related to railway

As always when diverse disciplines meet,

transportation.

there is a lot they can learn from each other, and our systems would not be as

The principal task of the Berlin Center for

efficient as they are today, if our partners

Medical Mechatronic Technology (BZMM)

had not always stimulated us with new

is to make surgical interventions safe

questions. I sincerely hope that you, too,

and efficient, a collaborative effort that

will find stimulation in reading this edition

links Fraunhofer IPK’s Medical Technology

of »Futur«.

division and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The interdisciplinary alliance of engineers, physicians, and computer scientists is the heart of our medical technology endeavors. In concert they develop systems that provide physicians with de-

3

4

Automated Virtual Reconstruction

Babylonian Treasures in Fragments – 3D Reconstruction of Clay Tablets Applications for the automated virtual reconstruction extend beyond the realm of two-dimensional subjects like paper and papyrus. Threedimensional virtual reconstructions of art and cultural objects also have great potential, particularly for archeology and historic preservation. Antique finds in particular are frequently only found in fragments. Until today, if these objects and artifacts are reassembled, it is done employing manual, non-standardized procedures. Virtual 3D reconstruction can offer significant support for the scientific handling, appropriate preservation, and presentation of these cultural assets.

A 3D scan of a damaged cuneiform tablet

►►An object is more than the sum of its parts

them can be sped up enormously. In col-

tablets into which wedge-shaped charac-

laboration with Berlin’s Museum of the An-

ters were carved with a stylus, while the

Archeology and historic preservation have

cient Near East / Prussian Cultural Heritage

clay was still wet. Their sizes vary between

long relied on the advantages offered by

Foundation and the Freie Universität Berlin’s

a few centimeters and several decimeters.

virtual 3D to image destroyed buildings and

Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Languages

Museum collections around the world

objects in the process of visualization and

and Civilizations, Fraunhofer IPK has

house hundreds of thousands of these

reconstruction. However, so far no process

submitted an application to the German

artifacts – many of them shattered into

has been available that automatically recon-

Federal Ministry for Education and Research

tiny fragments. Berlin’s Museum of the An-

structs individual digitalized components

within the framework of the »eHuman-

cient Near East possesses several thousand

of three-dimensional objects. Until today,

ities« program with which interdisciplinary

cuneiform tablets and fragments from

reconstructions, for instance of pieces to

cooperation between the humanities and

German excavations in Babylon.

be exhibited in museums, are done by

computer-science-related specialties is to

hand, although automated reconstruc-

be supported. In the »Babylon« project, the

The cuneiform tablets combine the

tion methods, especially 3D tools, lend

partners seek to digitally document and vir-

characteristic structured, written surfaces

themselves superbly to the task. It is in this

tually reconstruct a mound of the museum’s

with the complex situation of the artifacts’

particular area that conservators are faced

broken Babylonian cuneiform tablets.

three-dimensional nature. Viewed analyti-

with numerous difficulties. For example,

cally, they offer an ideal intermediate step

the fragments must be arranged spatially,

►►Babylonian cuneiform tablets

for the development of matching proce-

which is not only a practical challenge since

Cuneiform texts from the ancient Near

dures on the way from two-dimensional to

frequently the original form of the object to

East are to serve as a reference corpus for

three-dimensional virtual reconstruction.

be reconstructed is unknown beforehand.

this project because they are an artifact

Furthermore, when dealing with large ob-

group that appears especially suitable

►►Prototypical 3D reconstruction

jects like wall frescoes, or during extensive

for the task due to their specific struc-

The project’s goal is to investigate the

excavations, there are often great numbers

tural features. They were used as written

possibilities offered by IT and to develop

of fragments. With the aid of automated

documents for thousands of years in the

methods and systems for the automated

virtual procedures, sorting and arranging

ancient Near East. Most of them are clay

virtual reconstruction of digitally docu-

FUTUR 1-3/2011

mented artifacts. This should provide a

experience with the reconstruction of

way to describe the heuristic processes

two-dimensional objects.

5

A window into the past In the opinion of Prof. Dr. Eva Cancik-Kirsch-

underlying the reconstruction that are to be developed for digital implementation.

A result of the project will be the devel-

baum of Berlin’s Freie Universität, valuable

This type of digital artifact documenta-

opment of a prototype for automated,

synergy effects would emerge for auto-

tion can be used for research worldwide,

computer-assisted processes for the vir-

mated virtual reconstruction, if developed

significantly enhancing the project’s value.

tual reconstruction of fragmented three-

by historians and archeologists together.

dimensional objects from findings of

In collaboration with Fraunhofer IPK, she

In addition to investigations of efficient

the German excavations in Babylon. The

is planning the project described here for

and comprehensive 3D digitization, a

effort benefits from the joint experience

the restoration of Babylonian cuneiform

feature catalog that makes it possible to

of the project partners in which knowl-

tablets belonging to Berlin’s Museum of the

document expanded metadata – data

edge of the epigraphic development,

Ancient Near East. »Babylon is a topic of

that goes beyond information regarding

classification, and manual reconstruction

incredible historical significance« according

provenance – will be a concomitant proj-

of fragments is linked with expertise and

to Cancik-Kirschbaum. »The city is one of

ect output. Beyond the manual recording

methods of automated feature extraction,

the points of origin of European, Mediter-

and documentation of characteristics,

classification, and virtual reconstruction

ranean, and of course Near Eastern cultures.

the automatic extraction of features from

of two-dimensional objects.

I think it would be fantastic if our recon-

the digitalized records is to be analyzed.

struction project enabled us to push open a

The results can then be used in combina-

window into this past.«

tion with the manually recorded features for a presorting of the fragments before they are matched – i.e. the actual (virtual) reconstruction based, inter alia, on their surface appearance – in the next step.

This type of serial process concatenation

Your contact Dipl.-Ing. Henry Zoberbier Phone +49 30 39006-196 henry.zoberbier@ipk.fraunhofer.de

has its foundation in the Fraunhofer IPK’s Dipl.-Phys. Thorsten Sy Phone +49 30 39006-282 thorsten.sy@ipk.fraunhofer.de

6

Mobile Search for Stolen Art

Tracking down Art Thieves

by Smart Phone Art theft is an increasingly frequent problem worldwide. The international databases of lost and stolen art, antiques, and collectibles are vast and confusing. Art detectives have a hard time obtaining the required information quickly enough when on location. Fraunhofer IPK’s high-tech methods of image recognition have joined the hunt.

A new mobile art tracing system helps investigators to identify stolen goods.

The price at a private auction rises rapidly,

Thanks to a new development from

of the department for security systems.

and the painting quickly goes under the

Fraunhofer IPK, the investigator can now

»Since it was built mostly from standard

hammer. Although the art detective is

simply take a photo of the art object with

modules, it’s also a cost-effective solu-

there on the spot, he is not quite sure – is

his smart phone and send it instantly to a

tion.« Further­more, the system is immune

this picture one of the stolen items being

central server. The researchers’ new image

to interference factors such as a poor

sought worldwide, or isn’t it? Not only In-

analysis system automatically compares

photograph of the work of art. Reflec-

terpol, but also private associations such as

this picture with the user’s database. The

tions caused by flash photography or by

Art Loss Register have compiled databases

system identifies similar objects on the ba-

excessive brightness have no effect on the

of works of art that have been stolen from

sis of visual features such as their shape,

image analysis in the central server.

museums or private collections. However,

outline, color and texture, and returns a

with international databases listing thou-

list of the top ten closest hits to the cell

The technical challenge is mainly due to

sands of missing works of art, investigators

phone in a matter of seconds. If the pic-

the inferior quality, varying resolution,

at the auctions have difficulty searching

ture is among the works in the database,

and different perspective of the transmit-

them quickly enough for a painting of

the art detective can react immediately.

ted image when compared to the original

doubtful provenance.

»The system is remarkably easy to oper-

in the databank. Besides the difficulties

ate,« says Dr. Bertram Nickolay, head

caused by overexposure, irregular light

The representative colors and their spatial distribution in the image are used as features in the comparison of pictures.

FUTUR 1-3/2011

Art detectives can see the results of their enquiry within seconds on their PDA: The picture they just photographed with their PDA is in the database of stolen artworks.

All features at a glance distribution, or reflection of the flash, the

mobile cloud services for private collectors

shooting perspective and larger occlusions

wanting to check for authenticity when

of the targeted object can complicate the

purchasing a timepiece, for example.

recognition of the image. This, however, presents no problem for the Fraunhofer image-evaluation system: it is able to adapt automatically to the situation and to compare colors, textures and strokes regardless of the device used to capture the image and thus compensate for deviations from the original.

–– Image identification can be configured for specific topic areas –– Mobile deployment of input devices –– Time-consuming, costly expert evidence is eliminated –– High accuracy through objective classification of the identified patterns –– Adaptive ability assures matching despite distinct deviation from the original –– Low cost because software runs on standard modules –– No keyword input necessary for

The algorithms used in the IPK’s image

database queries

analysis system can also be put to use in

–– Based on SQL / PHP technology

other areas. The researchers already have

–– Real-time database query results

another pilot project up their sleeves: »Our

–– Compatible with Interpol standards for

system could be used to expose counterfeits, for example. An airport customs

art-object cataloging –– Expandable for 3D applications

official with a mobile scanner can arrest someone carrying fake designer goods on the basis of distinctive features of the packaging,« Nickolay insists. The IPK is already engaged in negotiations with various police authorities. The system can also facilitate the search for missing vehicles and the examination of forged

Your contact Dr.-Ing. Bertram Nickolay Phone +49 30 39006-201 bertram.nickolay@ipk.fraunhofer.de

immigration papers. Further plans include Raul Vicente-Garcia Phone +49 30 39006-200 raul.vicente@ipk.fraunhofer.de

7

8

Virtual Reality

Sketching in Space – Freehand Modeling in Virtual Environments Product design comes alive first and foremost through the designers’ creativity, but the design media and tools impact both the design process and the resulting model. Creative design processes are reflexive processes in which pictures of the product in the designer’s mind are transformed and transmitted in external images. When digital media are involved in this process, new possibilities for product design emerge.

»Sketching in Space« – a case study in cooperation with the Muthesius Art Academy in Kiel

The possibilities virtual reality engenders in the design process are the object of intense investigation at Fraunhofer IPK. In the framework of several research projects, an immersive design system has been developed for this purpose that makes it possible to do freehand spatial modeling in 3D virtual environments – VR-CAVE, Holobench, and Powerwall. The functions of the system can be used by means of ergonomically designed physical tools developed by Christian Zöllner, Alexander Müller, and Sebastian Piatza in cooperation with the Department of Design at Dresden’s University of Technology and

als like the mouse and keyboard that rely

Economy.

on images of tool properties on monitors and thus create an additional distance to

►►Virtual sketching tool

the object, when »Sketching in Space«

The primary implement for users of the

the user works directly on the virtual

system is a pen with which they can do

object, building a bridge between the

freehand drawings of lines in the virtual

user’s workspace and the virtual design

interface and are expanded into the third

space. There is also a tool similar to tongs

environment. In contrast to familiar design

dimension – depth. In 2D sketches this can

with which the forms can be extruded,

interfaces, the modeling environment does

only be represented through perspective

arranged, and positioned relative to each

not restrict the user in terms of the format.

illustrations and can hardly be perceived.

spatially, as well as a two-handed model-

The goal of the »Sketching in Space«

The users’ perception of their own body in

ing tool with which Beziér curves can be

project that distinguishes it from planar

dealing with the modeling tools – which

manually drawn on surfaces. The essential

drawing and previous VR applications is

is somewhat unusual at the outset – and

feature is the tool’s hybrid design: The

to spawn spaces in which design can be

the tools’ effect in the virtual space lead to

grip, the »handle« of the tool, is tangible,

undertaken in an entirely new creative and

a new vocabulary of form and design that

whereas the tip of the tool that creates the

constructive way.

becomes spatially perceptible when considering the resulting sketches and models

shape is virtual and is projected onto the handle. These hybrid instruments make

►►Result: A new design vocabulary

spatially. Users can move around their

it possible for the user to act based on

The design-related possibilities of model-

work, perceive and experience it from vari-

intuition or assumptions. Unlike peripher-

ing in space release the user from the

ous perspectives, and assess the spatial

FUTUR 1-3/2011

9

Results of a »Sketching in Space« case study in cooperation with Berlin’s University of the Arts

»Museum piece, please touch!«

relationships in true-to-life size. Further-

highly detailed or precise work is required.

more, 3D models of possible use scenarios

The first freehand 3D sketches frequently

can be visualized, making the work more

have the look of children’s drawings

Another exciting area for the application of

concrete and assessable in situ.

because even experienced designers have

virtual reality in education and art is muse-

to learn how to draw using the third

ums in which visitors are allowed and even

By means of several studies carried out at

dimension – depth. However, a study has

encouraged to touch the exhibits – statues,

the Institute with more than two hundred

demonstrated that the process is easily

vases, and paintings. With force-feedback

designers, it can be empirically demon-

learned and that objects which initially

systems digitalized museum exhibits can be

strated that immersive spaces offer unique

appeared misshapen become increasingly

»grasped« virtually in the truest sense of the

qualities for modeling products. In particu-

refined after only a few attempts.

word. Visitors can lift and turn them, and

lar, involving the designer’s own body into

feel their texture, making art and history

the work process, constructing objects in

The results of the study evince that de-

their original size, designing them directly

signers, too, will eventually have to mas-

in 3D, and already being able to interact

ter CAD tools, but that with immersive

with virtual sketches in the development

environments they will be able to achieve

process of development have proven to

new, more animated design processes

be very popular. For example, designers

and will enhance the quality of designs.

sought to sit in chairs that they had just

Due to the novelty of the method and the

designed or attempted to pour themselves

additional motor requirements, poten-

a beer from the tap of a bar they had

tial users must be given the opportunity

sketched. In immersive space one’s ideas

to acquire the new modeling skills, for

become alive immediately and invite one

example during their academic training.

to interact – changing the design process

They need to become familiar with the

from its very roots.

elements and advantages of immersive modeling in order to be able to develop

►►3D drawing has to be learned

their own application strategies and later,

Immersive space, however, is less suitable

on the job, to be able to decide on the

for some process steps, especially when

optimal use of the methods.

tangible in a further sense.

Your contact Dr.-Ing. Johann Habakuk Israel Phone +49 30 39006-109 johann.habakuk.israel@ipk.fraunhofer.de

10

Virtual Reality

The SimP Toolkit for the Construction of Interactive Physics-based Simulations Virtual reality (VR) applications are computer-generated worlds in which users can immerse themselves and interact intuitively. Today, VR applications are employed in numerous realms, such as product design, assembly and disassembly planning, and biomedical engineering. In these fields, and others, there is growing interest in realistic VR simulations, for which it is necessary to consider the interactive deformation of flexible components. To generate this type of VR simulations, Fraunhofer IPK has developed a platform called SimP Toolkit (Simulation of Physics-based Models). The SimP Toolkit consists of the simulation core SimP Engine for integration in external applications, a graphic user interface, SimP UI, based on the simulation core, and additional helper programs for the generation of realistic model data.

►►SimP Engine

graphic output, »integrators« for the

The following procedures, among others,

physical calculations, »generators« for

are integrated into the simulation core for

the generation of the network structures,

interactive deformation simulation:

and »workers« that can intervene during

–– conversion of surface models into

the simulation and make changes.

physics models (spring-mass and realtime-capable finite-element models), –– interactive application of forces at simulation time, –– efficient calculation algorithms on the graphics card, –– interfaces for external devices that interact with the models, –– adaptive multi-resolution deformation

The SimP Engine modules are equipped with a control interface that includes editable data fields with all their features.

When extending the simulation core, inclusion of the parameters in the control interface is enough to make them accessible. Most of the parts of the SimP UI are automatically generated from the param-

models (automated adaptation to

eters, through which new functionality

the accuracy requirements during the

in the SimP Engine can be provided, to a

simulation).

large extent without changes to the SimP UI. Furthermore, the central data storage

Flexibility and extensibility of the plat-

in the control interface allows a simple

form were important criteria during

storage and loading of the simulation set-

the conceptual design. With the aid of

tings in an application-specific XML file.

the framework, developers can imple-

Test set-up for car gearshift

ment and test new ideas efficiently and

With the aid of the SimP UI, the user is

compare them against each other. Four

able to activate and work on individual

interfaces provided with a concept similar

modules for every element of the scene

to plug-ins are available for this purpose.

such as input/outputs, workers, or inte-

The interfaces have »input/outputs«

grators. For the design of attractive visual

for the interaction and the simulation’s

materials, the software has an editor

FUTUR 1-3/2011

11

Deformation of the shift-lever boot (l.) and the rubber sleeve (r.)

Digital production and factory processes

for the configuration of special shader

able. The deformation in the virtual scene

programs for graphic cards. In addition,

is generated by the process of shifting

connection to immersive visualization

gears with a real gearshift knob, for

Virtual Product Creation is one of the

technologies like the »NVIDIA 3D Vision

which the virtual shift lever is coupled to

keys to ensure effective product and

System« and representation in a CAVE is

the movements of a real one. The rub-

manufacturing engineering. Digital

possible.

ber sleeve is simulated with the Finite-

innovations are essential for the future

Element method and the shift-lever boot

because they enable engineers to master

►►A case for product designers

with the aid of spring-mass models. The

the increasing complexity of information

One of the areas of application for the

visualization of the individual elements

and to allow intuitive use of process and

SimP Toolkit is the »SketchApp« soft-

can be faded in and out during runtime.

functional simulation. At the Virtual Product

ware developed at Fraunhofer IPK. The

Creation division of Fraunhofer IPK we are

program allows designers to create 3D

With the procedures that have been de-

engaged in realizing the vision of a com-

sketches in an immersive space. Through

veloped, a comprehensive methodology

pletely digitalized product creation process.

the integration of the SimP Engine, these

has become available that significantly

Our aim is to design methods and tools so

can be provided with physical material

improves the inclusion of deformable

that later phases – from actual production

properties during the sketching process

materials in interactive VR simulations.

and customer use to the range of associated

and realistically simulated. With the as-

The integration of the SimP Engine into

services – can be factored in and planned

sistance of appropriate tools, the designer

commercial software is planned for the

for at a very early stage of the product

can interact with the simulated models

future and will allow more effective use

lifecycle.

and gain an initial impression of the ma-

of flexible components during research

terial behavior.

into virtual prototypes.

A further use is simulation of the flexible components of an automobile gearshift assembly. The CAD data sets transfer all the components into simulated objects, from which the shift-lever boot and a rubber seal on the shift lever are deform-

Your contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Stark Phone +49 30 39006-243 rainer.stark@ipk.fraunhofer.de

12

Medical Technology

Better Informed with openOR Highly sophisticated software constitutes an integral part of today’s medical applications.

The quality of the software, particularly in regard to how intuitive it is to use and the ease with which it can be integrated into the existing clinical infrastructure, determines the application’s overall utility. Using such software is still often unnecessarily complicated, and data sometimes needs to be imported manually. With »openOR«, Fraunhofer IPK offers a modern software framework for medical imaging that supports physicians in making diagnoses, planning operations, and treating patients.

The Fraunhofer experts’ goal is to enable surgeons to perform operations having the very highest level of information at their disposal. openOR allows access to diagnostic data during the intervention and provides the previously unavailable interoperability among various surgicalassistance systems. This will help develop a new market for the use of medical information that is independent of a given manufacturer, opening new growth potential in established markets and engendering technological innovations from new actors in the market.

►►Inside openOR The development of a medical software application comprises a wide variety of components, of which new algorithms and procedures are often only a fraction.

The implementation of components like the import and export of data, accessibility to a picture-archiving and communication system (PACS) and hospital information system (HIS) server, and the user interface requires disproportionately great effort, and even more is needed for documentation, bug fixes, and tests.

For example, according to studies the user interface is the cause of half of all errors in software systems, although it constitutes only about a third of the source code.

Furthermore, automated testing of the UI Screenshot of the openOR prototype »DicomViewer« (above); UI expert design for DicomViewer (below)

is complicated, making extensive manual tests necessary after every modification.

FUTUR 1-3/2011

13

Medical Software Application openOR

Workflow Engine Ul Engine

Touch

Mouse

Qt

Nav. Cam.

Coccoa

Input Drivers

Dataflow Engine Import/Export Drivers

Algorithms

Algorithms

DiCOM

Data Types

Data Types

PACS

STL

Operating Room Hardware The modular, multilayer openOR architecture

Medical software and more

openOR offers the developer a great num­

twenty percent and also help avoid some

ber of ready-made components whose

of the major types of errors. The abstrac-

modular structure means they can be intro-

tions needed for the description languages

The focus of the Medical Technology divi-

duced easily into existing programs. These

have been developed by an interdisciplinary

sion at Fraunhofer IPK is on development

components have been comprehensively

team of physicians, designers, psycholo-

and clinical evaluation of software and

tested and feature clearly defined inter-

gists, engineers, and computer scientists.

hardware components for image-guided and minimal-invasive surgery. It draws on a

faces, so they can provide self-contained functionalities like the import of a 3D data

►►openOR as open source

wealth of over 20 years of experience and

record.

openOR offers users the possibility to

has gained an international reputation in

develop and market clinical applications

the development of medical software, in-

Even more important are the specified

on the basis of comprehensive medi-

cluding e.g. new 3D image reconstruction

structures and subsystems, including a

cal software. Fraunhofer IPK offers the

and visualization algorithms, as well as inte-

workflow engine with whose aid clinical

framework itself as open-source software.

grated software platforms for interventional

workflow can be reflected in the source

Applications commissioned by clients are

therapy such as openOR. Licenses for our

code. Thanks to this type of abstraction,

developed on a proprietary basis, assuring

software components have been taken out

the appropriate implementation of clinical

that they are compatible with the surgical

both by major medium-sized companies and

processes in the software can be verified

assistance systems of other manufactur-

small high-tech enterprises. Our software

more easily, reducing the effort required

ers. During the early prototype develop-

is used in a great number of research labs

in their adaptation. This abstraction also

ment in particular, openOR offers the

across the world.

makes possible the automated collection

advantage that the application already

of data about the process of the software

has the major features of a professional

Above this, Fraunhofer IPK’s expertise in

deployment as well as its dispatch to, e.g.

user interface and can be integrated into

medical technology covers:

a HIS.

a clinical infrastructure. Physicians are

–– Intraoperative Imaging,

able to use the application from the very

–– Instrument Navigation,

Similarly, a »User Interface Engine« has

beginning and give their feedback to the

–– Surgical Instruments,

been developed that generates the user

developers immediately. In later develop-

–– Patient Specific Implants,

interface based on a declarative interface

ment phases, the completed components

–– Quality Management.

description and a separate style descrip-

and abstractions save time in testing,

tion. In the process, the engine is able to

documentation, and the certification

take platform-specific singularities into

process.

consideration and, for example, to activate gestures on an iPad instead of using the mouse. The declarative model is becoming increasingly popular in user-interface programming. According to independent studies it can reduce the source code by around

Your contact Dipl-Inf. Fabio Fracassi

Phone +49 30 450555-185 fabio.fracassi@charite.de

14

Medical Technology

ORBIT – More Insight for Surgeons Around 1.2 million complex surgical operations are carried out in Germany each year. To reduce the risk of complications and follow-up interventions, physicians use X-ray diagnostics already during the operation to monitor its progress. Two-dimensional X-ray images are often not precise enough to allow for an exact assessment of the operating situation. Three-dimensional imaging, on the other hand, does give a precise spatial representation of the patient’s inner body parts and thus has established itself as an essential auxiliary aid for surgeons. Its major drawback, however, is that thus far the operation has to be suspended to allow for positioning of the 3D imaging equipment. ORBIT is a new development from Fraunhofer IPK, Ziehm Imaging and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, which can be permanently installed above the operating table, thus enabling easier integration in surgical procedures.

►►Take spinal implants ...

incorrect positioning of the implant screws

path around the patient in order to take

3D imaging enables physicians to precisely

and subsequent injury to the nerve chan-

individual images from which 3D data can

evaluate repositioning of bone fractures

nels cannot always be unerringly excluded.

be reconstructed. Such a circular movement

in joints, or to calibrate the position of im-

Only 3D imaging can assure accurate

ensures high reconstruction quality, yet

plants with millimeter accuracy and avoid

monitoring of the implant placement. To

completely encloses the patient. Permanent

damaging critical anatomical structures.

carry out needed corrections during the

installation of such devices at the operat-

One such example is monitoring the cor-

actual operation and eliminate stressful

ing table would impede the surgeon’s free

rect position of implants in the spinal cord

and cost-intensive follow-up interventions,

access to patients. This means that for each

relative to the highly sensitive nerve chan-

3D imaging must be used intraoperatively.

take the equipment must be wheeled to

nels. To treat fractures and instability in the

the table, aligned on the patient and then

spinal cord, pedicle screws are used to per-

►►Conventional 3D systems

be wheeled back. As a consequence, the

manently secure the adjoining vertebrae.

Conventional 3D radiography systems like

operation must generally be suspended for

It is essential that such interventions do

three-dimensional C-arm systems or com-

several minutes which puts a considerable

not injure the spinal cord and its cerebro-

puter tomography for surgical use involve

strain on surgical procedures and is the rea-

spinal fluid. Yet as two-dimensional X-ray

rotation of the X-ray source and X-ray

son why surgeons have serious reservations

imaging cannot supply depth information,

detector in an inflexibly arranged circular

about the routine use of these systems.

3D reconstruction of vertebral bodies with the orbital image acquisition method

Test Object

Axial Slice of

Coronal Slice of

3D Model of

Reconstructed Volume

Reconstructed Volume

Reconstructed Volume

FUTUR 1-3/2011

A 3D C-arm system in use at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

15

System design for the open 3D X-ray scanner ORBIT

A navigation system for ENT surgery To make surgical interventions secure and efficient is a core mission of the Berlin Center for Medical Mechatronic Technology

►►Inside ORBIT

A laboratory prototype has proven the

(BZMM), a joint endeavor in the medical

To simplify the use of 3D X-ray imaging

feasibility of this recording concept, and

technology business field at Fraunhofer

during operations, ensure free access

the level of achievable quality has been

IPK and Charité. Engineers, physicians, and

to patients and shorten recording time,

experimentally investigated in an appli-

computer scientists are collaborating to im-

Fraunhofer IPK in partnership with the

cation for spinal surgery. Though as yet

aging systems to afford physicians a detailed

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and

many questions remain unanswered,

view into the patient’s body.

Ziehm Imaging GmbH is developing the

first project results give rise to optimism

open 3D X-ray scanner »ORBIT«. Funded

that the project goals concerning flexbile

One of the areas of application is endo-

by the Federal Ministry of Education and

and speedily deployable intraoperative

scopic examinations of the sinuses, where

Research (BMBF), the project has already

3D X-ray imaging can be reached.

clinical navigation systems showing the

won the 2007 and 2010 Innovation Prize

position of specific surgical instruments in

for Medical Technology given by the same

Within the next three years with finan-

3D X-ray image data of the patient provide

ministry.

cial support from the Federal Ministry

the physician with better orientation. In or-

of Education and Research, the first

der to avoid the need to repeatedly change

ORBIT is based on a novel recording

ORBIT functional prototype will be built

instruments and thus make the procedure

concept which takes mathematical opti-

in Fraunhofer IPK’s Radiography Lab and

as straightforward as possible, the Berlin

mization of the projection alignment to

technically and clinically evaluated in an

firm Scopis has developed a system that

achieve the highest 3D image quality.

experimental operating theater at the

navigates a laser beam which is shown in

ORBIT’s X-ray source does not move

Charité. The new system will be de-

the endoscope’s field of vision. Fraunhofer

around the patient but moves exclusively

signed for minimum impact on surgical

IPK contributed intraoperative calibration

in a circular path above him or her. The

procedures and routine use in operating

procedures and software modules for the

ORBIT system consists of three modules:

theaters.

planning of the operation.

–– a swivel arm with a controllable X-ray source (mounted on the ceiling or on a mobile support) –– a digital flat screen detector (integrated in, or secured on, the operating table) –– a display unit (mobile or wall-mounted)

Your contact Prof. Dr. Erwin Keeve Phone +49 30 39006-120 erwin.keeve@ipk.fraunhofer.de

16

Transportation

On Quiet Wheels through Berlin’s Underground Many Berliners still have clear memories from last winter of the massive technical problems experienced by the city’s S-Bahn – the municipal rail system operated by the German national railroad the Deutsche Bahn. At times only half the trains were running; the rest had to be taken out of service for safety reasons. For operators of railway vehicles in particular, it is important to know the condition of their trains so as to be able to plan their maintenance and repair in advance. In the innovation cluster »Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul – MRO«, Fraunhofer IPK collaborated with experts for railway vehicles from Berlin’s Technische Universität in the development of a novel monitoring system that identifies wheel damage early and reliably while the trains are in operation.

Preproduction model of the optical wheel tread inspection sensor

►►Railroad safety

done at the company’s facilities on a regular

IPK and the Department of Rail Vehicles at

Anyone who uses Berlin’s subway system,

basis, even if no damage is expected. When

the Technische Universität Berlin’s Institute

the »U-Bahn«, expects the trains’ under-

a problem is discovered, a substitute vehicle

for Land and Sea Transport (ILS). Experts

carriages to be intact as the vehicles cross

must be found immediately.

at the two institutes have been working

bridges and go through tunnels at speeds

since December 2009 on a process to

of up to seventy kilometers per hour. The

A lack of knowledge about the current

automatically monitor the condition of the

city’s transportation authority, the Berliner

state of their trains is a serious man-

wheel tread in the context of the »MuSen-

Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), guarantees pas-

agement issue for railway operators. A

Rad« project. The innovative idea involves

sengers that the vehicles are safe, and so

solution has become available through

a system combining a variety of sensory

the time-consuming service of the wheels is

scientific cooperation between Fraunhofer

principles that is integrated into the bed of

FUTUR 1-3/2011

Trigger system for measurements on railway tracks

17

Acceleration sensor installed on the base of the track

Fleet maintenance at Public Cleaning Berlin (BSR)

the railroad tracks. »We combined optical

Besides the railway operators, the people

and acoustic test systems,« explains Eck-

who live along the tracks also benefit from

hard Hohwieler, manager of the project at

the monitoring because noncircular wheels

In another project within the Fraunhofer

Fraunhofer IPK. »Using a camera system,

are not only more prone to damage,

Innovation Cluster »MRO«, IWF and

we check for pits, cracks, and peeling on

they also cause considerably more noise.

Fraunhofer IPK work on effective methods

the surface of the wheels while the train

MuSenRad can recognize such deformi-

to improve the BSR maintenance network,

car is still in operation. Using sensors fit

ties early on, allowing them to be repaired

its planning and workflow. As a local

into the base of the tracks, we can also

before they cause problems. The BVG has

company with around 5300 employees and

see changes in a wheel’s geometry that

integrated prototypes of the individual

an annual income of 485 billion Euros, the

are characteristic of this type of damage

sensory checks into their track beds for

Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe (BSR) is one

by means of acceleration signals emitted

testing, and a combination of the indi-

of Europe’s leading service providers for the

when the train is passing over the tracks.«

vidual systems is on its way to becoming a

collection, recovery and disposal of urban

product that is ready for the market.

waste, street cleaning, and comprehensive

►►Less damage, quieter rail traffic

winter maintenance. Up to 60 percent of

The advantages for the rail operators are

MuSenRad is a project from the

its vehicle fleet’s operating costs is cov-

obvious because time and cost savings

Fraunhofer innovation cluster »Mainte-

ered by maintenance and repair tasks. The

are a direct concomitant of the improved

nance, Repair and Overhaul in Energy and

project’s goal was better utilization of the

ability to plan rolling stock use. This is

Transportation«, a joint endeavor of seven

BSR’s network of workshops. Thanks to the

an important topic for the BVG, and so

research partners and fourteen companies.

»Tecnomatix Plant Simulation Software«

the company welcomed the opportunity

The cluster is looking into research areas

developed by the researchers, the BSR is

to cooperate in the research by making

that include status monitoring and diagno-

better able to plan and manage preventive

stretches of track available for experi-

sis, planning and digital support of MRO,

maintenance as well as measures for deal-

ments. »The possibility to have regular

as well as cleaning and repair technolo-

ing with unforeseeable repairs.

measurements taken that reflect the cur-

gies. The work is supported by the Federal

rent condition of our trains’ wheels is of

States of Berlin and Brandenburg and the

great interest to us,« says Martin Suess, a

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

department head at the BVG. »This is why we are supporting the development of the wheel measurement technology by making our facilities and vehicles available.«

Your contact Dipl.-Ing. Eckhard Hohwieler

Phone +49 30 39006-121 eckhard.hohwieler@ipk.fraunhofer.de

18

Transportation

Safe Railroad Tracks, Safe Railroad Traffic

The maintenance and repair of devices and components in the realms of energy and transportation are of increasing economic interest. Today, tools and work strategies from the world of manufacturing are frequently being applied to MRO tasks, although MRO activity requirements are significantly different from mass production. In a subproject of the Fraunhofer Innovation Cluster »Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul in Energy and Transportation (MRO)«, researchers are developing optimized milling and grinding tools for repair tasks, as well as innovative adapted processes. This will enhance both quality and process safety, particularly in the repair of turbines and railroad tracks.

Besides innovation in construction and ma-

tion with improvements in the quality of

also be a factor. Developed within the

terial technology for vehicles and modern

repairs, safety and the passenger comfort

framework of a subproject supported by

logistic concepts, the growing transport

can also be enhanced considerably.

the EU, Fraunhofer IPK – working in the

of passengers and goods in globalized

MRO innovation cluster – tests and opti-

industrial societies requires highly effi-

At present, despite the divergence in

mizes efficient repair solutions and tools

cient MRO strategies for the energy and

requirements, most work processes and

for quality-optimized, highly productive

transportation fields. In seeking to meet

tools in MRO operations are applied with

repair processes.

these demands, the increase of productiv-

no appreciable adaptation. However, the

ity and quality of the MRO processes is a

efficiency of MRO processes could be

fundamental challenge for R&D in the area

significantly increased through the use of

of production technology. In the realm of

specific machining tools and the integra-

An example from the real world: Build-up

railroads, major priorities include reducing

tion of innovative measurement and repair

welding is frequently used in the repair of

the number of cancellations, delays, and

procedures in the repair process chain.

components from the energy and trans-

re-routings through more productive MRO

The improvement of essential interactions

portation fields. This process makes it pos-

process chains. Furthermore, in combina-

between various repair procedures could

sible to repair both individual production-

►►Processing of build-up welds to repair railroad tracks

Weld grinding and finishing

FUTUR 1-3/2011

19

Build-up welding

Market and trend analysis MRO 2011 Product demand and sectoral structures in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) field are experiencing a process of related defects like cracks and pits locally

developed will be assessed by examining

change. The market must adapt, but in

and also completely worn-out large-area

the operational behavior under actual rail-

which directions are the trends headed?

surfaces. Subsequently, the build-up welds

traffic conditions. The findings will enable

The Fraunhofer MRO Innovation Cluster

must be finished precisely and thoroughly,

the scientists to develop repair strategies

has compiled a picture of the current situ-

so that they have the exact size and shape

and models for condition-based preven-

ation in the German market in its enquiry:

required and guarantee the safe operation

tive rail maintenance, and it is anticipated

»Markt- und Trendstudie 2011: Mainte-

of the repaired components.

that applying the R&D results will produce

nance, Repair and Overhaul« (in German).

a significant prolongation of the rails’ life.

The online questionnaire, distributed at the

In the »Milling and Grinding Tools for the

beginning of last year, yielded results from

Processing of Build-up Welds« project,

►►Potential and perspectives

25 percent of the 1236 firms surveyed. The

researchers are developing efficient ma-

The condition-based process design in the

principal demand for MRO services comes

chining tools for the reliable processing of

repair of railroad tracks has great poten-

from firms in the transport and machine

build-up welds resulting from the repair

tial at the pan-European level. Because of

building fields. The majority of the compa-

process. These are tested and checked for

the great variation of international norms,

nies stated that they do MRO for their own

their practical potential, with the repair of

rail maintenance is currently done based

products. Furthermore, on average, about a

rails being the particular focus in this case.

upon individual experience and in rela-

third of the responding firms’ total turnover

Within the framework of the research

tion to local factors. In order to develop

comes from MRO. Besides planning, inspec-

project, reliable repair-process chains are

repair process chains for the efficient

tion, and cleaning, it is primarily repair work

being developed and optimized for the

elimination of various rail defects, further

that contributes to revenues.

onsite elimination of typical rail defects,

multilateral projects are to be initiated.

among which are fatigue cracks, waviness,

In these efforts, Fraunhofer IPK has the

and worn-out surfaces at the railhead.

necessary competence and machine infrastructure to undertake the development

Of particular interest is the analysis of the

and optimization of innovative repair

operational behavior of repaired rails with

techniques and tools, as well as to help

regard to the specific maintenance process

investigate the operational behavior of

used, and laboratory research being done

repaired components.

to scrutinize the details. In the next step,

Your contact Ihr Ansprechpartner M. Sc. Pavlo Lypovka Dipl.-Kfm. Lorem ipsum XXXXX Phone +49 30 314-24960 Tel.: +49 (0) 30 /390 XX-X XX lypovka@iwf.tu-berlin.de

the potential of the repair process chains

E-Mail: XXXXX.XXXXX@ipk.fhg.de

20

Transportation

MicroCarrier for Urban Logistics cal approaches for the organization of the logistics chain must be deployed. As a solution, an innovative vehicle that is A van slowly works its way through a crowded pedestrian zone; the

especially optimized for the »last mile«

passersby have to step aside and wait. A delivery truck is double parked;

in downtown areas has been developed

the ensuing traffic comes to a standstill. Scenes like these are familiar

at Fraunhofer IPK: the multi-functional

to almost everyone. E-Commerce and »Just-in-time« deliveries are

»MicroCarrier Urban Vehicle (MCUV)«.

convenient and cheap. Courier, express, and parcel services have prof-

The current experimental version is an

ited from the steadily increasing number of shipments. In urban areas,

evolutionary stage of the vehicle system

consignment and delivery transport, particularly of small shipments, is

developed with Fraunhofer IPK’s partici-

confronted with a great number of factors that lead to safety, efficiency,

pation and successfully tested with the

and environmental issues. This is due to the lack of vehicle concepts

project partner DHL in the framework of

developed especially for downtown deliveries. In the framework of the

the EU project called »FIDEUS«.

»Fraunhofer Systemforschung Elektromobilität« (System Research for Electromobility), Fraunhofer IPK is developing just such a vehicle system.

►►Multi-functional transport system At the heart of the vehicle system are »MicroCarriers«, single-axle transport units that can be used either as individual

From the viewpoint of logistics firms, ac-

Other situations involve sprawling com-

hand-driven vehicles, or in combination

cess restrictions and scarce parking spaces

mercial buildings and busy shopping

with a lead unit and other MicroCarriers

for delivery vehicles constitute a major

malls, where recipients cannot be reached

to form trains of variable length. The

dilemma that reduces efficiency and

directly with conventional supply vehicles.

single-axle design guarantees maximum

increases costs. The creation of temporary

Furthermore, both traffic and air quality

maneuverability.

limited-access zones to protect pedestri-

in densely settled urban residential areas

ans and stores has led to the use of an

are negatively impacted by the stop-and-

Every MicroCarrier is equipped with its

ever-larger number of trucks, particularly

go of the diesel-fueled trucks.

own electric motor so that when used with other units, the resulting vehicle has

in these »restricted-access zones«, in order to handle deliveries in the defined

In order to satisfy the conflicting interests

distributed drive systems. When hand

timeframe. The alternative is for the

of protecting urban areas and achieve

driven, even heavy loads can be trans-

vehicles to remain outside the restricted

better efficiency of the logistics sup-

ported almost effortlessly.

areas, while the actual deliveries are done

ply, an intensive, sustainable process of

on foot. However, this adds a further,

consultation and coordination among

There is almost no limit to the types of

costly unloading of the parcels from the

logistics-service providers, municipali-

items that can be transported: Stacked

vehicle onto, for example, a handcart

ties, and vehicle manufacturers must be

single consignments, palette goods, bulk

with which the delivery is actually made.

established. Moreover, new technologi-

containers, rolling containers, and steel-

FUTUR 1-3/2011

21

Driving downtown with no traffic jam – electromobility tested in everyday life In the city-center environment, the advantages of electric vehicles add up. Recovery mesh containers are all possible. This

In familiar single-axle personal transport

of brake energy and reduced noise and ex-

allows a continuous logistics chain from

systems, the vehicle is maneuvered by

haust fumes are also of benefit to the vari-

warehouse to client without the need to

the passenger shifting her or his weight.

ous parties involved in the local transport of

manually unload and reload the individual

However, this type of steering is, of

commercial goods. However, there is still a

consignments. The electric MicroCarrier

course, unsuitable for freight transport

shortage of meaningful experience with the

fit into the urban townscape incon-

since the vehicle would interpret any

organization of city-center logistics using

spicuously, allowing all-day pick-ups and

change in the load as a shifting of weight

electric cars. This fact has led Fraunhofer IPK

deliveries, even in restricted traffic areas.

and would head off automatically and

and its partners to undertake an investiga-

They are quiet, pollution free, and do not

uncontrollably. In order to prevent this,

tion of the regular everyday use of five

obstruct traffic.

and to make various types of vehicle

commercial electric vehicles in downtown

operating modes possible, a new concept

Berlin. The participants are the logistics gi-

►►Steering the »trains«

for steering and automatic control was

ant DHL, and the textile transporter Meyer

Directional stability is a requirement for

implemented in a specially developed

& Meyer. As project coordinator, Fraunhofer

everyday use of the MicroCarrier »trains«

hardware platform.

IPK has compiled a reference manual for

so they can be maneuvered easily around

the development of urban logistics with e-

curves and obstacles with a minimal

►►Drive system

vehicles that discusses their potential, action

radius – and without causing collisions.

In the present test version, a direct-

recommendations for municipalities, service

Each MicroCarrier unit follows the track

current-drive system with a transmission

providers, and vehicle manufacturers. An-

of the preceding one precisely, using a

is used that generates adequate torque in

other component of the project is the devel-

steering principle similar to that of a tank,

the required performance range, but still

opment and installation of charging stations

i.e. direct torque control of the MCUV’s

requires too much space, making it diffi-

in the city and on the IPK grounds.

lateral wheel drives. Each individual ve-

cult, for example, to load the vehicle with

hicle in the train is powered and steered

conventional block-shaped containers.

independently and can thus be flexibly

A suitable system is a wheel hub motor,

arranged in any sequence desired.

which does not require any space in the cargo area and, designed to run extreme-

Your contact

►►Driving individual units manually

ly slowly and being very light, is energy

Dipl.-Ing. Werner Schönewolf

A unit can easily be decoupled from

efficient. At Fraunhofer IPK, a wheel hub

Phone +49 30 39006-145

the train and employed individually for

motor optimized in this way is currently

deliveries – a great advantage in cramped

being developed within the framework

Dipl.-Ing. Matthias Brüning

spaces – for which the single-axle vehicle

of the Fraunhofer System Research for

Phone +49 30 314-26858

uses its own built-in mechanism for steer-

Electromobility, and its technically feasi-

matthias.bruening@ipk.fraunhofer.de

ing and balancing. The current test ver-

bility for use in the MicroCarrier is being

sion can transport cargos of up to 200 kg

tested.

werner.schoenewolf@ipk.fraunhofer.de

almost effortlessly.

From the original design (l.) through several evolutionary stages, to the current concept

22

Interview

Welcome to the Age of the Navigated Endoscope Scopis GmbH researches, develops, and markets highly precise laser-based endoscopic and microscopic measuring systems for minimally invasive surgery. Its innovative 3D endoscopic measuring system makes it possible for the first time to perform surgical procedures in a way that is reproducible, minimizing clinical complications and optimizing costs. The firm is a spinoff of the Berlin Center for Mechatronic Medical Technology, jointly operated by Fraunhofer IPK and the Charité University Hospital. We spoke with the founder and CEO, Bartosz Kosmecki, about the young company.

Mr. Kosmecki, your firm has just celebrated

on clinical navigation and measuring

You develop endoscopic measuring shafts

its first birthday. How are things going?

systems there. During an operation at the

that can be mounted precisely on any

Bartosz Kosmecki: Scopis and I are doing

Charité’s ENT clinic, I observed the chal-

conventional endoscope used in minimally

very well. The first year was a very exciting

lenges that exist during minimally invasive

invasive ENT surgery. How do they work?

one in which a lot happened. We intro-

surgery first hand. It struck me that there

Kosmecki: The Scopis measuring shafts

duced our first navigation system, MATRIX

was a demand for endoscopic measure-

are fastened similar to a flushing shaft on

POLAR, in the market in February 2011,

ment of the operative field, so I got the

conventional endoscopes and locked in

having received CE approval. In March,

idea to develop better endoscopic measur-

place. The system is based on worldwide

our quality management system was

ing and navigation systems.

standards in ENT surgery with respect to

successfully certified in accordance with

the diameter and length of the endoscope,

DIN EN ISO13485:2010 and DIN EN ISO

These systems are based on special mod-

so the technology can also easily be ap-

9001:2008. This year we have attended

ules that can be fully integrated into exist-

plied in other areas of endoscopy.

several trade shows and conferences, and

ing endoscopy towers and extend them

in doing so have extended our presence

with the ability to do precise, laser-based

This is how it works: Our measuring shaft

in the medical technology market and

3D measurement. This enables physicians

projects a point of laser light onto the tis-

built up interest, particularly among ENT

for the first time to take non-contact

sue that is visible in the endoscopy image.

surgeons.

endoscopic measurements of anatomi-

The surgeon aims this point manually to-

cal structures. They also benefit from the

wards the structure to be measured, similar

continuously available navigation.

to a laser pointer. For every point projected,

Our marketing activities are also going very positively. We have supplied the first

the system determines the precise spa-

clinical navigation devices to hospitals,

From the idea for the product, we quickly

tial coordinates, enabling the surgeon to

which are in daily use there. We have also

developed a business concept that earned

measure the anatomical structures point

had positive international feedback. And

us the Charité Foundation Prize at the

by point endoscopically and without direct

currently we are already in the final stage

Biomedical Summit 2009. This obviously

physical contact. The endoscopic naviga-

of the approval process for our second

provided some very positive feedback for

tion is done the same way.

product, which is set to launch this year.

our project. In March 2010 our business plan was chosen among the top twenty in

Why should a physician switch to your

Where did the idea to found a new com-

the nationwide business plan competition

endoscopic measuring module?

pany come from?

»Science 4 Life«. A few months later we

Kosmecki: With our technology, doctors

Kosmecki: Andreas Reutter, the cofounder

founded Scopis.

– for the first time – are able to navigate

of Scopis, and I were colleagues at the

with an endoscope and simultaneously

Berlin Center for Mechatronic Medical

measure anatomical structures exactly, but

Technology. We had already done research

without touching the patient. In compari-

FUTUR 1-3/2011

23

Scopis founders Bartosz Kosmecki (r.) and Andreas Reutter (l.)

son with existing systems, this increases

have successively extended our range of

the amount of navigation information by

autoclavable navigated instruments. In the

up to seventy percent. The ENT surgeons

process, we have always optimized these

have one hand free and no longer have to

systems based on suggestions made by

Bartosz Kosmecki successfully completed

switch back and forth between the naviga-

our consulting physicians. With the market

his studies in Technical Computer Science

tion and surgical instruments. Further-

launch of our second product at the end

at Berlin’s Technische Universität in 2005.

more, the laser navigation enables a rapid

of 2011, we will be right on schedule.

He demonstrated his future interest in medical technology in his Master‘s thesis

and precise image-to-patient registration, since no direct skin contact occurs.

About the person

What would you advise other scientists

on the subject of an »Electromagnetic Clin-

who are considering the idea of moving

ical Navigation System«. During his subse-

The measuring shaft is only one part of

from the lab into the marketplace?

quent activity as a researcher at Fraunhofer

our integrated MATRIX POLAR system,

Kosmecki: The step from science to

IPK and the Charité Virchow Hospital,

which is characterized by a very short sys-

entrepreneurship requires a sound busi-

Kosmecki further concentrated on the

tem preparation time, small space require-

ness concept anchored in a business plan.

investigation and development of clinical

ments, intuitive operation, and documen-

Numerous business plan competitions

navigation systems and endoscopic mea-

tation of both endoscopic and navigation

offer assistance in the formulation of the

surement. In 2010, together with Andreas

data. MATRIX POLAR helps the surgeon to

business plan. In this process, the busi-

Reutter and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, he

be better oriented in the operative field,

ness concept is tested and subjected to

founded Scopis GmbH for the development

thus minimizing surgical complications,

on­going optimization by independent

and marketing of measuring systems for

reducing operation times, and achieving

investors, entrepreneurs, and consultants.

various medical applications in minimally

better post-operative results.

There are many start-up networks where

invasive surgery. The company, of which

one can meet young entrepreneurs to

Kosmecki is CEO, received start-up capital

You have set the market entry of your first

discuss the project and obtain helpful tips.

from the High-Tech Gründerfonds (High-

products for ENT surgery as your goal for

In our case, our consultation with and

Tech Founder Fund) in October 2010. The

summer 2011. Are you on schedule?

support from Fraunhofer Venture was

Scopis navigation system MATRIX POLAR

Kosmecki: Yes. As I mentioned at the

enormously important. They helped us

has been commercially available since

beginning, MATRIX POLAR, Scopis’ first

in preparing contracts, licensing trade-

February 2011.

navigation system for minimally invasive

marks, and founding the company. As an

ENT surgery, has been available since

entrepreneur, you have to step outside the

February 2011. We had set a very narrow

researcher’s point of view and see through

time frame for ourselves, but we nonethe-

the eyes of the customer, because the cus-

less managed to complete our first medical

tomer is the decisive factor for the success

product only half a year after the compa-

of the business idea and not the techno-

ny’s founding. In the last few months we

logical qualities of the product.

Your contact Bartosz Kosmecki

Phone +49 30 398 20 598 bkosmecki@scopis.com www.scopis.com

24

Partnerunternehmen Company Profile

arvato

How Shredded Paper Becomes Data – Digitalization Made by arvato arvato AG, part of the Bertelsmann concern, is an internationally networked outsourcing service provider. More than 65,000 arvato employees are involved in the design and implementation of custom-made solutions for an extremely diverse range of business processes along integrated service chains for business clients around the world. These include all services related to the production and distribution of printed products and digital storage media, as well as data management, customer care, customer-relationship management (CRM) services, supply-chain management, digital distribution, financial services and high-quality individualized IT services.

arvato is also commissioned by numer-

has provided in other industrial projects,

ous customers as a cutting-edge provider

arvato has gained many years of extensive

for mass digitalization and professional

experience in the relevant processes.

document management. At its facility in Wilhelmshaven alone, several document

A special aspect of the cooperation

millions of the most varying type and

between Fraunhofer IPK and arvato is the

quality are scanned and further processed

digitalization of documents containing

annually. The company’s experts have

sensitive contents that have been torn or

extensive know-how in the processes of

shredded. This is an unprecedented project

scanning, electronic data storage, manual

in the field of document scanning and a

post-processing, and the transmission of

task requiring great responsibility and ad-

electronic documents.

herence to the very strictest privacy require-

coming to grips with the accelerating dy-

ments. arvato’s employees have carried it

namics of the project. With know-how and

out with great commitment.

passion, arvato has achieved innovations

The services in the document-management

arvato high-performance scanner for the digitalization of files (above); even shredded documents can be reconstructed (below).

in the field of the digitalization, providing

field encompass a broad spectrum. For example, arvato, in its role as one of

The digitalization of document fragments

its customers with efficient document-

Fraunhofer IPK’s important partners from

in extremely bad condition, the stringent

management services.

industry, has furnished fundamental scan-

requirements in regard to image quality,

ning and logistics expertise in the area of

and the complicated logistic demands

virtual reconstruction to a broad range of

of the project have continuously pre-

joint projects. Thanks to similar services it

sented problems to the team that arvato, Fraunhofer IPK’s partner and exclusive

arvato AG

scanning-service provider, has solved reli-

Carl-Bertelsmann-Straße 161

Your contact

ably over the years. Flexibility in process

33311 Gütersloh

Kathrin Barzik

handling, efficient workflow management,

Phone +49 5241 80-40600

Phone +49 4421 76-84174

and an especially programmed logistics sys-

Fax +49 5241 80-3315

Kathrin.Barzik@bertelsmann.de

tem have also contributed to successfully

www.arvato.de

Lab Profile

FUTUR 1-3/2011

Security Verification Lab – Security for Documents and Objects The Berlin Security Verification Lab is a joint initiative of the government-owned Bundesdruckerei GmbH (Federal Printer, Inc.) and Fraunhofer IPK. The goal of the collaboration is the development and deployment of systems for universal document identification and forgery recognition. On behalf of law enforcement agencies from Germany and abroad, documents are to be examined and print works of value that have been partially destroyed or damaged virtually are to be reconstructed.

Virtual reconstruction of shredded documents

►►Document reconstruction

As a concomitant of this development,

documents have existed, people have

Ten years ago, Fraunhofer IPK began to

Fraunhofer IPK has achieved a competence

attempted to forge or manipulate them.

develop technologies for the automated

that is unique in the world: reconstruction

In a joint effort with the Bundesdruckerei

virtual reconstruction of partially destroyed

of shredded documents that can stand

GmbH, Fraunhofer IPK has produced new

documents. These technologies are unpar-

up in court. In the context of the Secu-

findings for the development of innovative

alleled in the world and are being used in

rity Verification Lab, these technologies

security features for sensitive documents.

the pilot phase for the reconstruction of

are available to deal with requests from

VisionID, an integrated recognition and

documents of the Stasi, the former East

authorities and organizations with security-

verification system, uses pattern recognition

Germany’s State Security. Various inquiries,

related responsibility and are being further

and image processing for the characteriza-

mainly from governmental authorities from

developed in projects with other users

tion of physical document scanning and

Eastern Europe and Latin America, but also

worldwide.

printing processes, as well as special sensor

German law enforcement agencies indicate

techniques for document digitalization.

that the technology has great potential.

►►Document security

Some recent successes of the German

Genuine or forgery? Thanks to new meth-

customs and tax investigation agencies can

ods of authenticity testing, this question

Your contact

be attributed to the development of this

can be answered unambiguously with

Dr.-Ing. Bertram Nickolay

product from Berlin.

»VisionID«. As long as highly valuable

Phone +49 30 39006-201 bertram.nickolay@ipk.fraunhofer.de

25

26

Events and Dates

Major Event in a Double Pack The 25th of November is an important day for Berlin’s Production Technology Center (PTZ). On this date in November, 1986 the PTZ, with its striking architecture, was inaugurated. Twenty-five years later to the day, on November 25th, 2011, the Application Center for Microproduction Technology (AMP), a separate building for micromanufacturing, opened its doors – and the building concept was complete.

The Application Center for Microproduction Technology (AMP)

components, the optimization of process chains for serial and mass

offers optimal conditions for the finest processing technologies

production, on testing complex microsystems, as well as on the

and perfect prerequisites for top performance in research and

development of entire machine tools.

development. The state-of-the-art laboratory building, which formally opened on November 25th, is geared to the special

Modern machines today can work on components and structures

needs of high- and ultra-precision technologies. With the support

that are as small as 100 nanometers. This corresponds to 10-7 m or

of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Berlin Senate, the German

1/10th the thickness of a spider thread. The tools of microproduc-

Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and Berlin’s Technische

tion technology are correspondingly small – and they react cor-

Universität, the approximately five million euros required could be

respondingly sensitively to environment influences. If, for example,

mobilized. The architect Prof. Peter Bayerer saw to it that the new

a car were to be built exactly in the proportion 1:100, it would

AMP building fits perfectly into the existing architecture of the

definitely not behave like its full-size archetype, because material

PTZ. In the 1980s, he participated in the planning of the prize-

expansion due to slight fluctuations of temperature affect the tiny

winning main PTZ building, and he also designed the ultra-modern

parts disproportionately strongly.

laboratory and office complex that has now extended the PTZ by 2400 m2.

The same is true for machine tools: Simply using a different scale is not enough. Every precision machine for microproduction technol-

In the facility, scientists from Fraunhofer IPK and the Institute for

ogy must therefore be reinvented to a large extent. Precision ma-

Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF) work together

chine building is one of the AMP’s core competences. As a result,

on the development of microcomponents and microstructured

multi-talented precision machines are created in partnership with

FUTUR 1-3/2010

AMP inauguration ( l. to r.): Prof. Bayerer (Architect), Prof. Gossner (Fraunhofer Management), Prof. Uhlmann (Director of Fraunhofer IPK), Dr. Ulrike Gutheil (Chancellor of the Technische Universität Berlin), SenR Bernd Lietzau, and MinR Hermann Riehl.

medium-size firms. They combine roughing and finishing cutters,

range, in which the synthesis can take place. This significantly re-

ablation lasers, and optical in-process measurement technologies,

duces material consumption while increasing the test throughput.

or an ablation laser and a rotating, high-frequency oscillating pin for electrical discharge machining.

This plethora of scientific excellence demanded an appropriate inauguration ceremony, and the international audience from the

Where the parts or structures produced are hardly recognizable

worlds of research, industry, and politics was addressed by guest

with the naked eye, production variances of a few percent always

speakers including Ministerialrat Hermann Riehl, the Chancel-

escape the perceptions. No manufacturer can afford to have

lor of the Technische Universität Berlin Dr. Ulrike Gutheil, and the

every single part tested for mistakes under the microscope by his

Managing Director of the Confederation of Employers and Business

employees – in any case a very inaccurate means of quality assur-

Associations of Berlin and Brandenburg, Christian Amsinck.

ance. Therefore, in the AMP measuring technologies are also being developed that automatically determine with the highest accuracy

»Today it is not a circle that has been closed, but rather a semi-

whether a tiny product is usable or junk. The AMP’s optical and

circle,« said Prof. Eckart Uhlmann in his talk, because the AMP

tactile measuring instruments help quickly in parameter determina-

completes the curved edifice that the architects had already desig-

tion. For continuous process monitoring, the sensors are integrated

nated as a possible extension of the PTZ more than 25 years ago

directly into the workspace of the precision machines. They con-

during the planning of the main building. With one of the original

stantly gather information such as accuracy, speed, and wear in the

architects, Peter Bayerer, having taken over the planning of the

manufacturing system.

AMP a quarter century later, the architectural expression that was honored with the German Architecture Prize has been carried over in the new structure.

Above this, one of the AMP’s highlight

Twenty-five years of cooperation, twenty-five years of peak scien-

projects is to move forward in linking

tific performance – this is the tradition to which the AMP is bound.

biotechnology and classical engineering.

This made the day of the inauguration of the future-oriented

In the interdisciplinary junior research

bespoke building also a day of retrospective, memory, and honor-

group »PrE-BioTec«, competences in mi-

ing of the eventful history of the twofold institute. Approximately

crobiology and genetics intermesh with

250 friends of the PTZ participated in the celebratory colloquium to

know-how in production technology:

honor the anniversary. Among them were political supporters and

Specialists in the fields of production

scientific collaborators, industrial partners, and PTZ colleagues from

engineering, material sciences, biology,

the past decades. Prof. Jörg Steinbach, President of Berlin’s Tech-

and microbiology are working on in-

nische Universität and Prof. Rainer Stark, Managing Director of the

novative biotechnological procedures for

Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF), greeted

use in the industrial context. They focus

the attendees before the colloquium’s content turned to the topic

on what is known as »cell-free biotech-

of production technology. The day’s events came to a close with a

nology«. Their most important research

banquet in the PTZ testing area, which was festively decorated with

subject is the development and optimi-

winter illumination.

zation of bioreactors in the microliter

Festive illumination concept on the occasion of the PTZ’s 25th anniversary

27

28

Events and Dates

Distinguished Visitor from Canada On November 9th, 2011, the Canadian Minister of State for Science and Technology, Gary Goodyear, and his delegation visited Fraunhofer IPK. He was greeted by Prof. Ulrich Buller, Senior Vice President for Research Planning at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and Prof. Eckart Uhlmann, Director of the institute. After an introduction to the work and organization of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

by Prof. Buller and a presentation of Fraunhofer IPK by Prof. Uhlmann, the Minister had the opportunity to see the development of concrete IPK projects for himself. The project director of the Secure Verification Lab, Jan Schneider, demonstrated the challenges of the »Stasi Puzzle Project«. In the test area, Arne Dethlefs presented

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Buller, Minister Gary Goodyear and Prof. Dr. Eckart Uhlmann

robot cells for flexible manufacturing. In the area of »Electromobility« Minister Goodyear himself was able to get involved: With

Your contact

expert instructions from project manager Werner Schönewolf, he

Steffen Pospischil

transported goods through the test area with the aid of an IPK-

Phone +49 30 39006-140

developed MicroCarrier like a parcel courier of the future.

steffen.pospischil@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Ecuador‘s Foreign Minister Visits the PTZ A great honor for the PTZ: On October 23, 2011 during his visit in

Your contact

Germany, the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, Ricardo Patino, paid a

Steffen Pospischil

visit to the well-known bend in the Spree River in Berlin’s Charlot-

Phone +49 30 39006-140

tenburg district. This is the location of Fraunhofer IPK and the

steffen.pospischil@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF) of the Technische Universität, where the Minister gathered information about research and development. In the company of Ecuador‘s ambassador to Germany, Jorge Jurado, he tested newest product designs in the Virtual Reality Solution Center and, in another area of the institute, saw for himself the powerful cleaning technology developed by Fraunhofer researchers.

Everything in full view: Ecuador‘s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino (2nd from r.) and Ambassador Jorge Jurado (3rd from r.)

Everything under control: Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino tries his hand at dry ice blasting.

FUTUR 1-3/2011

Reinforcement at the Top Management team of Fraunhofer IPK expanded Beginning April 1st, 2011, Prof. Dr.-Ing Kai Mertins assumed the role of Deputy Director of the Institute, a capacity in which he will assist the Director, Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann. In appointing Prof. Mertins, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s Executive Board acted in accordance with a personal suggestion by Prof.

Uhlmann. The decision came as no surprise to people familiar with Fraunhofer IPK: Prof. Mertins has served in leading positions in the institute for thirty years and in this period has made

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Mertins

a decisive mark on the strategy of the organization. division since 1988 with the focus of his work being in the fields The Fraunhofer management’s decision articulates special recog-

of production and work organization, employee qualification,

nition of Prof. Mertins’ achievements on behalf of the institute.

production management, factory planning, order control, and

Prof. Uhlmann congratulated his colleague saying: »I am happy

knowledge management. He is founder member of the research

that the close cooperation I have enjoyed with Prof. Mertins

group »Arbeits­kreis Wissensbilanz (AKWB)«, which promotes

over the years in our joint endeavors to expand the Institute’s

the scientific development and broad application of Intellectual

leading position will be even stronger in the future.« Prof.

Capital Statements as a strategic management tool.

Mertins has headed Fraunhofer IPK’s Corporate Management Your contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Mertins Phone +49 30 39006-233 kai.mertins@ipk.fraunhofer.de

New Man in the House Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem The Technische Universität Berlin’s Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF) has a new face. Succeeding Prof.

Dr.-Ing. Joachim Herrmann, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem has led the Department of Quality Sciences since September 2010. Holding a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, he has been linked closely to the PTZ for many years. After his studies at the Technische Universität Berlin and gaining experience in industry, Prof. Jochem was drawn to science at Fraunhofer IPK, where he wrote his dissertation and rose to the position of department head in Process Management before moving to Bosch-Siemens Household Appliances GmbH as process coordinator. Most recently, as a profes-

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem on the roof of the PTZ

sor, he was responsible for the Quality Management department at the Kassel University. Quality includes clear aims – and Prof.

Your contact

Jochem also has them for his department. »A lecture is good

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem

when the students have understood everything and can apply

Phone +49 30 39006-118

what they have learned in practice. An R&D project is good when

roland.jochem@ipk.fraunhofer.de

it brings the customer return-on-investment when implemented,« he explains clearly and concisely.

29

30

Events and Dates

Guatemala’s Ambassador Pays a Visit to Fraunhofer IPK

On August 22nd, 2011 the Ambassador of the Republic of Guatemala, Carlos Jiménez Licona, visited Fraunhofer IPK in order to learn about the Department of Security Technology’s imageidentification software. In 2005 a police archive was rediscovered in Guatemala in which, among other things, human rights’ violations by the military during the civil war at the beginning of the 1980s are documented. The civil war cost approximately 200,000 people their lives. Coming to terms with this chapter of Guatemalan history requires a great deal of time and effort – similar to the work required in dealing with the documents related to the former East Germany’s State Security Service (Stasi). The Fraunhofer technology for the automated virtual reconstruction of shredded documents is therefore also interesting for Guatemala.

Carlos Jiménez Licona, Ambassador of Guatemala, gathers information about the technology for document reconstruction.

Your contact Dr.-Ing. Bertram Nickolay Phone +49 30 39006-201 bertram.nickolay@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Consolidated Action against Child Pornography Federal Family Minister Dr. Kristina Schröder and Parliament Member Beatrix Philipp on a fact-finding tour of Fraunhofer IPK about digital investigation technologies

The German Federal Police Office investigated more than 3800 cases of possession of child pornography in 2009. So far they have had to search through seized hard disks manually, a task which the enormous growth of digital media has made almost impossible. With the software tool called »desCRY« (an English verb that means »to catch sight of«), Fraunhofer IPK’s Security Technology department has developed a means with which digital media can be checked for illegal contents by automated pattern recognition. On May 9th, 2011, the Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Dr. Kristina Schröder, and the Member of Parliament Beatrix Philipp visited Fraunhofer IPK in order to discuss the potential of this new technology.

Together with representatives of the German Federal Police Office and Berlin’s State Police Department, they elucidated the neces-

Federal Family Minister Dr. Kristina Schröder in conversation with the Fraunhofer experts

sary prerequisites for the wide-scale use of »desCRY« with institute director Prof. Eckart Uhlmann, department head Dr. Bertram

Your contact

Nickolay, and other Fraunhofer experts. Additional R&D require-

Dr.-Ing. Bertram Nickolay

ments as well as possibilities for national and international coop-

Phone +49 30 39006-201

erations were also discussed.

bertram.nickolay@ipk.fraunhofer.de

FUTUR 1-3/2011

E-City-Logistics

The Federal Minister for Transport, Building and Urban Development, Dr. Peter Ramsauer, presented Prof. Eckart Uhlmann, Director of Fraunhofer IPK, with the official notification of support for the last phase of the Fraunhofer Group Project »ECity-Logistics«. The project will demonstrate the potential of electric-powered commercial vehicles in city center supply transport considering traffic, operational, energy, and environmental factors. In a second field trial, eleven-ton trucks will be tested as textile delivery vehicles in downtown Berlin. In addition to an expected emission reduction, a particular goal is to enhance the cost effectiveness of electric commercial vehicles by means of fine-tuned logistics concepts.

Your contact Dipl.-Ing. Werner Schönewolf Phone +49 30 39006-145 werner.schoenewolf@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Federal Minister of Transport Dr. Peter Ramsauer (r.) and Prof. Eckart Uhlmann (l.)

SFB Sustainable Manufacturing The special research field (SFB) 1026 »Sustainable Manufac-

hardly be more relevant because the mindful use of energy, raw

turing – Shaping Global Value Creation« under the direction

materials, and human labor is indispensable for the preservation

of Prof. Günther Seliger of the Technische Universität Berlin’s

of our habitat. However, in many parts of the world, the topic of

Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF) is

sustainability does not yet play a major role in production tech-

one of eight SFBs that the German Research Foundation (DFG)

nology. The project’s goal is to scientifically prove the superiority

established, beginning January 1st, 2012, with a total budget of

of sustainable methodologies over traditional procedures. To

82.7 euros. Together, the scientists of IWF, Fraunhofer IPK, the

achieve this, scientists in the fields of engineering, economics,

Konrad Zuse Institute Berlin, the Federal Institute for Materials

and mathematics are working hand in hand.

Research and Testing, and the Social Science Research Center Berlin are developing appropriate techniques and technologies for sustainable production worldwide. This is a topic that could Your contact Prof. Dr.-Ing. Günther Seliger Phone +49 30 314-22014 seliger@mf.tu-berlin.de

31

Profile

Production Technology Center PTZ Berlin The Production Technology Center PTZ Berlin comprises of the Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management IWF of the Technical University of Berlin and the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK. The PTZ develops methods and technologies for management, product development, production processes, and design of industrial manufacturing plants.

Furthermore, we also leverage our proven expertise to engineer novel applications in emerging fields such as security, transport and medical technology.

The PTZ is equally committed to making its own contributions to applicationoriented basic research and to developing new technologies in close collaboration with industry. The PTZ works together with its industry partners to transform basic innovations born in research projects into fully functional applications.

With the methods and techniques we develop or improve, we offer our partners comprehensive end-to-end support from product development and fabrication through to product recycling. This also includes the conception of means of production and its integration in complex production facilities, and innovation of all corporate planning and controlling

Your Contact at the PTZ Berlin Corporate Management Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Mertins Phone: +49 30 39006-233, -234 kai.mertins@ipk.fraunhofer.de Virtual Product Creation, Industrial Information Technology Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Stark Phone: +49 30 39006-243 rainer.stark@ipk.fraunhofer.de Production Systems, Machine Tools and Manufacturing Technology Prof. Dr. h. c. Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann Phone: +49 30 39006-101 eckart.uhlmann@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Fraunhofer Alliances AdvanCer High-performance Ceramics Tiago Borsoi Klein M.Sc. Phone: +49 30 39006-154 tiago.borsoi.klein@ipk.fraunhofer.de Cleaning Technology Dipl.-Ing. Martin Bilz Phone: +49 30 39006-147 martin.bilz@ipk.fraunhofer.de Traffic and Transportation Dipl.-Ing. Werner Schönewolf Phone: +49 30 39006-145 werner.schoenewolf@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Working Group

Joining and Coating Technology (IPK) Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Rethmeier Phone: +49 30 8104-1550 michael.rethmeier@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Tool Coatings and Cutting Materials Fiona Sammler, M.Eng.Sc. Phone: +49 30 314-21791 fiona.sammler@iwf.tu-berlin.de

Joining and Coating Technology (IWF) Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Stark (interim) Phone: +49 30 314-25415 rainer.stark@tu-berlin.de

Ceramics Machining Dipl.-Ing. Florian Heitmüller Phone: +49 30 314-23624 heitmueller@iwf.tu-berlin.de

Automation Technology, Industrial Automation Technology Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Krüger Phone: +49 30 39006-183 joerg.krueger@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Dry Ice Blasting Dipl.-Ing. Martin Bilz Phone: +49 30 39006-147 martin.bilz@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Assembly Technology and Factory Management Prof. Dr.-Ing. Günther Seliger Phone: +49 30 314-22014 guenther.seliger@mf.tu-berlin.de Quality Management, Quality Science Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roland Jochem Phone: +49 30 314-22004 roland.jochem@tu-berlin.de Medical Technology Prof. Dr.-Ing. Erwin Keeve Phone: +49 30 39006-120 erwin.keeve@ipk.fraunhofer.de

processes.

Fraunhofer Innovation Cluster Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) in Energy and Traffic Dipl.-Ing. Markus Röhner Phone: +49 30 39006-279 markus.roehner@ipk.fraunhofer.de Secure Identity Dipl.-Phys. Thorsten Sy Phone: +49 30 39006-282 thorsten.sy@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Microproduction Technology Dr.-Ing. Dirk Oberschmidt Phone: +49 30 6392-5106 dirk.oberschmidt@ipk.fraunhofer.de Berliner Runde (Machine Tools) Dipl.-Ing. Christoph König Phone: +49 30 314-23568 ckoenig@iwf.tu-berlin.de

Competence Centers Application Center Microproduction Technology (AMP) Dr.-Ing. Dirk Oberschmidt Phone: +49 30 6392-5106 dirk.oberschmidt@ipk.fraunhofer.de Benchmarking Dr.-Ing. Holger Kohl Phone: +49 30 39006-168 holger.kohl@ipk.fraunhofer.de Electromobility Dipl.-Ing. Werner Schönewolf Phone: +49 30 39006-145 werner.schoenewolf@ipk.fraunhofer.de Advanced Training Claudia Engel Phone: +49 30 39006-238 claudia.engel@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Methods-Time Measurement Dipl.-Ing. Aleksandra Postawa Phone: +49 30 314-26866 postawa@mf.tu-berlin.de Modeling Technological and Logistic Processes in Research and Education Dipl.-Ing. Sylianos Chiotellis M.Sc. Phone: +49 30 314-23547 skernb@mf.tu-berlin.de PDM/PLM Dr.-Ing. Haygazun Hayka Phone: +49 30 39006-221 haygazun.hayka@ipk.fraunhofer.de Rapid Prototyping Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Kamilla Urban Phone: +49 30 39006-107 kamilla.urban@ipk.fraunhofer.de Simulation Dipl.-Ing. Pavel Gocev Phone: +49 30 39006-170 pavel.gocev@ipk.fraunhofer.de Self-Organising Production (SOPRO) Dipl.-Ing. Eckhard Hohwieler Phone: +49 30 39006-121 eckhard.hohwieler@ipk.fraunhofer.de Scenarios for Product Development and Factory Planning Dipl.-Ing. Marco Eisenberg Phone: +49 30 314-25549 meisenberg@mf.tu-berlin.de Virtual Reality Solution Center (VRSC) Dr.-Ing. Johann Habakuk Israel Phone: +49 30 39006-109 johann.habakuk.israel@ipk.fraunhofer.de Reutilization of Resources Dipl.-Ing. Timo Fleschutz Phone: +49 30 314-22404 tfleschutz@mf.tu-berlin.de Knowledge Management Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Psych. Ina Kohl Phone: +49 30 39006-264 ina.kohl@ipk.fraunhofer.de Center for Innovative Product Creation (ZIP) Dr.-Ing. Haygazun Hayka Phone: +49 30 39006-221 haygazun.hayka@ipk.fraunhofer.de