Visual Computing Report

Research combines theory and practice, science, and business and society. Last year, we took additional steps to fortify this network: Fraunhofer IGD demonstrates how visual computing can provide concrete answers to complex questions.

We do this by taking advantage of the expertise and commitment of our employees and participating in the close integration between industries and research fields. This allows us to start projects that will add value. They are the driving force behind progress. They benefit people.

At Fraunhofer IGD, we demonstrate the breadth of our work in Rostock, where we collaborate with several companies in our underwater garden to perform stress tests on offshore structures. In Darmstadt, we develop tools to enhance the production of inlays and prostheses. But as different as the two projects are, they both represent Fraunhofer’s commitment to conducting research in a way that allows the results to be used by industry with as little delay as possible.

For more than two years, we have been working to create synergies and tap into new target groups in the industry by focusing more on specific sectors and encouraging cross-team collaboration. Last year, this resulted in projects such as InGeoDTM and AutoFERIA.

In the InGeoDTM project, we are developing a central platform for geodata. This data is essential for solving environmental problems, optimizing traffic flows, assessing insurance risks, evaluating soil, and ensuring the sustainable use of resources. However, the large number of providers and the inconsistent framework conditions that govern how data is made available have made it difficult to gain an overview and find the right data source thus far. With the launch of InGeo-X, we are laying the groundwork for a national data space that will facilitate the transparent and reliable exchange of geospatial data.

In the AutoFERIA project, we are developing methods to clearly identify specific types of knotweed growing on the side of the road so they can be removed more efficiently. This invasive weed has a strong root system that destroys asphalt and masonry, causing millions in damage. That's why we've developed special software that can reliably map vegetation, even when drone shots have varying image quality and are taken under a wide range of weather conditions. This allows us to remove knotweed early and minimize consequential damage.

Our projects demonstrate the impact of research on industry, society, and the future. We aim to maintain our efforts in this area. We are moving forward with a sense of curiosity, openness, and the readiness to embrace change. I'm excited about everything we will accomplish as a team.

Institutsleitung

We offer expertise and technologies in four service areas, covering all application-relevant fields of visual computing. Our cross-functional teams of experts support customers in the business and political sectors across six industries with flexible software solutions.

Problem Analysis

We analyze existing processes and business systems by systematically searching, aggregating, merging, and linking available data and data sources to identify optimization opportunities.

Optimal data management and efficient data storage and processing are essential for us to gain meaningful insights from the data volumes through a combination of automated analytics methods and visualization.

Big data, machine learning, and AI methods provide customers with deep insights into their data, revealing hidden connections within their heterogeneous data sets.

Software and hardware system design

A user-centered, agile, and iterative approach is used to design software and hardware systems based on a detailed requirements analysis. These systems are tailored to customers and their specific tasks, aiming to visualize complex data.

Identifying the technical components and processes creates target visions for new systems and suggestions for improving existing ones.

Our goals are optimal usability, user-centered design (HCI and UI), efficiency, and innovative functionalities. Our customers can count on our industry-standard software design methodologies, testing methods, and development environments.

Prototype development

Our work doesn't have to end with a concept paper. We can also create a solid prototype that can undergo thorough testing of all its performance features.

Prototyping is carried out iteratively and in close consultation with the customer. This enables key design decisions regarding functionality to be made quickly and efficiently, ensuring that development work is always goal -oriented.

Through rapid prototyping, we use testing and validation to demonstrate feasibility and benefits, help minimize risks, and make implementation decisions.

Realization and implementation of visual interactive systems

We develop individual solutions or prototypes into ready-to-use operational systems that can be replicated in software and hardware.

These solutions are implemented through HW/SW integration, testing, and rollout in such a way that they can be optimally integrated into the customer's existing system environment.

In addition to support during the introductory phase, the software solutions are available for purchase or licensing with ongoing support.

Certified software development processes in accordance with the DIN EN ISO standard are also available upon request.

Manufacturing and Mobility

We develop next-generation visual interactive solutions for all phases of the product lifecycle across the manufacturing and mobility sectors. These solutions support the design process, design review, technical simulations, and quality assurance during the production of individual components and assemblies. This is how we are changing the mobility of the future.

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Healthcare

We dedicate our services to companies in the industrial healthcare and medical care sectors. Our digital solutions for individual health will personalize medicine while taking patient protection, data security, diagnostic certainty, and systematic documentation into account during development and evaluation. Our applications support prevention at home and in the workplace, diagnostics and therapy in doctors’ offices and clinics, as well as rehabilitation and care.

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Information Technology

In the software and IT industry, we focus on companies that produce, integrate, or use software. We’re also here to support you with your data-intensive applications and develop efficient, interactive solutions ranging from data management to visual user interfaces.

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Maritime Economics

We are helping the maritime sector undergo a digital transformation. Through market-driven products and new business models, we work together to future-proof your technological capabilities. When it comes to protecting the oceans as a natural environment and making sustainable use of them as an economic resource, you can count on our innovative strength and knowledge of the maritime industry’s unique requirements and constraints. We support you with customized solutions for your needs on, in, and around the water.

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Bioeconomics

We support businesses and public institutions in developing sustainable, technologically advanced concepts for the bioeconomy. Our application-oriented system solutions are designed to optimize the use of resources in food and raw material production, monitor animal welfare, and leverage ecosystem services in a sustainable and resilient manner. We offer tools for capturing, interpreting, and visualizing data to improve processes and create new marketing concepts backed by our expertise in visual computing.

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Cultural and Creative Economy

The more realistic the 3D representations, the more diverse their applications become. Our wide range of 3D technologies allows you to achieve unparalleled accuracy in your designs, down to the smallest detail. Equipped with proven 3D printing and scanning technologies, we offer high-precision custom manufacturing and cost-effective, fast processes for large-scale production. We know how to capture and reproduce geometries with high precision, from acquisition to visualization to reproduction.

Further information

To quantify its economic impact, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft commissioned a series of studies analyzing the impact of its research activities on Germany as a business and innovation hub. All studies are published and freely accessible. The publication “Fraunhofer-Forschung wirkt” [Fraunhofer Research Works] provides a concise summary of these studies’ key findings and is available for download here:

www.fraunhofer.de/de/forschung/leistungsangebot/wirkung-von-fraunhofer-forschung.html.