Archive

Since October 1, 2026, Prof. Dr. Michael Sedlmair has joined the management team of the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD. Together with Dr. Matthias Unbescheiden, he will lead the institute at its locations in Darmstadt and Rostock. In parallel, Sedlmair is taking over the former Chair of Graphical Interactive Systems at TU Darmstadt, which he will continue under the name Visual Computing. His work will focus on human-centered artificial intelligence and on how Visual Computing technologies can support people in complex cognitive and physical tasks.

Vacant lots, infill development areas and other development opportunities exist in many places but are often not systematically recorded. Fraunhofer IGD combines artificial intelligence with official geodata to automatically identify such potential and prepare it for urban, regional and state-level planning.

In high-speed stamping and forming processes, it is crucial to detect quality deviations while production is still running. If wear-related changes are only identified afterwards, defective components have already been produced. With its camera-based Inform-QC system, the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD addresses this issue directly within the manufacturing process. The system analyzes the surfaces of formed components inline and detects changes that may indicate tool wear.

The biometrics community is currently coming together at Fraunhofer IGD in Darmstadt for four days of exchange and discussions on current developments in the field. In November, Biometrics Week will continue with a particular focus on research. The Darmstadt Biometrics Research Week will bring together experts from research and practice to discuss current research questions, emerging technologies and future developments in biometrics.

How can different types of forensic imaging data be reliably combined and forensic findings made easier to trace? In the ICON VirtoFusion research project, Fraunhofer IGD and the University of Zurich are developing a platform that automatically integrates different imaging modalities, verifies their consistency and visualizes uncertainties. The aim is to provide reproducible and transparent data for forensic documentation and assessment.

The first Smart Farming Field Day will take place on September 2 at the Thünen Innovation Farm in Tellow. Together with partners from research, industry and start-ups, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Computer Graphics Research IGD and for Large Structures in Production Engineering IGP will demonstrate how artificial intelligence, digitalization and automation can contribute to future-ready agriculture. The focus will be on practical applications and live demonstrations under real-world operating conditions.

With a new high-performance computing infrastructure, Fraunhofer IGD and GSI/FAIR are strengthening their collaboration in the fields of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The new GPU cluster combines Fraunhofer IGD’s AI expertise with the energy-efficient data center infrastructure of GSI/FAIR’s Green IT Cube and creates the technical foundation for training modern AI models for data-sovereign research and the secure handling of sensitive information.

How can new technologies advance digitalization in Hesse? Dr. Nicolas Sölter, State Secretary at the Hessian Ministry for Digitalization and Innovation, explored this question during a visit to Fraunhofer IGD in Darmstadt. During a tour of the institute, the State Secretary gained insights into practical applications from various research fields and exchanged views with scientists on current technological developments.

High workloads, an increased risk of mental illness, and growing effects on the quality of nursing care: According to current studies, nursing professionals are exposed to particularly high levels of psychological and physical strain. Against this background, the GIDEA project—Holistic Innovation Methodology for Digital Assistance Technologies to Reduce the Burden of Indirect Nursing Activities—has been launched. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) under its DATIpilot funding initiative. Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS) is collaborating on the project with Caritas Association Darmstadt and the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD. At Frankfurt UAS, GIDEA is led by Prof. Dr. Diana Völz and Prof. Dr. Lisa Schmidt, both of whom are members of the interdisciplinary FUTURE AGING research center.

With the official kick-off of the German Competence Center for Underwater Munitions Clearance (BK Meer) at the Ocean Technology Campus in Rostock last week, Federal Minister for the Environment Carsten Schneider launched what he described as a "task for generations." Bringing together academia, industry, and public authorities, the new competence center aims to advance the recovery of approximately 1.6 million metric tons of legacy munitions from the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Fraunhofer IGD is supporting the establishment of BK Meer with its long-standing expertise in maritime digitalization and the development of intelligent technologies for the detection, inspection, and recovery of underwater objects.