Fraunhofer -- Engadget

Fraunhofer posts

Tiny, printable batteries promise to change the face of obnoxious greeting cards forever

by Laura June, posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 4:10PM

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz led by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Baumann have unveiled tiny, printable batteries that they hope to put into production for pennies apiece. The new battery prototype is primarily composed of a zinc anode and a manganese cathode that can be screen printed and covered with a non-printed template cover. Each mercury-free battery weighs less than one gram, and can individually produce about 1.5 volts of electricity. By placing several batteries side by side, however, up to 6 volts can be generated. The institute has already produced these little power houses in the lab, and hopes to see them into production by the end of the year. The batteries have a relatively short lifespan, making them suitable for applications such as powering greeting cards. All we can say is that this battery would have made the card we got two years ago that sang "Word Up" much, much awesomer.

[Via Physorg]

OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones using a series of lenses developed

by Laura June, posted Jun 29th 2009 at 7:19PM

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute -- partnered with project HYPOLED -- have created an OLED mini projector prototype for mobile phones. Unlike many previous iterations of similar technologies, this new prototype doesn't need an additional illumination system, instead relying on a lens system to project images produced by an OLED onto a screen or wall -- making it both smaller and more energy efficient. The prototype currently displays a monochrome image with a brightness of 10,000 candelas per square meter, and color images with a brightness of about half of that. The lenses are also made of glass at this point, though cheaper and simpler plastic ones are in the works. No word on when we might see these prototypes hitting the streets in actual projector phones, though.

[Via Gizmag]

Interactive data eyeglasses could bring the PC to your face, won't fix nearsightedness

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 4th 2009 at 8:19AM

Leave it the mad scientists at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to concoct this one. Rather than just figuring out a way to read back information in one-way fashion on one's glasses (think Sixth Sense, but with eyewear), these folks are diving right in to the real stuff: bidirectional communication. In essence, their goal for the interactive data eyeglasses is to track eye movement in order to allow ones retinas to scroll through menus, flip through options and zoom in / out on a map. Obviously, a microdisplay will be necessary as well, but that's just half the battle. We'll confess -- we're still not humble enough to take our Vuzix HMD out in public, but we just might swap our Transitions™ for a set of these.

[Via OLED-Display]

Underwater robot has sense of touch, class and style

by Laura June, posted May 7th 2009 at 10:23AM

At the Fraunhofer Institute in Bremen, Germany, a group of researchers, in conjunction with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence DFKI, is developing an underwater robot with a sense of touch. The octopus-esque robot is equipped with a strain gauge which triggers electrical resistance changes when an obstacle is encountered. The strain gauges -- which are printed onto the robot -- which are ten micrometers wide (about half the width of a human hair), are made up of atomized nanoparticles, and are extremely sensitive. The researchers intend for the robot to be able to distinguish between actual obstacles and water currents. The robot's first stop will be a public trade show at the end of May in Nuremberg, after which it will presumably make it's way to the dark depths of the sea to meet up with Captain Nemo and the giant squid.

New cooling material keeps heat down in densely packed electronics

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 9th 2009 at 3:17AM

Oh sure, liquid cooling rigs are all the rage, but they aren't too useful within minuscule things like netbooks, MIDs and pocket projectors. The always churning minds over at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are already on the issue, recently conjuring up a new material designed to "efficiently dissipate heat even in devices with densely packed components and that can give increasingly miniaturized electronics a longer life." Researchers at the entity's Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Applied Materials Research have teamed with gurus from Siemens and Plansee to create the substance as part of the EU project "ExtreMat." Unfortunately, details beyond that are few and far between, but given that demonstrations have reportedly "already been produced," we'd say it's well on its way to infiltrating things far smaller than your mind can grasp.

Fraunhofer's new security device turns your window into a motion detector

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Mar 11th 2009 at 9:18AM

The brain geniuses at Fraunhofer are back on the scene with a security device that takes the window alarm to the next level. The Vigilant window sees the ol' glass panel coated with a nanoparticle material which converts light into fluorescent radiation. When the system is switched on, a UV lamp is aimed at the window, which is outfitted with sensors along its edges. As long as the lamp is unobstructed, everything is goldie. However, if a cat burglar should come by in his trademark all-black out fit and obstruct the beam, the alarm is activated -- sending your elite security team into action. If you don't have an elite security team, perhaps you can send your T-34 to snare him in its net. Either way, it's clear they messed with the wrong folks this time. A prototype already exists, no word yet on when this will become available.

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Video: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's iPoint 3D Pong match gets heated

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 3rd 2009 at 11:21AM

After hearing that Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft was bringing its newfangled iPoint 3D setup to CeBIT, we simply had to make the 5.9 mile hike from Hall 26 to Hall 9 to check things out. As with most things that this outfit touches, iPoint 3D was also a sight to behold. Without any goofy glasses, players and onlookers alike could easily detect depth in the display, and while we're some of the toughest 3D critics you'll find, even we were taken aback at just how not-gimmicky it was. An overhead motion detecting system fed signals to a nearby computer, which then translated the hand gestures into paddle movements within the simple two player Pong game. The gals we recorded seemed to have a pretty good time with it, and if you don't believe us, just check out the winner's victory dance at the end of the clip -- it'll make your day, and that's a Billy Mays guarantee.

Gallery: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's iPoint 3D paddle ball match gets heated

Fraunhofer's 3D dashboard prototype

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 2:26PM

The sheer amount of technology companies are willing to throw at your car's dashboard is amazing (well, maybe not your car -- after all, you're still driving a '76 Gremlin). Taking things up a notch, the folks at Fraunhofer have developed a dash that displays your location and the surrounding area in 3D, in real time. The system uses cameras to keep track of the location of your eyes, so the depth imaging effect can be achieved without using those funny glasses. In addition to the GPS, the dashboard only displays the information that is most relevant to the driver at any time -- fuel gauge, tire pressure, route information or the title of the song can be displayed, depending on user preferences. It's only a prototype at this point -- be sure to check it out when you hit CeBIT in Hanover this March.

[Via The Raw Feed]

Baby steps: new solar cell efficiency record isn't awe-inspiring

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 27th 2009 at 2:02PM

Granted, we've no idea what it takes to really push the efficiency level of a solar cell, but we're getting pretty bored with these incremental improvements year after year. If you'll recall, the record for solar cell efficiency sat at 40.7 percent in 2006, and that was raised to an amazing 40.8 percent last August. Today, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems have announced an all new milestone: 41.1 percent efficiency. According to team head Frank Dimroth, the crew is simply "elated by this breakthrough." Meanwhile, the rest of planet Earth is suddenly depressed by the thought of perishing from old age before this data point ever breaks the big five-oh.

[Via Gizmag]

Fraunhofer IPMS demonstrates OLED with touch control

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 10th 2008 at 11:23AM

Look, we're not going to argue that those chintzy clap lamps weren't pretty sweet in their heyday. And we're also not going to put up a fuss when you assert that snap bracelets were equally adorable in the early 90s. Nostalgia aside, Fraunhofer IPMS is headed straight for the future with its latest OLED breakthrough. Reportedly, the company has devised an OLED display that can be controlled via human touch or by simply waving one's hand in front of the panel. Unlike similar applications that have come before it, there's no additional hardware needed -- and therein lies the magic. The outfit is currently showing off the design at the Plastic Electronic 2008 show, though it yet to reveal anything close to a release plan.

[Via OLED-Display]

Virtual mirror destroys all the fun you have trying on outfits

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 27th 2008 at 9:44AM

The always-imaginative gurus at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft never cease to amaze, and at this year's IFA, they're delivering once more. The so-called "virtual mirror" gives to-be garb buyers an accurate look at what different outfits look like on their person without requiring them to try a single thing on. Granted, shopaholics are apt to detest this thing, but anyone with better things to do than try on four sweaters to see which one makes them look fat should be completely in love. The concept here is far from new, as we've seen both virtual makeover machines and fitting room enhancers before. Still, Fraunhofer's dream of getting you suited up and out of the store in mere minutes is one we'd love to see come true. Just don't ditch the traditional stalls too soon -- we wouldn't want any kind of worldwide uprising.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of Flickr]

Fraunhofer takes a stab at non-exploding lithium-ion batteries

by Donald Melanson, posted Apr 10th 2008 at 6:12PM

It's hardly the only one working on making lithium-ion batteries a little less likely to blow up in your face, but the prolific folks at Fraunhofer Institute seem to think that they've come up with a solid contender for your future laptop or cellphone, and they're now set to take the wraps off it at the Hannover Messe conference later this month. The key to their solution, it seems, is the use of a non-flammable polymer electrolyte instead of the liquid electrolyte now commonly used in lithium-ion batteries. While that switch cuts down on the explosiveness, it also introduced a fair number of challenges, not the least of which is the fact that polymer becomes less conductive as it gets more solid. Fraunhofer's apparently made some significant progress on that front, however, and while they're still not completely satisfied with the conductivity, they say the batteries could be ready for commercial use in three to five years. They also, not surprisingly, see no end to the uses for 'em, saying that they could not only wind up in laptops and cellphones, but power tools, lawnmowers, and potentially even cars.

[Thanks, Mademoiselle Y]

Fraunhofer's Kolibri Cordless sensor snaps 3D images on the go

by Paul Miller, posted Apr 4th 2008 at 9:01AM

Sure, it might look like a Viewmaster 3D from your childhood, but this here stripe projection 3D sensor from Fraunhofer IOF is so much less exciting. The concept is simple enough: the Kolibri projects a stripe pattern onto the subject, and then the two "eyes" capture slightly distinct angles of the image to compose a 3D model of the object based on the deducted geometry. The technology has been available for a while, but this is apparently the first device to cram it into such a small and portable form factor. Yeah... we'll stick with the Viewmaster.

[Via About Projectors]

Fraunhofer says HD-ACC will make CDs "obsolete"

by Donald Melanson, posted Jan 8th 2008 at 12:57PM

Those Fraunhofer folks are nothing if not prolific, and it now looks like they're getting a little boastful as well, as evidenced by some comments reps from the group made at CES this week. As MacWorld reports, Fraunhofer IIS is not only saying that its new HD-ACC codec is "better than CD," but that it "makes CDs obsolete." That is apparently due to the codec's lossless compression of 24-bit music content, as opposed to the 16-bit, 44.1 kHz quality now found on CDs. What's more, the HD-AAC encoding process embeds a so-called "core layer" on any device that supports plain old AACs, although you'll obviously need a player with an HD-AAC decoder in order to take advantage of the fully lossless signal. Of course, some formats have a tendency to take off more quickly than others, so we'll just have to wait and see how HD-ACC plays out in the grander scheme of things.

Brain2Robot project creates EEG-controlled robot arm

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 26th 2007 at 8:02AM

Thought-controlled appendages are far from new, but an international team of researchers have apparently created an apparatus that aims to make the lives of paralyzed individuals a tad easier. The Brain2Robot project utilizes electroencephalograph (EEG) signals in order to give patients the ability to control a robotic arm, which could eventually be used to do everything from hold periodicals to lift a cup of coffee. Reportedly, the arm could be ready for commercial use within just a few years, but there's no mention of an expected price range. Granted, we'd be a bit more excited about all of this if the technology were somehow made mobile, but it's hard to kvetch about a helping hand, regardless.

[Via Primidi]