Fraunhofer IGD

Medicine: The Liver in 3D and color

2012-04-02T17:02:35+02:00

Date: 2011-12-15
Press report: 26/2011
Treating liver diseases not only requires expertise but also precision and clarity. In order to support doctors, the company Holoxica and Fraunhofer IGD have developed a 3D image of the liver. It was awarded in Scotland. (Darmstadt/Rostock/Graz) The liver is one of the most important body parts of the vertebrates. The organ is responsible for the metabolism in the body and takes care of the storage of vitamins among others. Because the liver is so important for life, diseases affecting this organ are especially critical. In order to help doctors treating liver issues, the Scottish company Holoxica and the Competence Center "Medical Imaging und Cognitive Computing" of Fraunhofer IGD have developed a hologram of the human liver. This is how the hologram develops: First, normal MRI scans of the organ and the vessels are made visible with computers in 3D quality. Then, a special printer prints the three-dimensional liver onto a plastic-coated frame. Similar to flip-flop images (lenticular prints), the liver becomes visible inside the frame in 3D if it is illuminated. This makes it easier for doctors to localize tumors or other liver diseases. Under the direction of Managing Director Javid Khan, Holoxica won the Nexxus Scotland Collaboration Award on 3 November 2011 for the holographically illustrated liver. The Fraunhofer researchers Klaus Drechsler and Marius Erdt provided the prepared data from which the Scots were able to generate the 3D liver. „We are happy to have helped Holoxica win this award“, said Drechsler. Although the three-dimensional holograms are now available for hospitals, the researchers still see lots of potential for the future. „What we have today is a prototype“, explains Drechsler. „We would like to produce three-dimensional holograms of all organs and even of whole bodies for doctors.“

CeBIT 2012: 3D internet on board for iPhone, iPad et al.

2012-03-08T13:57:17+01:00

Date: 2012-03-01
Press report: 08-2012
The third dimension is well received online. Researchers of Fraunhofer IGD demonstrate at the CeBIT how 3D internet can be used on mobile smart phones and tablets. (Darmstadt/Rostock/Graz) 3D internet technologies have been euphorically projected as the future technology for years. Being able to view objects from all sides online or digitally walking through rooms are understandable desires. The number of websites with 3D content continues to increase. So far, their illustration has only been insufficient on mobile devices. The available bandwidths and the touch control used in almost all smart phones and tablets (multi-touch technology) present particular challenges for the developers. The researchers at Fraunhofer IGD, the world’s leading research institute for applied Visual Computing, have tackled this problem. They will present their solution at the CeBIT 2012 in Hanover in hall 26 at the booth of the BMBF (booth F 30). As early as in 2009, the Fraunhofer researchers presented an open, freely available, and most of all simple option for spatial representations online with the software platform X3DOM. With X3DOM, it was thus possible for the first time to quickly and easily realize 3D content such as walk-in architecture models or, for instance, an artwork to be viewed from all sides on HTML basis. “If the controlling takes place not via a mouse pointer but by finger tips on the screen of a mobile device, then this has a significant impact on the requirements for the software platform”, explains Dr. Johannes Behr of Fraunhofer IGD. “This year, we have updates of X3DOM for designers on board in order to create 3D internet for iPhone, iPad et al.” In 2011, Fraunhofer IGD, the DFKI and the “Web3D” consortium have formed a group within the “World Wide Web” (W3C) consortium responsible for internet standards. This initiated the first phase of a standardization process. The development of X3DOM is funded within the BMBF “Software Cluster” and the EU network “V-MusT”. For further information, please visit: www.x3dom.org www.igd.fraunhofer.de/vcst

CeBIT 2012: So that one hand knows what the other is doing

2012-03-08T13:38:30+01:00

Date: 2012-02-23
Press report: 07-2012
Automotive development is a diverse process. Oftentimes, those involved do not know for a long time what their col-leagues in other departments are still contributing to the finished vehicle. The software company ConWeaver will present a solution at the CeBIT in order to overcome communication barriers. (Darmstadt/Rostock/Graz) Frequently, hundreds of designers from different sites take part in creating a new car. Ensuring their targeted communication among each other is difficult. In particular for demanding technical products and large engineering teams, one hand proverbially does not know what the other is doing at times. ConWeaver has developed a software tool for the automated networking and analysis of process-relevant data in order to help employees understand and see through these complex processes in the best possible way. It provides designers and their supervisors with exact and complete information at the touch of a button. Hereby, decisions are easier to be made and understood. “If the wheelbase of a new vehicle model is modified, this affects a number of different vehicle parts”, explains Con-Weaver Managing Director Dr. Thomas Kamps. “Document-ing and implementing such a decision will be made easier with our software.” Modification decisions and their impact on all people and components involved will now be under-standable. The staff can now completely trace the infor-mation flow, absolutely oversee processes as well as find required know-how in an updated manner and in the absolute context. Companies can thus decisively improve the co-operation of their employees, as well as discover errors sooner and hence save costs. Proven internal data processing procedures remain intact with ConWeaver. There is no need for any time-consuming conversion of the operating IT infrastructure as the data con-tinue to be managed in the existing applications. ConWeaver does not require any Master Data Management (MDM), but is flexible enough to be configured as well as implemented within just a few months. It adapts to a changing database. ConWeaver is a spin-off of Fraunhofer IGD, the world’s lead-ing research institute for applied Visual Computing. If you would like to learn more about ConWeaver, visit us at the CeBIT 2012 in Hanover (Fraunhofer joint booth in hall 26, booth E 08). For further information, please visit: www.conweaver.de

CeBIT 2012: Market analysis – Digital crystal ball helps recognize the signals of the future

2012-03-08T11:11:38+01:00

Date: 2012-02-14
Press report: 05-2012
To recognize the signs of the times is to have a competitive edge. The sooner this is possible, the better. In the joint project “Signal Tracing”, three partners are developing solutions to look into the future like through a crystal ball. (Wiesbaden/Darmstadt) In the joint project “Signal Tracing”, a consortium consisting of C21 Consulting, ConWeaver and Fraunhofer IGD is developing a solution together with indus-trial partners to recognize and better evaluate market trends. Companies must identify trends at an early stage and deal with market and technology developments in a targeted way so that they can respond to the increasing competitive pres-sure and the rapid changes in their industry. They need to filter out early signs (weak signals) from the large amount of available information in order to set the right course in time. The joint development of the project partners is based on computers recognizing whether the term “Golf” refers to a car, a form of sport or a geographic location. People can grasp the meaning from the context. A computer is unable to directly capture it. It is missing the meaning of the word, i.e. the semantics. Only semantic technologies make it possible to recognize the conceptual meaning of information and classify it correctly. They have great potential to assist us in our tasks. The partners in Signal Tracing are bringing in processes and technologies which can collect, process and illustrate infor-mation. They detect the signals of the market, analyze and evaluate them. “As a kind of digital crystal ball, Signal Tracing is to help decision-makers steer their company towards safe, promising routes based on well-founded findings”, says Dr. Thomas Kamps, CEO of ConWeaver. Signal Tracing is not just a computer program. “It is about establishing a communication process around early indicators or trends”, explains Dr. Rainer Vinkemeier, Managing Direc-tor of C21 Consulting. “Because the early signals are very complex, they are often hard to trace and evaluate in the economic context. With Signal Tracing, designers and innovation responsibles are getting their hands on a tool which will decisively facilitate their work.” Signal Tracing (HA Project No.: 290/11-35) is promoted within the scope of “Hessen ModellProjekte” (Hesse model projects) from LOEWE funds – state offensive to develop scientific-economic excellence, promotion line 3: SME joint projects. The project will run for one and a half years. At this year’s CeBIT in Hanover from March 6 through 10, Fraunhofer IGD (hall 26 booth G 50) and ConWeaver (hall 26 booth E 08) will present, among others, the basic technolo-gies relevant for Signal Tracing. ConWeaver and C21 Consulting The Fraunhofer spin-off ConWeaver develops and markets software for the automated integration of company data as well as intelligent semantic search. In the Signal Tracing pro-ject, ConWeaver supports the strategic consulting process of C21 Consulting with technical know-how and creates analysis processes for data sources. In addition, ConWeaver conceives illustration interfaces in close cooperation with Fraunhofer IGD in order to enable a user-friendly interaction with the system developed from the project. Fraunhofer IGD At Fraunhofer IGD, the world’s leading research institute for applied Visual Computing, processes are developed to graph-ically illustrate information for a fast analysis (semantic visualization). The basis for these processes is our own devel-opment SemaVis. In Signal Tracing, SemaVis is used to create added value in order to process the semantic information visually. This makes the comprehensible and reliable perception of the coherences and effects possible, which are essential for decision-making processes within companies. For further information, please visit: www.c21-consulting.de www.conweaver.de www.igd.fraunhofer.de

Lifestyle Research Association: long-term research on health and wellbeing

2012-02-22T17:01:46+01:00

Date: 2012-01-26
Press report: 03-2012
In order to promote long-term European cooperation and research on health and wellbeing, Fraunhofer, IN-RIA and Philips have created a joint virtual research laboratory: the Lifestyle Research Association (LIRA). The 10-year partnership between Philips, INRIA and Fraunhofer will drive innovation in the areas of skin-care, sleep and controlling stress. (Darmstadt) Achieving health and wellbeing is about finding the right physical and mental balance in today’s hectic life. Getting enough activity, proper nutrition and sufficient sleep and keeping stress levels under control all have a critical impact on the way we feel. What’s more, our appearance also plays a vital role in our wellbeing, as it increases self-confidence in today’s demanding society. Introducing LIRA At the end of October 2011, representatives of the three institutions signed the cooperation agreement at the Fraun-hofer IGD in Darmstadt (Germany). LIRA is a 10-year European research partnership set up to perform joint research that addresses the health and wellbeing issues people face today. Its members are Philips Research in the Netherlands, INRIA, the French research institute for computer science and automation, and Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest organization for application-oriented research. These organizations already have a history of cooperation, having worked together on another long-term initiative called Ambient Intelligence Research and Development (AIR&D). “I’m happy that, once again, we are joining forces to create meaningful innovation that will promote people’s wellbe-ing,” says Fred Boekhorst, Senior Vice President of Philips Research. “Initially, we’ll focus on cooperation in skincare, dermatology and sleep, adding more wellbeing topics as we continue – for example, in the area of stress management.” A healthy night’s sleep Sleep is an essential part of a healthy life, but many people – especially as they get older – have trouble getting enough uninterrupted sleep. There is much still to be learned about how we can fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up in a healthy way, and this is a promising area of research for LIRA. “We would like to create an interactive environment that will help us make people’s lives easier,” explains Professor Dieter W. Fellner, Director of Fraunhofer IGD. The aim of this project is to define environmental and physiological features that impact the quality of sleeping oth during the sleep and during the day. So, special sensors in-stalled in a mobile phone or bed can analyze activities, stress patterns and sleep sequences and provide ideas for new strategies and, eventually, products that support a healthier night’s sleep. Skincare: defining your appearance Our skin is not only a protective shell and our bodies’ largest organ – it also defines our appearance and is an important part of the impression we make on others. Our desire to control the appearance of our skin gets stronger when im-perfections arise or signs of ageing become visible. Although some technologies for skin treatment have already been developed, there is a growing need for more tools to characterize skin condition and treatment effects, both on a physiological level and on an appearance level. LIRA offers an ideal platform to address these challenges, as it combines expertise on treatment technologies, characterization methods, and skin models. Controlling stress Studies show that the relationships between emotions and rational thought are deeply complex. In fact, many of our daily activities are shaped by our subconscious minds. Persistent stress, in particular, can wreak havoc on our lives, affecting how we feel and act in every situation. LIRA aims to study such effects and to find ways to relieve people’s stress – enabling them to lead healthier lives. “If people learn to be aware of stress, they can take better control of their daily lives, which in turn can enhance their vitality. This is what we would like to contribute to in our joint research projects,” says Jean-Pierre Banâtre, Director of European Partnerships at INRIA. Overall, the LIRA project will manage to find ways to improve the welfare of everyday life (at home and at work) and to help people to act on nuisances related disorders sleep, stress management or care of the skin.

CAST-Promotion Award for Xuebing Zhou

2012-02-14T14:48:44+01:00

Date: 2011-11-25
This description is only available in German language! Die ehemalige Mitarbeiterin des Fraunhofer IGD gewinnt den CAST-Promotionspreis 2011. Der CAST e.V. und die Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI) vergeben diesen Preis jährlich für eine hervorragende Leistung in der IT-Sicherheit. Ihre Promotionsarbeit "Privacy and Security assessment of Biometric Template Protection“ schrieb Xuebing Zhou während ihrer Zeit als Mitarbeiterin des Fraunhofer IGD. In der Abteilung Identifikation und Biometrie brachte sie das Thema Template Protection entscheidend voran. Speichern Unternehmen biometrische Daten wie Fingerabdruck, Iris oder Gesicht, stellt das ein Risiko dar. Diese Daten sind nicht fälschungssicher und können den Datenschutz gefährden. Template Protection wirkt dem entgegen. Das Template-Protection-Verfahren erstellt ein Referenzdatensatz, verschlüsselt ihn und verhindert, dass diese einmal errechneten biometrischen Zahlencodes zurückverfolgt werden können. Hier finden Sie mehr Informationen zum Thema Template Protection am Fraunhofer IGD.

CeBIT 2011: Biometrics for Business - Privacy is the critical point

2012-02-14T14:35:21+01:00

Date: 2011-02-08
Press report: 04-2011
This description is only available in German language! In einigen Unternehmen sind biometrische Systeme bereits für die Zugangskontrolle oder Zeiterfassung im Einsatz. In Zukunft ist hier ein Wachstum zu erwarten. Was bei der Nutzung berücksichtigt werden sollte, erklärt Fraunhofer-Biometrie-Experte Alexander Nouak. (Darmstadt/Rostock/Graz) Biometrische Systeme erkennen Personen anhand von eindeutigen Körpermerkmalen und kommen als Berechtigungsnachweis zum Einsatz. Mit dem Einsatz von Fingerabdruck, Irisscan oder Gesichtserkennung ist das Vergessen von Passwörtern oder das Verlegen von Schlüsseln kein Problem mehr. Der Komfortgewinn ist das große Argument aller Biometriehersteller. „Der kritische Punkt ist jedoch der Datenschutz“, erklärt Alexander Nouak, Abteilungsleiter „Identifikation und Biometrie“ am Fraunhofer IGD, der weltweit führenden Forschungseinrichtung für angewandtes Visual Computing. „Bei einem Einsatz in Unternehmen muss dieser für die Belegschaft gleich doppelt berücksichtigt werden.“ Nach Nouak gilt es zu verhindern, dass die vom System gespeicherten biometrischen Daten zweckfremd verwendet werden und dass die Privatsphäre des Beschäftigten durch die Systeme verletzt wird. Eine Verletzung der Privatsphäre kann vorliegen, wenn das System dem Arbeitgeber ermöglicht, ein genaues Bewegungs- und Verhaltensprofil seiner Angestellten zu erstellen. Etwa: Wann hat Mayer seinen PC entsperrt? Oder: Ist Müller in der Cafeteria? „Es gibt bereits Hersteller, die hierzu Sicherheitsbeschränkungen eingebaut haben“, sagt Nouak. „So kann das Ereignislogbuch eines Zugangskontrollsystems nur dann eingesehen werden, wenn es vorher von einem Mitglied des Betriebsrats per Passwort genehmigt wurde.“ Das Problem der tatsächlichen Datensicherheit, also die Gefahr, dass mein Fingerabdruck geklaut wird, ist damit jedoch noch nicht gelöst. Nach Ansicht des Fraunhofer-Forschers schützt man biometrische Daten am besten, indem man sie erst gar nicht speichert. Die Forscher des Fraunhofer IGD haben hierzu ein System entwickelt, das ohne gespeicherte Biometrie auskommt (Vgl. http://www.presseportal.de/go2/Fraunhofer_IGD_Biometrie ) und das sie auf der CeBIT in Hannover in Halle 9 Stand B36 präsentieren werden. HINWEIS: Zum Thema existiert auch HD-Videorohmaterial für Fernsehsender und Onlinemedien. Sehen Sie auch die ZDF-Reportage zum Thema: Biometrie - Der Körper als Ausweis

Augmented Reality: Time travel available for the iPhone

2011-10-27T17:32:15+02:00

Date: 2011-05-31
Press report: 14-2011
In the future, visitors to Darmstadt’s Mathildenhöhe will be able to delve into history with the aid of Aug-mented Reality. The application dARsein will be availa-ble for download on the iPhone from 3 June. (Darmstadt/Rostock/Graz) The Austrian architect Joseph Maria Olbrich was an important representative of Art Nouveau and founder of Darmstadt’s artists’ colony. His residence on Mathildenhöhe is an art-historical center of attraction of which only a simplification was rebuilt after the war. Many of its original features can only be guessed at on historic materials. In lieu of long internet research, this knowledge will soon appear on the iPhone. Whenever natural reality is overlaid with additional information, we talk about Augmented Reality (AR). The technology was developed by researchers of Fraunhofer IGD, the world’s leading research institute for applied Visual Computing, and will identify position and view of photos taken on site and select the matching historic material in real time. “The application dARsein processes natural image features and thus recognizes three-dimensional objects, such as buildings”, explains Dr. Ulrich Bockholt, head of the “Virtual and Augmented Reality” competence center at Fraunhofer IGD. “Images, texts and graphics can hence be laid over a photo taken by the cell phone in the right position.” dARsein allows visitors to Mathildenhöhe to view the original design drafts and blueprints or historic images as an overlay on today’s building. Past and present become comparable. “Darmstadt Marketing aims to try the new technology in cultural tourism”, says general manager Anja Herdel. “If there is enough interest, we plan to cover more of Darmstadt’s sights via dARsein.” A tour of Darmstadt with the smartphone might soon become a journey through time. Interesting historic sites are simply photographed, and the visitor will instantly experience the city’s history. A taste of dARsein will be available for free at the App Store from Friday (3 June).

Keep building on Fraunhofer

2011-10-26T15:07:27+02:00

Date: 2011-10-17
Already for the third time, the Visual Computing business unit of Fraunhofer Austria held the networking night “Bauen auf Fraunhofer” together with the Styrian business development institution SFG. On October 3, 2011, organizers and guests from Styrian industry and research made their way to Graz in order to discuss the application potentials of image- and model-based computer science in the construction and architecture industry. The growing number of participants shows that the construction and architecture industry is more and more interested in innovative technologies. Visual Computing offers construction engineers, building planners and architects possibilities beyond the state-of-the art procedures and options to extend the existing solutions in an even more targeted way. 3D models, visualized quickly and on a high level, that enable planners to navigate them in a team, can provide a significant competitive lead in a highly competitive industry. Engineers simulate and visualize the behavior of construction materials. Builders and contractors plan together and directly on the model. Prof. Urs Hirschberg, dean of the faculty for architecture at Graz University of Technology, showed the guests how computers can enhance architecture. “Augmented Architecture”, the title of his speech, opens up new paths to plan a building while at the same time changing our view on spatial experience and construction styles. Representatives from business and research discussed the needed requirements at the third consecutive networking night “Bauen auf Fraunhofer” on October 3, 2011. Directly on site, the Styrian business development institution SFG offered information on business development possibilities. By means of technology demonstrations, business representatives were shown what will be possibiein the very near future. „Bauen auf Fraunhofer“ is an event series. These networking nights focus on various topics and are increasingly in demand. Press information on the first networking night “Build on Fraunhofer” (in German) Report in the Fraunhofer Austria Report on the second networking night “Building on Fraunhofer” (in German)

Doctorate of Xuebing Zhou

2011-10-24T14:43:08+02:00

Date: 2011-09-27
Template Protection is essential for biometrics in order to protect the privacy of users and to overcome security gaps. Xuebing Zhou, employee of the “Identification and Biometrics” competence center at Fraunhofer IGD has taken up the assessment and protection of biometric reference data in her doctorate and developed an assessment framework. Template Protection improves security and data protection of biometric procedures. However, there are no sufficient measurement methods yet permitting statements about the quality of protection and security. In her dissertation entitled “Privacy and Security assessment of Biometric Template Protection“, Zhou designed a general assessment framework with regard to threat models, protection targets and the corresponding assessment criteria. This can substantiate potential gaps in the privacy protection of existing biometric systems as well as the security of the biometric data and their secure references The assessment tool is not only useful for technological innovations and improvement, but also to substantiate data protection and security enhancements. Moreover, the dissertation lays the foundation for a comparability of the criteria. Xuebing Zhou successfully graduated from Darmstadt Technical University on Septemberr 19, 2011. The supervisor of her doctorate thesis was Professor Dr. Dieter W. Fellner, head of Fraunhofer IGD and of the Graphic Interactive Systems and Computer Science department at TU Darmstadt.