Press Releases

A sustainable society with climate-neutral processes requires significant adjustments in the value chains, which are only possible through innovations. Seven Fraunhofer Institutes are pooling their expertise in the lighthouse project "Waste4Future" to develop new solutions for this goal, from the raw material base to material flows and process engineering right to the end of a product's life cycle. In particular, they want to increase energy and resource efficiency in the use of plastics and thus pave the way for a chemical industry that requires fewer fossil raw materials and produces fewer emissions.

At busy transport hubs where cars mix with cyclists, buses, and streetcars, it can be impossible for drivers to keep track of everything around them. A radar sensor system could solve this problem by issuing an early warning for drivers and self-driving vehicles when a pedestrian runs toward the road or the car. The system, developed by Fraunhofer researchers, will even be able to interpret and understand entire situations on a road with the aid of artificial intelligence.

Magnetic resonance imaging has become an indispensable tool for medical diagnostics. Using metamaterials – printed circuit boards whose properties can be systematically adjusted – can increase measurement sensitivity by a factor of five. Metamaterials can also make scans faster and quieter. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes for Digital Medicine MEVIS and for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR are working together to make examinations more pleasant for patients.

M3Infekt, a Fraunhofer cluster project, aims to develop a monitoring system that enables early intervention in the event that a patient’s condition sud-denly starts to deteriorate. It will be a modular, multimodal and mobile sys-tem, and will also be suitable for use in the treatment of COVID-19 pa-tients. By facilitating the required intervention at an early stage, the system helps to lessen the effects of disease, shorten the duration of therapy and make flexible use of intensive care wards.

Foreign objects – glass splinters, for example – that find their way into foods can be hazardous to consumers. Established X-ray techniques detect primarily metals – glass, plastic and wood pose a challenge. SAMMI®, a new prototype, fills this gap: using radar, it has already detected glass splinters in sandwich cookies, as well as missing pieces of chocolate in advent calendars.

When someone is buried by an avalanche, earthquake or other disaster, a rapid rescue can make the difference between life and death. The Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR has developed a new kind of mobile radar device that can search hectare-sized areas quickly and thoroughly. The new technology combines greater mobility with accurate detection of vital signs.

To communicate the various new applications, which became possible with radar by the technological advancements of the last years, compactly and understandably to a broad public: This is the aim of "Radar in Action", the online lecture series of the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR, which was launched with great success in June 2020. Since in times of Corona a personal presentation of the research work at fairs and conferences is not possible, the institute developed a digital format for customers, partners and interested parties from industry, politics, science and society. In order to stay in contact with the international network, the events are now also offered in English.