11/02/2023 — Manufacturing

On the way to a sustainable future for products

Whether it's a smartphone, refrigerator or car - how sustainable is the manufacture of our products? How much electricity and water is consumed during manufacture? Are individual components recyclable? These are all questions that more and more consumers are asking themselves and yet remain mostly unanswered. The OFFIS Research Division… More

10/17/2023 — Energy

The digitalized energy transition

Solar cells, wind turbines, hydropower – step by step, our energy system is becoming greener. And it has to become greener. Because the climate crisis is advancing and increasingly endangering our livelihoods. By 2030, 80 percent of Germany's electricity consumption is to come from renewable energies. In 2022, the figure was around 46 percent. The… More

08/02/2023 — Society

Why humans must be the center of attention

In care, at work, in the family: digitalization is increasingly changing our lives. What role should we humans play in this? A morning at the Citizen Service Center. A young woman wants to re-register her residence, but she has missed the deadline. The new job, the move, the search for a childcare center - it's easy to forget about re-registering… More

07/27/2023

AI ecosystems for better diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses

Today's healthcare system is becoming increasingly complex. More and more medical disciplines are involved in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients, and the number of available treatment options is rapidly increasing. However, especially in the case of mental illnesses, the treatment available is still inadequate. Not only during the… More

07/18/2023

"ReHopE" project: exoskeletons for the crafts of the future

In the skilled trades, supporting activities such as carrying heavy loads, moving machines on uneven surfaces and stairs or working overhead on ladders are very demanding. Physical complaints due to incorrect strain are not infrequently the result. The aim of the "ReHopE" project coordinated by OFFIS is to counteract this by making exoskeletons… More

05/24/2023 — Society

SPIELEND to more connectedness despite spatial distance

The aim of the " SPIELEND" project is to bridge social distances. To this end, an augmented reality (AR) game is being developed that can be played together across spatial distances. The spatial distances between people are increasing both in private life and in the professional environment. For training, study and work, we leave our home town,… More

03/27/2023 — News

The Art of Privacy - Data Protection on the Theatre Stage

Data protection? Important, but when do you really think about it? With the virtual reality installation "The Art of Privacy", which could be seen at the Oldenburg State Theatre in March 2023, OFFIS scientist Frederike Jung shed new light on the topic. Artful, interactive and unexpected - here are some impressions of the event. Admittedly, the… More

01/16/2023

Transfer amplifier for the region - IHJO project successfully completed

Unlike most OFFIS projects, the "Innovative Hochschule Jade-Oldenburg" (IHJO) project did not conduct any independent, new research. The focus of action was solely on the transfer of science. In order to promote the interaction of science with society and industry in the Jade-Oldenburg innovation ecosystem and thus strengthen the innovative power… More

01/10/2023

Improve digital information for people with visual impairments

Today's technologies rely almost exclusively on visual and auditory feedback. This results in accessibility problems for people with visual impairments. The EU project ABILITY aims to change this. Digital technologies are ubiquitous in our daily lives and have fundamentally changed the way we communicate and interact with each other with… More

11/18/2022

Clear the stage for the care robots

Computer science? That's just sitting alone in front of a computer and programming. Far from it! With her project "OtherCare", OFFIS scientist Frederike Jung shows how computer science topics can be applied in a colourful, socially critical way and even beyond the computer interface. Demographic change and the growing shortage of care professionals… More

11/02/2022

Robotic tutor in non-profit workshops

Can a robotic assistance system support people with disabilities in the workplace in performing and learning new tasks? This question was investigated in two studies in workshops for people with disabilities. People with disabilities are still strongly underrepresented in the free labour market. However, having a job is not only essential for… More

01/21/2022 — Energy

Identify and anticipate crisis scenarios faster with the help of AI

In the PAIRS research project, a learning AI platform is being developed to predict the effects of crisis situations on the basis of data. For this purpose, the large amounts of data that accumulate in various areas of society today are to be made usable in a targeted manner. Crisis situations such as the COVID 19 pandemic have an impact on diverse… More

01/12/2022

Sharing experiences together, even at a distance

In the research project "ZEIT", the social connectedness of people is to be strengthened even over greater distances through virtual reality (VR) and social signals. Social connectedness is a key factor for well-being in our lives. Loneliness, on the other hand, makes us sick. In times of the Corona pandemic, it became clear once again how… More

08/03/2021 — News

Artificial intelligence for controlled plant growth

In the "Predictive Plant Production" project coordinated by OFFIS, research is being conducted into how plant-producing businesses such as tree nurseries can be supported in targeted, resource-saving plant growth with the help of artificial intelligence. Due to increasingly dry summers as a result of climate change and at the same time decreasing… More

06/24/2021

enera - An important step for the energy transition

With 31 consortium partners, a budget of more than 170 million euros, and several hundred work steps bundled into 14 work packages, enera was one of the most extensive funded energy-related projects in Germany. The project officially started in 2017 and officially ran until the end of 2020. OFFIS was involved in several work packages (APs) of the… More

04/21/2021 — Manufacturing

Digitalisation of adhesive bonding technology

Bonding technology is elementary for the most diverse areas of production. The STEP-UP research project is investigating how processes in this area can be supported by wearable devices and augmented reality. Adhesive bonding processes are an integral part of many areas of manufacturing and are integrated as a (sub-)process into existing production… More

02/15/2021 — Health

A consultation network for telemedicine

The aim of the TelKonNet project is to create a telemedicine platform that enables the professional groups involved in the health care process to contact each other for patient consultations quickly and as unbureaucratically as possible. Funded by the Metropolitan Region Northwest, this joint networking is intended to enable telemedical specialist… More

01/29/2021 — Transportation

A new innovative information system for pilots

At the end of April 2020, the German-South Korean research project KEI.POP (Korean European Innovative Portable Pilot Unit) was completed. During the three-year project period with OFFIS as project coordinator, a new support system for pilots was developed. This enables current, land-based information to be transmitted to a ship without loss or… More

01/19/2021 — Energy

An early warning system for more animal welfare and environmental protection

Public interest in sustainable, animal-friendly agriculture has grown rapidly in recent years. Farmers who strive for modern animal husbandry are faced with the challenge of promoting animal welfare and reducing environmental impacts while at the same time maintaining competitiveness. The experimental field "DigiSchwein" is intended to make a… More

11/25/2020

Science Forum 2020: Focus on sustainability

The OFFIS Science Forum was created to provide a place for scientific exchange among all staff of the institute and neighboring groups of the University of Oldenburg. This year, the topic sustainability was the focus of the event, which, due to corona, was digitally realized for the first time. Climate change and the associated transition to a new… More

09/23/2020 — News

AI for an optimal overview of image archives

With digital cameras and smartphones, it is now possible to take pictures effortlessly and almost anywhere. The rapidly growing personal photo collections often turn into an unmanageable archive that is difficult to use. OFFIS uses methods of artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically evaluate and suggest images. Digital photography and… More

07/22/2020 — Health

Smart help for young diabetics

The goal of the Smart Diabetes 24/7 project is to give young diabetics a better insights into the cause of changes in their blood sugar levels with the help of an app. It often begins with children and young people simply feeling powerless or experiencing a constant feeling of thirst. If the diagnosis of the chronic metabolic disease diabetes then… More

06/21/2020

A safe cloud for Europe: Gaia-X

The Gaia-X initiative promoted by Germany and France aims to create a secure data infrastructure in accordance with European data protection standards. The project, which was launched at the end of 2019 by Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU), already involves 300 organizations and companies from all over Europe. OFFIS is also… More

05/28/2020 — Transportation

Bicycle assistance systems for children

In the Safety4Bikes project, assistance systems for cyclists were developed. In case of acute danger or in potential dangerous situations, the system warns via acoustic, optical or haptic signals on the helmet or handlebars. Which form of warning is most suitable for this purpose was researched in the project. A whole range of assistance systems… More

05/25/2020 — Energy

Artificial Intelligence for Improved Security

Critical infrastructures, e.g., for energy, water, transport, or traffic, are of critical importance for modern society. This makes it essential to protect them from attack. Self-learning systems can help to do this. The attack on Ukraine's power grid in 2015 impressively demonstrated, that cyber attacks on critical infrastructure have long been a… More

05/25/2020

Sustainability and IT

Sustainability and IT - does that fit together? Digitisation can and will play a major role in the sustainability research of the future. We must all become more sustainable, as our hunger for raw materials and energy is no longer sufficient for the well-being of the entire global population. 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations… More