OFFIS Blog In this blog you will find regular news about the research and development activities of the institute. With articles on current and completed projects, general topics as well as reviews and outlooks on events, we would like to keep you constantly up to date. We hope you enjoy reading!
Intelligent crisis management with AI: A cloud platform for federated data providers
The joint project PAIRS (Privacy-Aware, Intelligent and Resilient Crisis Management) was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as an AI flagship project as part of the ‘Artificial Intelligence Innovation Competition’. It ran from April 2021 to November 2024 and aimed to develop a cloud-based platform that… read more
Cardiovascular arrest: increasing the chances of survival
The ‘AED Wirkt’ project is investigating the distribution of life-saving defibrillators in the city of Oldenburg. Interactive visualisations and local data will be used to identify new locations in order to optimise emergency care. In the event of sudden cardiac arrest, people need professional help within minutes to ensure their survival. In… read more
Playful therapy support for depressed children
Mental health issues are on the rise among children – but therapy places are scarce. The STARK project (playful therapy support with adaptive realism for children) is developing a digital, interactive application for children aged nine to twelve that uses playful therapeutic approaches. Mental health issues have increased in recent years, mainly… read more 04/16/2025 — Society
AHOI_MINT gets children excited about computer science
AHOI_MINT gets children excited about computer science
Since 2020, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research has been funding regional clusters on the subject of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as part of the federal initiative ‘Digital Future’. The aim is to get children and young people excited about STEM topics and thus sustainably strengthen STEM education. Under the… read more 04/09/2025
Ageing happily with smart living technology
Ageing happily with smart living technology
The GAiST project which started in 2024, aims to improve the quality of life of older people through innovative technologies, enabling them to live a long, self-determined life in their own homes. To achieve this goal, GAiST relies on the integration of Ambient Assisted Living and Ambient Health technologies. These include, among other things,… read more
Advancing sustainable repairs: Development of an AI-driven fault detection model
As part of the EU-funded ‘CIRC-UITS’ project, we are working together with BOSCH on an exciting sub-project: We are developing a computer vision model for the diagnosis and fault detection of control units used in cars - for example for ABS or ESP. The aim? To increase sustainability in the electronics industry! An interview with Alexandr Bystrov,… read more 08/21/2024 — News
Open source provision: Simulation for energy-efficient neighbourhoods
Open source provision: Simulation for energy-efficient neighbourhoods
The open source software ‘Neighbourhood Energy Management System’ (QEMS) developed by OFFIS enables the control of energy systems in neighbourhoods. Developed as part of the ENaQ project, it optimises the coordination of energy generation and consumption at neighbourhood level through intelligent system control. Renewable energies, especially PV… read more 03/12/2024
Robotics as an opportunity for nursing
Robotics as an opportunity for nursing
We are getting older and older, but at the same time there is a shortage of carers. How robots and AI applications could solve the dilemma. Ameca, the new colleague, smiles, jokes, talks and, above all, helps wherever she can on the nursing station: Repositioning patients, lifting them out of wheelchairs or accompanying them to the bathroom.… read more 11/02/2023 — Manufacturing
On the way to a sustainable future for products
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… read more 10/17/2023 — Energy
The digitalized energy transition
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… read more 08/02/2023 — Society
Why humans must be the center of attention
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… read more
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… read more
"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… read more 05/24/2023 — Society
SPIELEND to more connectedness despite spatial distance
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,… read more 03/27/2023 — News
The Art of Privacy - Data Protection on the Theatre Stage
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… read more
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… read more
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… read more 11/18/2022
Clear the stage for the care robots
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… read more 11/02/2022
Robotic tutor in non-profit workshops
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… read more 01/21/2022 — Energy
Identify and anticipate crisis scenarios faster with the help of AI
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… read more
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… read more 08/03/2021 — News
Artificial intelligence for controlled plant growth
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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… read more
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… read more 04/21/2021 — Manufacturing
Digitalisation of adhesive bonding technology
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… read more 02/15/2021 — Health
A consultation network for telemedicine
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… read more 01/29/2021 — Transportation
A new innovative information system for pilots
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… read more 01/19/2021 — Energy
An early warning system for more animal welfare and environmental protection
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… read more 11/25/2020
Science Forum 2020: Focus on sustainability
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… read more 09/23/2020 — News
AI for an optimal overview of image archives
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… read more 07/22/2020 — Health
Smart help for young diabetics
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… read more 06/21/2020
A safe cloud for Europe: Gaia-X
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… read more 05/28/2020 — Transportation
Bicycle assistance systems for children
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… read more 05/25/2020 — Energy
Artificial Intelligence for Improved Security
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… read more 05/25/2020
Sustainability and IT
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… read more 