Freiburg's research is booming: New endowed professorship for sensor systems!

Freiburg's research is booming: New endowed professorship for sensor systems!

The University of Freiburg will take a significant step towards advanced sensor technologies through a newly established endowed professorship. This initiative, supported by Robert Bosch GmbH and Bosch Sensortec GmbH, is designed to strengthen the research field of intelligent sensor systems. Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein emphasizes the immense importance of this funding for Freiburg as a research location and for the university's technical faculty. The aim is to build a bridge between academic research and industrial application.

The professorship will focus on the development of innovative sensor systems that bring together different physical sensor sources. The goal is to develop sensors that are not only sensitive and precise, but also resistant to interference. Research activities will focus on several key areas, such as the design of electronic circuits, the use of artificial intelligence and the development of simulation models. Areas of application are diverse and range from medical technology to environmental monitoring to autonomous vehicles.

Research field and technological progress

Intelligent sensors based on MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) are the basis for many current developments. Bosch is considered the world market leader here and produces around five million micro-sensors every day that are used in smartphones and vehicles. Bosch is not only a leader in production, but also in research: the development of the next generation of sensor technologies, including quantum sensors, promises higher sensitivity than conventional MEMS sensors. These new sensors could offer revolutionary applications, particularly in medical technology, for example in the diagnosis of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's and in the creation of "brain-computer interfaces".

Fraunhofer IPMS plays an essential role in the research and development of new technologies in the field of microsystems technology. Novel sensor structures such as capacitive micromechanical ultrasonic transducers (CMUT) were presented at the MST Congress 2021. This technology is suitable for non-destructive testing and is already available in various versions. Developments in optical sensor technology will also be presented, including MEMS mirrors for solid-state LiDAR systems, which are important for innovative applications in medical technology.

Synergies between science and industry

The collaboration between Bosch and academic institutions is highlighted as essential by Peter Wolfangel, member of the Mobility Electronics divisional board at Bosch. These partnerships are necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical applications. The goal is to promote new impulses at the interface between hardware and software. This becomes particularly clear when designing systems that connect the physical and digital worlds.

The developments in the field of intelligent sensor systems not only represent technological innovation, but also an improvement in people's quality of life. Technologies that analyze signal processing and environmental data enable a connected future that will have a significant impact in both Industry 4.0 and everyday life. It remains to be seen to what extent these advances will change our daily lives and communication with technical systems.