RESEARCH NEWS
Synchronising electricity supply and demand
By 2045 , all electricity in Germany should come from renewable sources . However , wind and solar power do not provide a regular electricity supply but fluctuate . As part of the Kopernikus project SynErgie , the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA is working with partners to develop an energy synchronisation platform which will allow industry to offset these fluctuations and synchronise production with power generation . The Fraunhofer IPA researchers are also currently developing the first electricity-saving application for the IT platform .
The Kopernikus project , SynErgie , has brought together more than 90 partners and 18 industry and research partners to work together on an energy synchronisation platform which will enable different industrial companies to synchronise their energy requirements with the volatile energy supply . In the future , this platform should be able to coordinate supply and demand , automate and standardise the entire process of energy flexibility trading from machine to market through the IT platform and its services , and map it in a reference architecture .
The digital services that run on the platform use data from companies ’ systems and plants to determine how to use the various flexibility measures available , depending on demand . By the end of 2022 , the reference architecture for this should be complete , and will be tested using multiple research and industry demonstrators in the energyflexible model region of Augsburg .
Fraunhofer IPA is coordinating the project alongside the Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production ( EEP ) at the University of Stuttgart . n
Autonomous robots work as temporary storage during production .
Intelligent man-machine interfaces in focus
How does work affect our daily lives and how does it affect our mental and physical health ? How do technical solutions change people and how can devices be made more humancentric ? A five-person team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO is investigating these issues . In the NeuroLab , a laboratory for neuroergonomics , scientists are researching concepts and methods for developing intelligent interfaces between technology and humans .
A main research topic of the team is neuroadaptive technologies – adaptable technical systems that detect users ’ mental states using neurophysiological sensors ( measuring cerebral and vital parameters ), interpret these signals through signal processing and machine learning and are then able to respond intelligently to the detected states of the users ( adaptations of system behaviour ).
“ We want to enhance engineering disciplines by solving technical problems with neuroscientific and psychological expertise . AI and signal-
In practical testing , the research team uses multi-modal neurophysiological and psychophysiological measurement procedures , as well as machine-learning methods .
processing are major areas of focus in our work ,” said the researchers .
The team also want to share their new approaches with companies and show them how mental health and wellbeing can be embedded more sustainably through technology . The event ,
“ Sustainable Work and Life ”, will present neuroscientific and psychological methods , customisable digital technology approaches and new forms of data processing to provide impetus for change . It will take place at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO on 9 November 2022 . n
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