Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics in cooperation with the Leibniz institutes IHP and FBH
Fields of research:
- LiDAR
- radar
- camera
- Sensor data fusion
- Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
Sensor technologies
Smart solutions for vehicle environment detection and distance measurement systems pave the way for safe traffic and form the basis for autonomous driving. An autonomously driving car can only move safely in traffic if it correctly and accurately detects its current environment with multiple 360° near and far-range sensors. This is achieved exclusively with the information from the vehicle's sensors.
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a key technology for this. LiDAR systems measure the time it takes for the light emitted by a laser to be reflected by an object and detected by a sensor. LiDAR sensors provide essential information for object detection and collision avoidance by generating an exact 3D image of the vehicle's surroundings by measuring hundreds of thousands of distances per second. Combined with cameras and radar sensors, they perceive their surroundings, help with orientation, detect obstacles, and measure distances, thus ensuring greater safety and efficiency in complex environments and on busy roads.
Project examples
ROADAR @ Fraunhofer EMFT
Early warning system for detecting aquaplaning and black ice with Fraunhofer EMFT.
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Intelligent diagnostic interfaces for networked IoT systems and autonomous driving from Fraunhofer EMFT
Researchers at Fraunhofer EMFT are working on a project of the same name on so-called Cyber Physical Connectors, a new generation of active, "intelligent" connectors.
radar4FAD
Universal radar modules for fully automated driving with Fraunhofer ENAS, Fraunhofer FHR, Leibniz IHP.
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Systemic and long-term effects on the reliability of soldered joints for the mobility of the future @ Fraunhofer ENAS
An optical multi-sensor measurement system has been developed, which is capable of precise deformation measurements of boards mounted in automotive electronic control units (ECUs) from global level to local level.
Fraunhofer lead project eHarsh with Fraunhofer IMS, Fraunhofer ENAS and Fraunhofer IZM
The aim of the lead project "eHarsh" is to develop and provide a technology platform on the basis of which sensor systems, consisting of sensors and electronics, can be developed and manufactured for use in extremely harsh environments.
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GOPOSim - Time-dynamic radar simulation of traffic scenarios in real time @ Fraunhofer FHR
Fraunhofer FHR has now developed a simulation tool that generates raw radar data and electromagnetically simulates time-dynamic processes – based on physical optics and, depending on the complexity, in real time. It is therefore ideally suited to replacing time-consuming test drives.
Synthesis of raw radar data in traffic scenarios through ray tracing, lecture @ Fraunhofer FHR
A radar target simulator was developed at FHR, with which the raw radar data, after further processing into object lists, can be played back to the radar sensors over-the-air.
Project KonSens with Fraunhofer FHR and Fraunhofer IIS
In the KonSens - "Cooperating Sensor Systems" project, the consortium consisting of Fraunhofer FHR, IAIS, IVI and IIS researched the feasibility and benefits of networked sensor systems for the automated evaluation of intersections.
High-resolution radar systems for the detection of pedestrians and their behavioral prediction at bus stops with Fraunhofer FHR and Fraunhofer IIS
In the HORIS project, the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, and the Fraunhofer Application Center "Connected Mobility and Infrastructure" have set themselves the goal of improving road safety – particularly in situations involving large numbers of road users.
Precise positioning for self-driving cars with radar @ Fraunhofer FHR
What a human driver usually estimates with a glance it can only be carried out by means of sophisticated sensors in self-driving cars. Fraunhofer FHR has now investigated what radar sensors are able to do in this regard.
Early detection of track bed damage using radar @ Fraunhofer FHR
Together with RWTH Aachen University, Fraunhofer FHR has now developed a GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) system that can be used to examine the track beds non-destructively and over their entire length. To do this, the radar system must be mounted on a mobile platform that can travel along the track and examine it.
Precise material characterization @ Fraunhofer FHR
Fraunhofer FHR is carrying out corresponding investigations for numerous customers. The measuring equipment can be used to professionally measure and characterize various material types – even those consisting of several different homogeneous layers.
Self-driving cars: safely on the road with a radar target simulator @ Fraunhofer FHR
The virtual testing environment ATRIUM, the German acronym for »automobile testing environment for radar in-the-loop testing and measurements« aims to change this – it is being developed at Fraunhofer FHR.
System SEERAD - Reliably detecting shipwrecks - with a new type of radar system with Fraunhofer FHR
A novel radar system is capable of reliably locating drowning persons, as such providing valuable help for rescue missions. A first field test was extremely promising, but a lot of research work is still required until the system can be used routinely.
Autonomous driving: Detecting obstacles and analyzing their height with a new type of radar system @ Fraunhofer FHR
Recognizing obstacles on the road and along the roadside will be particularly important. A radar system is capable of recognizing even small obstacles and determining their heights at distances from 80 to 150 meters.
Collaborative Fraunhofer PREPARE project MELINDA - LIDAR system with optimized environment detection with Fraunhofer FHR, Fraunhofer HHI, Fraunhofer ISIT
MELINDA enables long-range operation, simple implementation of glare suppression and potentially a small form factor.
Hydrogen detection @ Fraunhofer HHI
Hydrogen detection for the early detection of fire and explosion hazards due to leaks in hydrogen tanks and pipes in the field of "mobility with fuel cells". Funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWI) - ZIM.
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Battery and sensor test center (BST) @ Fraunhofer HHI
Fraunhofer HHI uses the infrastructure and controlled environment of the BST to develop sensor systems for reliable characterization and early identification of safety-critical conditions.
Energy storage sensors @ Fraunhofer HHI
The Energy Storage Sensor Technology group develops measurement systems which enable the most precise changes in state to be recorded and provided to the user.
Fraunhofer High-Performance Center "Digital Networking" with Fraunhofer HHI and Fraunhofer IZM with application field mobility
The High-Performance Center "Digital Networking" pools the expertise of four Berlin Fraunhofer Institutes and supports the German economy and companies in the Berlin-Brandenburg region in realizing the potential of digitalization.
Sensor Development and Integration @ Fraunhofer IZM
Fraunhofer IZM offers a complete development – from requirements, concept, manufacturing of sensor elements to packaging and test – of sensors for the measurement of physical parameters e.g. pressure, acceleration, force, gas concentration.
Hermetic MEMS & Sensor Packaging @ Fraunhofer IZM
The combination of active or passive TSV silicon interposer wafers with cap wafers by wafer to wafer bonding technologies offers new possibilities for hermetic wafer level packaging of MEMS components.
Working Group - Radar Frontends & Modules @ Fraunhofer IZM
Fraunhofer IZM focuses on the optimized design and characterization of RF/millimeter-wave radar modules using the M3 approach (methods, models, measures). Based on the application requirements, the implementation concept is developed in conjunction with the M3 approach.
ARAMID project for 360° all-round monitoring of the vehicle environment in a dynamic environment with Fraunhofer IIS/EAS
Funded by the European Union and the Free State of Saxony as part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
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Project ThermOBS - Thermal on-board spectroscopy for autonomous electric vehicles with Fraunhofer IIS/EAS
ThermOBS is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the "Mikroelektronik aus Deutschland - Innovationstreiber der Digitalisierung" program.
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Quasi-static mirrors with large apertures, e.g. for LIDAR applications in automotive and robotics technology @ Fraunhofer IISB
Excellent accuracy laser projection for high quality optical sensing and measurement tasks . Fraunhofer ISIT has developed 1D and 2D quasistatic scanning mirrors with piezoelectric AlN and AlScN based actuation.
Environment detection @ Fraunhofer IMS
Among other things, Fraunhofer IMS offers the development of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and IRFPA (infrared focal plane array) sensor systems and combines these with other sensor methods.
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Next Level Photonics - Novel methods for generation and detection @ Fraunhofer IMS
According to the slogan "Research Together", the project "Next Level Photonics", between the Fraunhofer IMS, Fraunhofer ISIT and the highly endowed Kyoto University from Japan, is being established.
SPADEYE2 –CMOS SPADs for LiDAR Applications @ Fraunhofer IMS
SPAD-based LiDAR systems are applicable in many different applications. Due to their single-photon sensitivity they are suitable for automotive long-range applications like driver assistances (e.g. emergency breaking systems) or autonomous driving to detect obstacles in the driveway of the car.
CSPAD αlpha @ Fraunhofer IMS
Info video
Flash LiDAR Camera Owl @ Fraunhofer IMS
The new compact LiDAR (light detection and ranging) camera Owl stands for fast and reliable distance measurements.
Fraunhofer lead project ALBACOPTER - Experimental Vertical Take-Off and Landing Glider with Fraunhofer IMS
Within the ALBACOPTER® Lighthouse Project led by Fraunhofer IVI, an airborne experimental platform will be developed and approved for testing and demonstration flights that combines the VTOL capabilities of multicopters with the aerodynamic advantages of gliders.
TimestampsAI - Faster and data-reduced solution for your high-resolution LiDAR systems @ Fraunhofer IMS
A pixel-wise quality information given in addition to the resulting point cloud allows confident decision-making of automated systems.
Automotive LiDAR technology @ Fraunhofer IPMS
To enable machine vision in three dimensions, a team of researchers at Fraunhofer IPMS is developing a »scanning eye«.
KRAFAS - Project 77 GHz radar for driver assistance systems with Fraunhofer IPMS
The project was funded under the Microsystems Framework Program (2004-2009) of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project was supervised by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH and coordinated by Robert Bosch GmbH.
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3D camera with a depth resolution of a few millimeters based on 2D MEMS scanners, e.g. for autonomous driving @ Fraunhofer ISIT
Current LIDAR scanning systems with electrostatic MEMS achieve a scan angle of 40° in both directions, while the new generation of piezoelectrically driven MEMS scanners from Fraunhofer ISIT can achieve extreme optical scan angles close to 180° due to the high torque provided by the piezoelectric material.
MEMS scanner for wide-angle LIDAR systems @ Fraunhofer ISIT
For this project, the Ferdinand Braun Institute supplied a pulsed laser source including control electronics, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems (IMS) developed a trapping optics with pre-processing electronics, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (ISIT) produced the MEMS scanners.