Fraunhofer Research News May
Electronic tongue as oil tester(opens in new window),Combustion engines and hydraulic systems need less frequent oil changes than they used to. But to decide when it is necessary, most users rely on recommended rather than objective criteria. A thin-film sensor may soon be available to monitor the "actual age" of the oils. , ,http://www.fraunhofer.de/english/press/pi/pi2003/05/index_rn_t4.html (Detecting substances with swinging mirrors),Spectrometers are just as much in demand for the detection of environmentally relevant substances as they are for monitoring industrial processes. Two cost-effective, robust prototypes of such devices are due to be introduced in the near future. , ,http://www.fraunhofer.de/english/press/pi/pi2003/05/index_rn_t5.html ("We are the champions"... but artificial),There are some human soccer players that could still learn something from robots: Calculate before you shoot! Soccer robots are a big technical challenge, providing a scientific testing ground for developing ever more autonomously acting systems. , ,http://www.fraunhofer.de/english/press/pi/pi2003/05/index_rn_t6.html (Cars supply the latest traffic news),In urban regions more and more vehicles traverse the same routes everyday. This leads to a daily chaos. Using the vehicles themselves as sensors to measure the traffic density, the WAYflow system offers its drivers customized, congestion-free alternative routes. , ,http://www.fraunhofer.de/english/press/pi/pi2003/05/index_rn_t7.html (Retarded growth),In 2002, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's budget surpassed one billion Euro for the first time. But this growth was possible only through special measures. The effects of the economic crisis on industrial and government spending are encroaching on the field of applied research.
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