Research and Flight Test of Advanced Turbulence Cancelling Technologies for Sustainable Urban and Regional Air Mobility (SmartWings2)2023 - 2026

The SmartWings2 project aims enhanced turbulence load suppression (TLS) via new sensor technologies of wind lidar and distributed MEMS turbulence sensing, as well as a novel flaplet. The predecessor project SmartWings successfully demonstrated TLS in light aircraft by means of turbulence probes in front of the wing and actuation of predefleced flaps for direct lift control. Read more →

Precision Measurements on Moving Objects (mEMO)2023 - 2030

The performance of optical measurement systems for 3D imaging of moving targets suffers from motion-induced blur caused by the relative lateral movement between target and measurement system during the finite measurement time (exposure time). This motion blur introduces additional measurement uncertainties, what results in a trade-off between measurement accuracy and acceptable relative velocity of the target. This project aims to eliminate this trade-off by introducing advanced motion compensation and blur correction strategies. Read more →

BioBuzz2023 - 2027

In this cooperation project together with University of Vienna, approaches of pollination biology and flower evolution are combined with mechatronic methods in order to investigate how Melastomataceae flowers have adapted to vibration pollinating bees. For this, a vibration system is desigend in order to execute artificial, bee-like flower vibration experiments. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the flowers are explored by vibration experiments in the lab and the internal flower structure is obtained by computer tomography. With this, the bio mechanics of flowers can be modelled and simulated. Read more →

Advanced Robotic Measurements In Line (aRMIN)2023 - 2030

Modern production systems, particularly for the high-tech sector, have a continuously growing demand for precision and throughput. The permanent monitoring and control of the manufacturing process by means of sensors, as well as inline 3D measurement systems for quality inspection are prerequisites to achieve a high yield and high quality of the produced goods. Besides novel production plants and automated assembly techniques, advanced robotic measurement systems for inline applications are considered as the most important enabler for future production. This project aims to design and develop application-specific holistic and advanced inline robotic measurement systems, and to implement adapted combinations of the developed concepts in iTRACK and mEMO for relative motion sensing, compensation and correction. Read more →

Principles for In-Plane Motion Sensing and Tracking (iTRACK)2023 - 2030

Distance and displacement are important physical quantities for positioning, sensing of object motion, vibration and deformations in various scientific and industrial areas such as non-destructive testing, as well as inline measurement systems. While there are various optical principles available for measuring out-of-plane (axial) displacement, the fast, robust and precise measurement of in-plane (lateral) displacement of arbitrary, non-structured technical surfaces on the sub-micrometer scale remains a largely unsolved challenge. This project aims to develop a fast and highly accurate in-plane sensor that enables measurements at the single to sub-micron scale. Read more →

MobileSpectro2022 - 2025

Infrared spectroscopy is a fundamental technique for the characterization and analysis of chemical compounds. MobileSpectro aims to develop a miniaturized high precision FTIR spectrometer that enables handheld operation for field use and provides a performance comparable to lab-based instruments. Read more →

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ConvoyFence2021 - 2024

This project aims at the development and integration of a vibration isolation platform with the main target application of optical drone identification systems in mobile scenarios. It will be integrated into existing vehicles to provide early and effective information for the protection of convoys against UAV threats. Read more →

High-speed large format 3D printing

To overcome the speed limitation of stereolithography 3D printers in this project, a polygon mirror based light engine is developed, which enables a laser line scan speed of a few hundred meters per second. Read more →

AC-KPFM2020 - 2024

The knowledge of the electrical surface charge distribution at the nanoscale is beneficial for many research areas including biological and material sciences. Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) is considered an eligible tool for the quantitative determination thereof. Current methods utilize a DC-Bias for the measurement of the charge distribution, which is not desirable when operating in liquid environments or on semiconductors. This project aims to bypass the parasitic effects of current methods and to enable quantitative surface potential measurments in DC-Bias critical environments. Read more →

Atomic Force Microscopy using self-sensing cantilevers

In Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), micro-cantilevers with a sharp tip are scanned over a sample to measure various surface properties with nanometer resolution. The measurement of the cantilever deflection is a crucial part, which defines the imaging performance of AFM. Self-sensing cantilevers with integrated piezoresistive or capacitive elements enable a direct and efficient deflection measurement and are a promising alternative to the conventional optical lever method. This project aims at enabling novel AFM methods and applications by exploiting the advantages of self-sensing cantilevers. Read more →