Digital transformation is a term for the digital revolution or digital turnaround and includes disruptive technologies, innovative business models as well as autonomisation, flexibilisation and individualisation - and this in a wide variety of areas ranging from the manufacturing industry to healthcare.
This research area spans various topics across faculties and touches almost all organisational units as well as other research areas of the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt. In addition, we are actively involved in the Lower Austrian initiative "Haus der Digitalisierung".
We perform research and development in the following topics:
Infrastructure:
The MotionData automotive software offers many possibilities for data collection. Only the associated evaluations leave something to be desired. In this project, reports on efficiency and effectiveness are created using MotionData's API interface.
The knowledge gained from the preliminary projects "Basket Transport Data Collection" and "Predictive Maintenance MURR" will be brought together to create a MATLAB-based application that identifies problems in the field of electric motors using statistical methods.
The 24/7-Digital project addresses the challenges of 24-hour live-in care. Based on previous findings in the field of 24h care, a solution is designed and provided together, with all those involved in the care process. This will be tailored to the phases of 24h care (phase 1: on-boarding/change, phase 2: care, phase 3: phasing-out/transfer). The main focus is on the functions (i) remote support (live image/sound), (ii) care guidelines in times of climate change, (iii) infopoint: administration of self-employment & care documentation, and (iv) (interactive) translation. (Funding authority: FFG)
The aim of this project is to search, evaluate and test various technologies for the automated (AI-supported) detection of quality defects and anomalies in the process data in two product lines of a manufacturer of special machines.
The developed algorithms from predictive maintenance and anomaly detection are raised to TRL9 and a MATLAB application is installed at the customer.
The aim of this project is (1) the research and development of new planning and control concepts based on the combination of classic methods of planning and control with methods of artificial intelligence (especially machine learning) for production scenarios with very high volatility and variability with regard to product variants, order quantities, raw material/part quality, with a simultaneous high degree of automation and a high degree of human-machine collaboration, (2) the development of a configurable simulator and demonstrator that allows production companies to use various decentralized planning and control concepts enriched with AI for production scenarios with high variability and To test, evaluate and further develop volatility in terms of product variants, order quantities, raw material/part quality (development and test bench for AI-enhanced production planning and control concepts). This project is funded by the FFG as part of the COIN construction FH for the economy program.
The ISI project (Scientific Evaluation, Testing and Integration of Innovative Software Technologies for Industry) is funded by the FFG as part of the COIN Aufbau program line. The focus of the project is on combining and processing current results from applied research of new digital technologies for SMEs. The aim is to enable SMEs to use new digital technologies economically.
This project aims to develop and offer training courses in the field of Industry 4.0 for companies in so-called learning factories. Learning Factories represent a realistic manufacturing environment suitable for education, training, and research. They are a physical learning environment containing educational instruments and equipment, effectively creating the working conditions of a real industrial site for didactic and training purposes. The Networks Development initiative has the purpose of creating an EIT Manufacturing Marketplace that offers all the Learning Factories’ education programmes and activities. Thereby increasing the outreach and access to the Learning Factories training offer, as well as incrementing the availability of equipment suitable for testing and piloting. Funded by EIT Manufacturing as part of the Learning Factory Network Development Program.
The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Training Network, funded by the EU under the Horizon Europe program, aims to establish matter wave interferometry as an essential tool in integrated quantum sensing. FOTEC and FHWN will focus on the development of integrated semiconductor-based atom traps, which can be used e.g. for high-precision measurement of gravity and magnetic fields.
Investigation and further development of an extrusion-based additive manufacturing technology under Mars-like environmental conditions and the incorporation of recycled plastic waste as a binder phase.
The project, funded by the province of Lower Austria, focuses on municipalities and rural areas and aims to support users in gaining insights into complex data from sensor networks by means of meaningful presentation and interaction methods. The research focus is on transparent connectivity across different, regionally available LP/WAN service providers and corresponding service integration. The goal is to realise a simple and transparent configuration for different use cases and smart services based on them within one level but also between the levels municipality/municipal associations/province.
This research project focuses on how companies, managers with leadership responsibilities and as well as employees handle diffuse working hours. Extended home office regulations have been introduced in many companies due to the pandemic. Employers and employees are faced with frequently changing framework conditions and increased working time flexibility. In cooperation with Lower Austrian companies and their work councils, the research team develops solutions for a reasonable approach towards working time flexibility. This research project is funded by the Future Programme Project Fund Work 4.0 of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labour. The project team consists of faculty members from the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt and the University of Graz.
Nachreichung erfolgt in Kürze
The CORNET project aims to investigate the interactions between additive manufacturing processes and their corresponding post-processing. The aim is to gain a detailed understanding of the process parameters of additive manufacturing on the post-processes and the properties of components. FOTEC's task is to carry out case studies for which the combination of laser beam melting and Hirtisation are relevant.
‘Care about Care’ (C^C) aims to support the ecosystem of professional home care (care workers, care recipients, family and non-kin carers, home care organizations, software providers) by providing new ICT-enhanced ways of collaboration, assistance and information exchange. By developing and combining ICT-based solutions C^C intends to: (i) initiate new ways of collaboration, workflows and (remote) support to make care work more attractive, (ii) provide tools for sharing information between members of the care network and (iii) promote knowledge transfer between them. FH Wiener Neustadt is coordinating the project and leading the development of the Remote Care Assist service. (Funding authority: FFG and Active Assisted Living Programme; Website: https://www.careaboutcare.eu/)
The aim of this INTERREG SK-AT project is to strengthen regional entrepreneurship, the performance of start-ups and the innovation capacity of SMEs with a focus on smart, digitalized manufacturing.
As part of the project funded by the Internet Privatstiftung Austria (IPA), various SDKs and hardware components are being developed and made available in the form of a toolbox. The Open³ Toolbox is intended to offer the possibility of assembling a suitable IoT system without significant programming effort.
The aim of this project, which is funded by the FFG as part of the FORTE program, is to develop an autonomous sensor-controlled filter system that electrochemically generates highly reactive molecules and thereby destroys pathogenic germs or chemical warfare agents.
The aim of this project, funded by the FFG as part of the COIN program "Aufbau", is to develop R&D expertise for testing additively manufactured metal and composite components in combination with research into the effect of detected defects on their service life. By using machine learning and structural mechanics simulation, a profound IO/NIO assessment of the components can thus be made.
The research project CO-INNO-LAB investigates regional success factors and models for co-innovation in university-run innovation labs. Studies are conducted with regional com-panies in the region, in particular small and medium-sized industrial companies (KMI), using methods of classic social research and innovative methods of intervention and action research. The role of infrastructures (university innovation labs) should also be examined. For this pur-pose, a innovation lab will be built. Another goal is to research the possibilities of digitizing the co-innovation process via combined real-virtual (cyber-physical) innovation spaces. The knowledge gained should be made available as recommendations for action, best practices and, in the case of technical developments, as conceptual prototypes.
This R&D project, funded by the province of Lower Austria, aims to develop cluster and similarity algorithms for the automated detection of the hardness of concrete formulations. FOTEC's task is to establish a LORAWAN-based measurement system at Wopfinger premises and to develop and evaluate algorithms from the measurement data obtained.
The aim of the project is to optimize a developed, universally applicable IoT measuring station. This can be permanently installed at different locations outdoors. Using externally connectable sensors, this station should be able to measure time and speed and count people or points. The product resulting from this project should be able to be used to measure permanently installed sports routes and also for gamification of sports (movement games). The game or the permanent sports route is not evaluated on the device, but centrally in a cloud system. The customer can access his personalized results, which are displayed in a web app, in real time. The aim of the project is to optimize the electronics for the required temperature range. For this purpose, the layout of the circuit is optimized (temperature dissipation) and the control of the LEDs revised and an additional microcontroller may be provided for this purpose.
Establishing a sustainable energy and economic system and dealing with the opportunities and risks of digitization are among the greatest challenges facing our society. BSAIO aims to put these two aspects in relation to each other. The methods from the fields of Big Data, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, which are based on digitization, as well as increasingly powerful optimization algorithms, offer the possibility of operating systems in a more sustainable way and saving resources both in their planning and operation. To this end, all necessary knowledge is to be imparted and the methods are to be applied directly to practical tasks. At the same time, the targeted use of methods based on digitisation for responsible and sustainable use of resources should help to create best practice examples in this area.
The FTI lead project funded by the state of Lower Austria aims to develop mobile, situationally embedded data visualisation methods to integrate the physical environment and abstract data representation. This is intended to realize basic technologies for the vision of a sensor-based data economy in Lower Austria, leading to Smart Rural Areas, a networked future of rural areas.
The goal of project ICAS is the integration of ultra cold atom based sensor principles on the CMOS platform. Modern techniques in atomic physics allow to cool down atomic ensembles close to absolute zero temperature (e.g. down to a few 10 nano Kelvin). These so called "ultra-cold atoms" are an extremely suitable candidate for the realisation of highly sensitive quantum based sensing devices., as their beheauviour is susceptibel to external influence such as gravity or magneitc fields. Within the Project ICAS we try together with partners at the University of Nottingham to integrate cold atoms on a CMOS compatible platform, which is the first step towards mass production of these sensor systems.
The aim of this INTERREG AT-HU project is to strengthen regional entrepreneurship, the performance of start-ups and the innovation capacity of SMEs with a focus on the development of (internationally) competitive products in the field of digitisation.
As part of the project funded by the Internet Privatstiftung Austria (IPA), software libraries for developers are created, which can be used to develop secure systems. Users benefit from applications based on SIKOSI because they can rely on those applications with regard to data security.
The CORNET project aims at the systematic and comprehensive investigation of additive-subtractive manufacturing process chains in order to gain a detailed understanding of influences and dependencies of parameters, strategies and boundary conditions related to the material and workpiece properties of additive manufactured and post-processed case studies in different applications. The task of FOTEC is the development of design guidelines for the different case studies along the entire process chain and their implementation.
'CARU cares' combines one of the most successful AAL services of the past - the emergency call - with new functions to support care workers in documenting their care activities. The result is a new, attractive and non-stigmatising way for elderly people in assisted living environments to make an emergency call to increase their sense of security and quality of life. The tasks of the FH Wiener Neustadt in the project are support within the framework of the co-creation and requirements process, conception and implementation of a component for location and context analysis as well as participation in the evaluation of the system. CARU cares will be tested and evaluated in Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. (Funding authority: FFG and Active Assisted Living Programme; Website: http://carucares.com/)
The project, funded by the Province of Lower Austria, aims to combine the complementary additive, 3-dimensional production processes of laser beam melting and laser powder deposition welding to form a novel production process. In addition to the additive manufacturing of metallic demonstrators, FOTEC is also responsible for the realization of a digital twin.
The aim of this FFG-funded project is to implement a modular robot construction kit system that can be used by experts during programming and by non-specially trained personnel during operation. In order to demonstrate the universal applicability, the project results will be demonstrated in several very different application-oriented scenarios.
Existing machine learning concepts will be evaluated and tested for their applicability within the framework of the project funded by Lower Austria. Promising algorithms will be implemented prototypically and models for the evaluation of the status of the plant equipment will be created.
Hard- and Software-Update of 2 test Benches for the electrical test of tractor cabs. New tests need supply voltages of 80V and 120V.
AgeWell is developing a virtual coach to accompany older workers during and beyond the retirement process. The main focus of the project is on promoting a meaningful life and a healthy lifestyle. In the project, the FH Wiener Neustadt is responsible for the integration of the respective Austrian target group, for the selection of the robot components, as well as for the implementation of the intended case scenarios. (Funding authority: FFG and Active Assisted Living Programme; Website: https://agewell-project.eu/)
The EIT project aims to establish a training programme in additive manufacturing aimed at operators, specialists, engineers, managers and new professionals to address the current shortage of specialists able to use additive manufacturing across the entire value chain.
In the frame of this project funded by the Province of Lower Austria, a sensor network is being set up for roller mills to record the current condition of the plant. Based on forecasts, the plant operator can derive predictive maintenance measures for cost-optimized and efficient maintenance.
In the project "Mixed Reality Based Collaboration for Industry (MRBC4I)" funded by the FFG, use cases on the topic of mixed reality are implemented on AR or VR glasses. FOTEC focuses on use-cases in the field of "support in production".
In this ESA project, research is being carried out on additively produced HF components of communication satellites. The aim is to increase the electrical power through new available geometries, to shorten the production and delivery time through higher integration and to reduce volume and mass through the integration of different functions (electrical, thermal, mechanical) in one part. The task of FOTEC is the revision of the design as well as the additive manufacturing of the satellite components.
Development of a force-plate for swimming
Through its NEOSAT project, ESA aims to help Europe's space industry become more competitive. The new communications satellite platform could reduce orbital operating costs by up to 30 percent compared to conventional satellites. FOTEC's task is to additively manufacture a bracket for a solar panel, whereby the focus is not only on additive manufacturing, but also on design and FEM-based simulation.
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