New AMI research alliance explores revolutionary imaging technology

^{Jena (Germany) | October 11, 2022}

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the new Thuringian AMI research alliance with 8.7 million euros. Its goal is the development of multimodal imaging techniques. The alliance officially started its three-year project period with a kickoff in October.

"Utilize the Unseen" – This is the motto of the new research alliance AMI ("Advanced Multimodal Imaging"). Here, methods of so-called multimodal imaging are being researched. With their help, not only objects and substances can be made visible, but also their properties that remain hidden to the human eye when simply looking at them, such as temperature or vital parameters, etc.

This is achieved by combining different information from several imaging methods in multimodal imaging. By combining color, spectral, temperature and 3D images, multimodal imaging achieves a new comprehensive representation of objects or scenes to be captured with the help of artificial intelligence.

Future markets with significant growth projections

Multimodal imaging represents a revolutionary technology that can be used to create entirely new applications for a wide range of economic sectors. Future markets with significant growth projections include: production and quality control, medicine and health, the food industry, automotive and mobility, agriculture and forestry, and recycling.

In recycling, for example, the technology will provide retailers with a single-sort return system: robots recognize and distinguish between different types of plastic so that bottles and containers can be sorted accordingly. The new way of recognizing objects and substances will make it possible to develop an analysis device for recycling construction waste. And in medicine, it promises new diagnostic possibilities. For example, a miniaturized vital and activity sensor is already being planned that will make it possible to measure a patient's heart rate, breathing rate and temperature without contact.

Regional alliance within the framework of the RUBIN funding program

AMI is funded as a regional research alliance, located in Central and Southern Thuringia with regional focal points in Ilmenau, Suhl, Weimar and Jena, within the framework of the RUBIN program ("Regional Entrepreneurial Alliances for Innovation") by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 8.7 million euros. The total volume of the project is 11.6 million euros, of which 2.5 million euros are allocated to research at the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena.

The AMI research alliance thus addresses regional, industrial growth fields. In addition to Fraunhofer IOF, the alliance includes the following partners: 3plusplus GmbH, AIM Micro Systems GmbH, InfraTec GmbH Infrarotsensorik und Messtechnik, LUCAS instruments GmbH, Materialforschungs-und-prüfanstalt, Sielaff Software und Service GmbH & Co. KG, Steinbeis Qualitätssicherung und Bildverarbeitung GmbH, TechnoTeam Bildverarbeitung GmbH, Vision & Control GmbH, Zentrum für Bild- und Signalverarbeitung ZBS e.V. and Technische Universität Ilmenau.

The project is coordinated by Steinbeis Qualitätssicherung und Bildverarbeitung GmbH together with the SpectroNet Collaboration Cluster.