Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS

GiantEye – High-energy CT for very large objects

The XXL CT in tower design, which went into operation in 2013 and is the only one of its kind in the world, took computed tomography to completely new object dimensions. For the first time, it was possible to tomograph complete vehicles three-dimensionally and in sub-millimeter resolution.

With this extraordinary laboratory system, numerous projects have been realized in recent years that would previously have been unthinkable: in addition to a large number of vehicles and vehicle components such as high-voltage storage units, entire aircraft (Me-163) as well as entire sea freight containers and much more have already been digitized in three dimensions.

The GiantEye system architecture, developed from scratch together with OHB Digital Connect, is based on many years of experience in the field of XXL CT and represents the next generation of XXL high-energy CT systems.

The system geometry in so-called gantry design is reminiscent of an oversized medical CT system, in which the radiation source and X-ray detector rotate around the object being measured.

This offers the great advantage that particularly long objects, such as vehicles, no longer have to be scanned in an upright position, but can be scanned in their natural orientation, i.e. in the »road position«.

© OHB SE
The system geometry in so-called gantry design is reminiscent of an oversized medical CT system, in which the radiation source and X-ray detector rotate around the object to be measured.

Details of the GiantEye system

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© Fraunhofer IIS
Drive battery of an electric vehicle.
© Fraunhofer IIS
Computer tomography of an electric vehicle
  • Testing of entire high-voltage storage systems - even when installed
  • Analysis of entire vehicles
  • Engine components
  • Final inspection of additively manufactured components
  • Analysis of crashed vehicles

  • Handling effort significantly reduced
  • Avoidance of "unnatural" force effects (load conditions)
  • Object remains in its natural position
    • Safety (e.g. for high-voltage storage units)
    • Deformation
  • Higher resolution and measurement accuracy possible
  • Longer cycle times
  • Höhere Taktzeiten 

The size and selection of components can vary depending on the type of design. What all systems have in common is the use of a linear accelerator of 6-9 MeV and special high-energy detector systems. A high-precision manipulation system ensures the necessary accuracy of up to 100 µm. Adaptation to specific problems is possible.

Application example »Gulliver-CT« at the TU Kaiserslautern

© Fraunhofer IIS
»Gulliver-CT« was set up at the TUK Kaiserslautern in 2024. The unique system is able to test concrete beam structures under load.
  • Completion at the end of 2024
  • Testing of concrete beam structures under load
  • Analysis of crack propagation >= 100 µm depending on the applied load (pressure, torsion)
  • CT system combined with load test bench
  • 3D analysis (static)
  • 2D analysis (dynamic)
  • 9 MeV linear accelerator
  • Combination of several detector systems