»Long night« at Fraunhofer IIS

At the 9th iteration of the »Long Night of the Sciences« on October 19, inquisitive visitors and young researchers were invited to discover the academic and research institutions of northern Bavaria. Throughout the day, hundreds of higher education institutions, municipal bodies, and private associations opened their doors to give people a glimpse into their day-to-day research and other activities normally hidden from view.

We participated in the event at our Erlangen-Tennenlohe, Fürth-Atzenhof, and Nürnberg-Nordostpark sites. At our main headquarters, a variety of exhibits showcased the theme of artificial intelligence (AI). In short presentations, researchers discussed the current state of research and demonstrated applications exploiting the capabilities of AI. Meanwhile, guests could enjoy hands-on activities like adjusting the audio mix on a television, hearing what a phone call in HiFi sounds like, or experiencing in-car 3D sound. At the Campus of the Senses, visitors had the opportunity to try out a next-generation dri- ving simulator or test their sense of smell and taste. A treasure hunt was held with 27 stops throughout the Institute, and the HR team was on hand with information on jobs and career opportunities at Fraunhofer IIS.

In Fürth, the major attraction was the XXL computed tomography scanner, which occupies an area of around 400 square meters and is the only one of its kind in the world. The scanner allows X-ray examinations of entire cars, revealing even the tiniest details. Other exhibits demonstrated how plant growth can be observed non-destructively, or how robots can monitor quality in the production process.

At our location in Nuremberg, employees of the ADA Lovelace Center answered questions on the benefits of AI to the industrial and service sectors, and demonstrated how positioning technologies can be used to create order and efficiency in logistics. In an activity exploring machine learning, guests had fun observing how a machine reacted to them.