CeBIT: Hidden tech unveiled

“Hidden””technologies being brewed in labs will come to light this week at CeBIT, the world’s largest technology fair, running until Saturday in Hannover, Germany.

CeBIT lab this week unveils innovations being engineered behind closed doors at research facilities – innovations which will soon be stimulating promising advances in building navigation, patient files on tablet computers, nano-robots, mobile learning and what can be termed Gesture Control 2.0.

One CeBIT lab highlight is the Fraunhofer city: More than 40 attractions trace the path to the future under the theme of Urban Living. Cloud innovation, software engineering for mobile business, real-time radio localisation or resounding updates for MP3 technology -scientists show how our lives will change through six tours of discovery.

For example, the self-contained city and building navigation system “”awiloc”” shows the way to the right terminal in airports or to a specific store in the shopping center. In a museum, awiloc provides in-depth information about each exhibit. Positioning is indicated with software running on a smartphone or tablet, without any Internet connection. The nLightened Workplace is also an attractive scenario for the workplace of the future: It consists of two horizontal, high-resolution multitouch screens and a virtual desktop with scalable and flippable windows. A ceiling with variable LED lighting simulates passing clouds.

Voice-controlled patient files on a tablet

Medical technology has an important place in CeBIT lab. DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence) presents RadSpeech, a mobile workplace for radiologists. In the future, physicians can call up electronic patient files with a voice command on a tablet computer. Images from past tests can be found using a semantic search. This dialogue-based innovation is designed to improve the clinical treatment process.

Healthcare assistant for immigrants

Medicine is also a key component of the “”GeM -Healthcare assistant for immigrants”” project presented at CeBIT by the DAI laboratory of Berlin TU. GeM seeks to ensure that foreign patients with little or no German have access to important healthcare information. In the future, information about illnesses and treatments or tips on preventive care will be provided online in the different immigrant languages.

Tablet application with in-memory technology

The Berlin Charit√© Medical University’s Institute for Pathology, SAP Innovation Center Potsdam and Potsdam University’s Hasso Plattner Institute have joined together for an ambitious project. The HANA Oncolyzer research initiative plans to bring in-memory business software technology to the medical sector. On exhibit at CeBIT 2012 is a tablet application optimized for mobile use in hospitals, to allow examination of the treatment history of a specific patient or of a group with similar presentation.

Robots imitate human behavior

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) presents ARMAR III. This highly sophisticated humanoid robot shows off how it can perceive its environment and grip objects in a kitchen, by taking a juice bottle from the refrigerator or loading cups in the dishwasher. Particularly exciting is how the robot communicates with people and learns by imitation -to wipe the table, for example.

Robots working in the nano sector

OFFIS (Oldenburg Information Technology Institute) is bringing nanorobots to Hannover. Here, “”nano”” does not refer to the size of the robots, but to their ability to position tools and probes with precision measured in nanometers. To clarify: one centimeter (cm) is equal to 10 million nanometers (nm)!

Mobile learning and app store for the smart home

The Centre for e-Learning Technology (CeLTech) is the international expertise center for innovative technologies in the field of learning operated by DFKI and Saarland University. Their CeBIT presentation will feature computer-controlled learning systems and mobile learning applications, among other things. These technologies are particularly beneficial due to their adaptability in terms of presentation, visualization, language and full accessibility.

Web intelligence for home networking

Intelligence from the net is a key component of the increasingly networked home. Digital assistants help improve living comfort in the home setting. Berlin TU’s DAI laboratory brings assistant systems together in a smart box that can be stocked with apps from an online store. The connection of intelligent power grids and electromobility plays a role in smart home development. Berlin TU’s DAI laboratory presents a system for eCars at CeBIT 2012 that displays current energy usage, battery charge and location of the nearest charging station on a smartphone.

The future of gesture control: pointing your finger is enough

The Hasso Plattner joint stand presents scientific highlights. For example, the Imaginary Interfaces project offers a look into the future of gesture control: to turn on the TV, you point to the remote control on your armrest. This demonstration interface utilizes a special 3D camera array that recognizes every movement and translates it into a command.

Something similar happens with three-dimensional landscape visualization on tablets or smartphones. A novel approach from the Hasso Plattner Institute allows for interactive visualization of 3D models -no matter how complex.

CeBIT lab talk discusses technologies that point the way forward

Anyone who wants to learn about research trends or hear directly from developers should visit the CeBIT lab talk presentation forum (Hall 26, Stand J50). Experts discuss the latest developments concerning topics such as “”Machines for people,”” “”Voice control”” and “”Customer loyalty in the future -mobile loyalty with smartphones and QR codes.”” CeBIT lab talk shows how the digital world will continue to develop into the future.

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