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Fraunhofer Singapore Institute launched at NTU to develop digital technologies for the industry

Fraunhofer Singapore Institute launched at NTU to develop digital technologies for the industry

Featured image courtesy of NTU.

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Fraunhofer), a renowned German institution for applied research, are launching a research institute to develop digital technologies to help companies move into the digital era and remain competitive.

These include virtual and augmented reality technologies that will, for example, allow engineers to run diagnostics on machinery using real-time infographics presented in 3D on hand-held tablets, or to review virtually created products using virtual reality glasses before starting on actual production.

Located at NTU, the new Fraunhofer Singapore institute is also working with the BMW Future Mobility Lab at NTU to improve driving safety. Researchers will develop human-machine interfaces that detect drivers’ emotions, attention span, fatigue as well as facial expressions.

The data can then be displayed on windscreens or visual cockpits of future cars, pre-alerting drivers of their condition to prevent any accidents from occurring.

Mr. S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) launched the institute yesterday, which aims to advance a manufacturing paradigm known as Industry 4.0 where Singapore companies incorporate data analytics, industrial internet of things (IIoT), and automation into their manufacturing processes.

Supported by funding from industry partners and with funding of up to $23 million from the National Research Foundation (NRF), the new institute will boost Singapore’s Smart Nation ambitions, and promote the adoption of digital technologies across all sectors of the economy. NRF CEO Professor Low Teck Seng said,

“The current dramatic shift to a digital economy underscores the importance for Singapore companies to remain ahead by using technology to continually reinvent the way they do business and train their workers.  Our support of the Fraunhofer Singapore institute represents another step forward in using research in digital areas such as visual analytics, virtual and augmented reality and human-computer interaction to add value to work processes and training in our companies.”

“The long-term collaboration with NTU and the strong support of NRF were the foundation to achieve this milestone. I’m happy to see the substantial implementation of the Fraunhofer model in Singapore delivering visual solutions with impact on industry and society,”

NTU Professor Karl Wolfgang Mueller-Wittig, Director of Fraunhofer Singapore said.

Blending the virtual with reality

Fraunhofer Singapore builds on NTU’s two-decade long partnership with Germany’s Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. It is Europe’s leading application-oriented research organisation, which has more than 69 research units throughout Germany. Around 30 full-time staff perform research, focusing on Industrie 4.0, personal health, smart cities, and visual computing.

The new institute will continue to work on research projects undertaken by the Fraunhofer Interactive Digital Media (IDM) at NTU that was opened in 2010. These range from multi-touch screen panels to mobile applications with augmented reality technology.

For example, one of the existing projects allows a user to point a mobile phone camera at a building to display its history and read up on its architecture.

It is also developing solutions to benefit the public sector, in areas such as healthcare education. Fraunhofer is working with NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in the development of anatomy teaching.

Together, they are exploring the development of new imaging modalities. Interactive learning models could aid students in grasping key anatomical concepts and has the potential to play an important role in medical education at NTU.

The institute also aims to advance industrial training methods to make it easier to learn about complex machinery. For example, instead of a thick manual, engineers can learn how to maintain a jet engine on the job by using an app on their mobile phones, with a step-by-step guide in augmented reality.

Apart from projects focusing on virtual reality and augmented reality, the centre will also work on other digital solutions such as cognitive human-computer interfaces and 3D modelling. It will be working with other companies such as Delta Electronics and LDR Ltd.

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Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

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CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

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Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

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SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

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HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

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IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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