Our Projects

Complex service robots are being designed to enable us to live longer, autonomous lives at home, and to relieve us of everyday tasks. Along with purely mechanical help, these “companions” will in the future also provide cognitive support, interacting with the user in a socially sensitive and empathetic manner.

The “AmbientConcierge“ (“AmCo“) project realized the integration of “service and care” in assisted living, through the delivery of localized and individualized services designed to enable older persons to live as independently and at as high a standard as possible.

Goal of the project was the development of new skills for assistant robots so as to enable them to gauge the attentiveness of their counterparts and if necessary, influence and direct their behavior. The project is implemented using the assistant robot Care-O-Bot 4 on the basis of two practical application scenarios.

In the BakeR project service robot technologies for cleaning robots will be further developed to drive them towards market readiness. The aim is to build a modular cleaning robot with a mobile platform that detects the cleaning modules automatically and adapts its functionality to them.

The “CCE“ project was designed to develop solutions suited for senior dementia patients in the domestic environment, with the involvement of experts and user groups.

The goal was to develop a mobile therapy robot to assist patients in learning to walk again, e. g., after a stroke or other health event.

Improvement of records on care and nursing through the use of the domestic setting as the primary and preferred location for healthcare delivery by care networks and for the documentation of medical, (pre-)nursing, and everyday services.

The new prototype of the mobile disinfection robot “DeKonBot” is an automation solution that independently cleans and disinfects potentially contaminated areas such as door handles, light switches, or elevator buttons. Compared to cleaning by hand, the use of robots reduces the risk of infection for the cleaning staff and at the same time ensures that the cleaning task is carried out reliably and traceably.

The European research project “Digital Innovation Hubs in Healthcare Robotics” (DIH-HERO) aims to network the various players in the field of healthcare robotics and to provide financial and structural support for technology transfer and innovations related to service robots for healthcare

The Fraunhofer Institutes IPA and ISI were commissioned by the BMBF to develop new types of applications in service robotics and analyze their technical and economic value.

Identification, evaluation, design, and implementation of telemedical services for older persons on the basis of new business models, and at a new level of quality.

The objective of “Elevon“ was a semiautonomous lifter conceived and developed at the Fraunhofer IPA for lifting and repositioning persons.

The “ENGAGED“ network has set itself the objective of bringing together various networks and stakeholders from all over Europe and developing innovative, health-promoting, and sustainable services.

Development of a “tool kit” of methods including the engagement of volunteers, local supply, and AAL technologies for enhancing quality of life and independence in old age.

The objective of “GUIDE“ (“Gentle User Interfaces for Elderly People“) was the automatic adaptation to the interaction between the user and the application, in accordance with the user’s individual preferences, capacities, and limitations.

The objective of “InDAgo“ was a flexible, expandable mobility system that assists seniors in their everyday and leisure mobility.

The objective of the “ITA“ project was a study of the extent to which new ambient assisted living (AAL) technologies help people to better manage their everyday lives.

The “lifescience.biz“ project combined new technical possibilities, market and customer requirements, and innovative business models.

This project was designed to develop an innovative, user-centered technical solution: the Virtual Assistant (VSP). The VSP is designed to support persons from retirement age onward in their everyday lives, affording them greater safety.

The aim of “MobiNa“ was a mobile robot developed at Fraunhofer IPA that can be used as a communication platform in an emergency, e. g., in the case of a person falling.

The goal of “OASIS“ was to develop an open reference architecture that supports the collaboration and interconnection of new and existing services for older people in the areas of independent living, autonomous mobility, and intelligent work environments.

Intelligent environments can help older persons manage everyday activities. The Fraunhofer IGD was responsible for the architectural platform specification and for the design of the intelligent middleware.

Development of innovative service and technology concepts to ensure individualized and need-based care.

The objective of the EU project “POSEiDON“ was the integration of persons with Down syndrome in society and the support of their independence in managing everyday challenges.

“Roadmap AAL Interoperability“ (“RAALI“) was a joint project funded by the BMBF. It developed concepts to enable or facilitate the realization of interoperable AAL systems and system components.

Whether for the promotion of health, safety, comfort, social integration, or mobility – assistive systems will soon be applicable in all kinds of situations of daily life.

The RoPHa research project intended to further develop the skills of service robots so that they can perform everyday manipulation tasks in a safe and interactive manner. The developed functions have been implemented on the service robot Care-O-bot 4 to enable it to prepare food e.g. by cutting or sprinkling it, and to bring pieces of food in front of the user’s mouth.

The aim of this project was to develop a sensor system for emergency detection in domestic environments, with a focus on detecting falls and inactivity.

The intelligent use of service robotics in elderly care facilities or hospitals can relieve nursing staff from daily routine and physically exhausting tasks and reduce walking distances. In particular, three scenarios shall be realized: an intelligent care cart that navigates autonomously to the usage site and documents automatically the use of care utensils, a multifunctional person lifter with assistive functions as well as a service assistant, which provides drinks and snacks to inhabitants and patients.

The objective of the project was to develop integrated, technology-assisted service networks to support independent living for older persons. An essential component of the project is the development of business and operator models for the large-scale practical implementation of integrated service platforms.

The aim of the “SRS“ project was the development and testing of a teleoperated, semiautonomous service robot that can assist older persons in the domestic environment.

In the SOCRATES project, Fraunhofer IPA developed new hardware and software solutions for assisting elderly people in their homes. The results of the project are a Robotic Mobility Assistant and algorithms for vision-based action recognition.  

Development of DIN specifications for the provision of coordinated assisted-living services for the entire supply chain with their technological, organizational, and business-management interfaces.

The project objective of “Tech4P“ consists in the development of strategies for the support of personal services through the application of modern technologies.

The objective of the “universAAL“ project was to create an open AAL platform as a basis for the development of AAL solutions that are at once technologically innovative and economically competitive.

Social isolation is an increasing problem in modern societies. “V2me“ developed intelligent software systems designed to help their users to avoid becoming isolated and to find new, actual social contacts.

The EU-IST FP 7 project “VAALID“ developed new tools and methodologies which facilitate the process of the design, construction, and application of AAL scenarios.

The aim of this collaboration was the need-based development and testing of new fields of application for service robotics in the context of inpatient care.

Technological support in the preventive and therapeutic monitoring of patients’ state of health by means of CHA-compliant vital-parameter sensors in the domestic environment.