Opening the laboratory (from left): Prof. Dr Ulrike Salat, Prof. Dr Bernhard Hollunder, Prof. Dr Thomas Schlegel, Daniela Jardot (IHK) and Prof. Müller
Grand opening at Furtwangen University
How can people and machines work together more effectively in the future? How can complex data be visualised in a way that is easy to understand? And how can new technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) or interactive control centres be put to practical use by businesses, society and the research community?
These are the questions that the new laboratory at the Institute for Intelligent Interactive Ubiquitous Systems (IIIUS) at Furtwangen University will be addressing in future.
During the opening ceremony, the numerous guests from the business community, the university and the region were given an insights into the new laboratory space under the theme ‘Human and Machine in Dialogue – Understanding Interaction’. At various stations, demonstrations were held to show the opportunities the institute offers in terms of applied research, knowledge transfer and collaboration with businesses and local authorities.
Following a welcome address by the Executive Board, the Faculty of Computer Science & Applications, and the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, a tour was conducted through the laboratory’s seven thematic areas.
“Many future technologies only realise their full value when people can use them effectively, understand them and integrate them into their work. It is precisely at this interface that the IIIUS conducts its research − how can complex systems be made understandable, usable and effective?”, explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Schlegel, Head of the IIIUS.
The stations showcased the institute’s wide range of research topics; at the AR assembly workstation, cyber-physical production systems and applications for Industry 4.0 and 5.0 were demonstrated. In the UX Lab, visitors were able to experience user experience, usability evaluation and eye-tracking first-hand. Other stations focused on human-robot interaction in virtual spaces and through direct, in-person encounters. One example involved testing the acceptance of Harry, a parcel delivery robot capable of travelling independently on public transport, such as the underground.
The Curved Wall was also showcased, enabling the visualisation of complex data, such as an entire control centre for rail traffic. At the ExploraVision table, visitors were able to experience tangible interaction and visual data exploration for themselves by placing various objects on the table’s projection surface. Using these objects, markers for shops or museums could be shown or hidden. Applications from the fields of visualisation, mixed reality and the MARBLE project were also presented.
The focus was not on individual technologies, but on how they interact; interactive systems are designed to support people in complex situations, for example, in manufacturing, control centres, transport, urban and regional development, education or the analysis of large volumes of data.
“Our strength lies in bringing new technologies together with specific practical applications. We want to work with businesses, local authorities and research partners to identify where interactive and intelligent systems create real benefits – not as an end in themselves, but as tools for better decisions, better processes and better user experiences,” said Schlegel.
The opening was part of the “Zukunft.Lab.Schwarzwald” series and was organised for the first time by Furtwangen University in collaboration with TechnologyMountains and the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The IIIUS sees itself as an interface between computer science, design, applied research and regional knowledge transfer. The new laboratory spaces provide an infrastructure in which prototypes can be developed, studies carried out and joint projects with partners from industry and society realised. The IIIUS places particular emphasis on close cooperation with the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg region and the south-west as a whole.
The laboratory opening also marks the start of further collaborations for the HFU within the framework of the new laboratory. In future, companies and institutions will be able to utilise the laboratories and expertise to work alongside the IIIUS on issues relating to human-machine interaction, usability, data visualisation, control centres, AR/VR, robotics and applied AI, and to develop new products and processes.
Further impressions
