Milestone for bionic technology

Prof. Verl and Prof. Dixon after signing the contract for the project "Bionic Joint" at the University of Auckland. (Source: University of Auckland, Photos: Gottfried Boehnke)

As part of her New Zealand government visit, one day before the G20 summit in Brisbane, Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel participated in the celebrations. Steven Joyce, New Zealand's Minister for Science and Innovation, was also present.

The Fraunhofer IPA has entered into a three-year cooperation with the Auckland Bioengineering Institute of the University of Auckland. As part of the "Bionic Joint" project, a novel body-worn support sensor technology and actuators for movement measurement and assistance on the human body are to be developed. On November 14, 2014, Professor Alexander Verl, former director of the Fraunhofer IPA and current Board Member for Technology Marketing and Business Models of the Fraunhofer Society, and Professor Jenny Dixon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland, signed the cooperation agreement at the University of Auckland. During their government visit, Chancellor Angela Merkel was also present.

Due to demographic changes and the unilateral strain at the workplace, more and more people suffer from wear and tear in their arms and hands. "To counteract this, it is necessary on the one hand to measure the physical load at work and then optimize the workplaces. On the other hand, exoskeletons must be developed to support patients in everyday life," explains Dr. Urs Schneider, head of the "Biomechatronic Systems" department and project manager at Fraunhofer IPA. "However, there are still no market-ready solutions for arms and hands. That would be a milestone for bionic technology," adds Schneider.

Partner institutes complement each other perfectly

The task of developing suitable measurement methods and supportive exoskeletons will be undertaken by Fraunhofer IPA and the Auckland Bioengineering Institute starting early next year for three years. Their goal is to develop a sensor-based bandage for movement measurement and a motor-controlled orthosis for movement support. "Both products should be small, lightweight, intuitively operable, and well adapted to human movement," Schneider reports. The two partner institutes complement each other optimally in task distribution. "Our colleagues from the University of Auckland are experts in sensors and simulation research. We, on the other hand, focus primarily on biomanufacturing, robotics, and signal processing. These are the best prerequisites to find suitable measurement methods and create functional orthoses," Schneider explains. On the German side, the Fraunhofer Society will finance the project, while the University of Auckland and the New Zealand government will support it from New Zealand.

Long-term collaboration further strengthened

The Fraunhofer IPA and the University of Auckland have a long-standing collaboration. Together with the University of Stuttgart, the research institutions have already worked together in the fields of robotics, dental mechanics, and biomedicine. Professor Verl was also awarded the New Zealand research prize "Julius von Haast Fellowship Award" in 2012. Since the same year, he has held an honorary professorship at the University of Auckland. The "Bionic Joint" project is another step to strengthen the German-New Zealand partnership, initiate university exchange programs, and carry out joint research projects, Schneider is pleased to say.