Fraunhofer

Scientists are claiming to have combined the best features of bio-based PLA plastic and traditional composite materials, with a new all-PLA composite.

Scientists have developed a method of bending a single sheet of glass to a 90-degree angle.

A new high-tech "chest mat" has been designed to coach users through the cardiopulmonary resuscitation process.

Researchers have developed a device that assesses ear infections using ultrasound.

A new sensor system is designed to catch polluters, by sampling and analyzing water within the sewer line.

​As many a fancy-refrigerator-owner will know, fingerprints tend to be highly visible on stainless steel. A new transparent coating could help, however, as it goes about reducing the appearance of prints in three ways.

​For many years now, aircraft have been required to pass tests indicating that they could withstand mid-air collisions with birds. No such testing exists for the growing possibility of collisions with drones, however … which Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Short-Time Dynamics intends to rectify.

​If you're managing security at an outdoor event, then it's important that you know where all of your staff are. A system developed at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology is designed to let users do just that, and it doesn't require a mobile phone network.

Skincare products work best if they're tailored to individual users. Unfortunately, though, such bespoke items tend to be pricey. German startup Skinmade is out to change that, with kiosks that mix and dispense relatively affordable skin creams that are based on each client's unique needs.

​While some businesses or research facilities have a constant need for a cleanroom, there are others that only require one once in a while – or perhaps they sometimes need to set one up in the field. It was with such scenarios in mind that the CAPE portable cleanroom was created.

​Ordinarily, if you want to join metal and plastic items together, you have to use either adhesives or rivets. Engineers at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology, however, have developed a bonding "gun" that they claim makes for a much faster and cheaper joining process.

Every year, millions of tonnes of perfectly good food are wasted around the world because people aren't sure it's still fresh. To cut down on this, researchers at Fraunhofer are developing an infrared pocket scanner that will let food handlers determine if a food item has gone bad.