Fraunhofer

While there are now a number of handheld systems for checking if a medication is the genuine article or a counterfeit, most require users to access an online database. The SmartID system, on the other hand, works entirely offline.

Early humanoid robots probably won't be able to do much that Fraunhofer's self-balancing evoBOT can't do much faster, and its new autonomous, omnidirectional O³dyn pallet jack looks like another slam dunk for logistics and warehousing.

Is your scarf really made from cashmere? Is that necktie truly silk? Such questions may soon have an easy answer via a pass with your cell phone's camera thanks to a tiny near-infrared spectroscopy system developed by researchers in Germany.

Currently, almost all powered prosthetic hands utilize electrodes that detect the user's muscle impulses and convert them into hand movements. A new system which is in development, however, should reportedly work better by utilizing ultrasound.

While 5G feels pretty new and flashy, the industry is already making preparations for the next generation. LG Electronics and the Fraunhofer Institute have now conducted a test that set a new distance record for data transmission using 6G technology.

On frequently travelled waterways, it's essential for vessel operators and local authorities to have maps of both bottom and shoreline features. A newly adapted autonomous watercraft could soon make the creation of such maps easier than ever before.

There may be new hope for people who suffer from involuntary muscle tremors. Scientists are developing a partially implanted system that stimulates muscles in order to stop their problematic activity – with a little help from the nervous system.

While short-range radio remote control may be fine for consumer drones, long-distance delivery drones often use cellular networks to communicate with their operators. A new mobile network system could make the latter method much more reliable.

Solar panels can’t operate efficiently if they’re caked in dirt, but cleaning them regularly can be a time-consuming process. Engineers in Germany have now developed an ultra-thin coating that can make solar panels and other surfaces self-cleaning.

We've seen fast, nimble, self-balancing wheeled robots, plus we've also seen robots that can grasp and carry objects. The evoBOT could prove to be particularly useful, however, as it combines both traits in one clever machine.

We hear a lot about artificial hips and knees, but finger joints? They do exist, but their fit and functionality is limited. Germany's Fraunhofer research group aims to change that, with artificial finger joints that are 3D-printed for each patient.

The leads that connect external pacemakers to the heart can potentially cause problems, either if they're removed or left in place. German scientists are therefore developing an alternative, in the form of leads that get absorbed by the body.