People-centered innovation approaches for a sustainable future
The REDUCE project is a transdisciplinary research project conducted in collaboration with Chemnitz University of Technology and Vitesco Technologies GmbH, and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Efficient Resource Management in Industrial Production
In light of the pressing climate crisis, it is of paramount importance that industry rethinks its use of energy and water. As a major consumer, industry is a key focus when it comes to finding innovative ways to conserve these valuable resources. This is where the REDUCE project (Resource Efficiency Derived from User-Centered Engineering in Industrial Production) comes in, offering interdisciplinary methodological approaches to increase resource efficiency in industrial production.
Collecting Data, Drawing on Experience
The project takes a two-pronged approach: First, using modern sensor and measurement technology, a comprehensive database is being built to record technical parameters such as energy consumption in detail. Based on this, energy-saving opportunities are identified. Second, process flows and work steps, as well as the needs and experiences of human actors, are analyzed. The insights gained are incorporated into the development of a demonstrator that provides concrete options for action and recommendations. Through data-driven analysis of real-time process data, users are presented with targeted actions to reduce consumption. The long-term goal is to establish a resource-conserving mindset in manufacturing.
How Do We Save Energy? A Knowledge Exchange in Industry
The demonstrator is designed for the practical implementation and evaluation of the developed approaches and aims to provide reliable data on the potential for resource savings through modern energy management and information systems. These findings can be published in scientific journals as well as further developed for industrial use and applied on a larger scale.
REDUCE combines the collection and analysis of production-specific data with user-centered experiences, thereby creating a tool that enables significant progress in resource conservation. This not only leads to a sustainable reduction in consumption but also contributes to a positive environmental footprint.
News and Insights
The Key to Progress: Cognitive Analysis for Resource Optimization
Insight into the Production Process at Vitesco Technologies
On February 27, 2024, project participants from Chemnitz University of Technology took part in a technical discussion in the production halls of Vitesco Technologies in Limbach-Oberfrohna. The tour of the facilities served to identify a suitable use case for the planned interface demonstrator and to gain a detailed understanding of the work processes on the test lines. This led to an intensive exchange with the Vitesco Technologies team regarding potential for resource savings in production.
Next, as part of a cognitive task and requirements analysis, the employees’ work and process flows will be systematically described. From this, digital support through visualizations and behavior-based options for reducing consumption will be derived.
News from the Future: Exciting Research Approaches for a Sustainable Economy
Digital GreenTech Conference 2023 in Karlsruhe
Under the theme “Data. Environment. Technology.”, the Digital GreenTech Conference took place in Karlsruhe on October 17 and 18, 2023. To kick things off, 13 collaborative projects presented their results—including exciting topics such as natural fingerprints for tracing tree trunks from harvest to sawmill (DiGeBast), AI-based tree analysis for combating bark beetles (ForestCare), and swarm-capable underwater robots for monitoring water quality in lakes (MOVE).
On the second day of the conference, our project coordinator presented the research project to a broad audience of experts. Other projects, such as laser-based weed control (LALWeco), tree condition monitoring using acoustic emissions (TreeMon), and a landslide early warning system based on 3D data and AI (AImon5.0), were also in the spotlight.
The exchange was enriching both professionally and personally and impressively demonstrated the diversity of data-driven environmental technologies being developed today.
