Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

In the future, virtual reality (VR) users will be able to interact even more simply, more naturally and in real time between real and virtual worlds. A scene from the real world can be transferred into virtual reality and, from there, feedback can be reflected in turn into the real situation. A new X-reality technology that makes this possible is being displayed by the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI at the CeBIT, Booth E78 Hall 27.

If doctors diagnose a patient with blood poisoning, the patient will immediately be administered a broad-spectrum antibiotic. In many cases, however, the drug is ineffective. Multidrug-resistant pathogens are often the reason why sepsis spreads through the body, ultimately resulting in the patient’s death. As things stand, antibiotic resistance tests can take several days. In the PathoSept project, Fraunhofer researchers and partners are developing an end-to-end modular system that reduces the time needed to identify antibiotic-resistant pathogens to nine hours.

Dementia is an age-related disease that is becoming ever more prevalent as demographics change. It affects primarily people over the age of 80, with this group accounting for more than 70 percent of all dementia sufferers. Caring for these patients is an enormous challenge for their families and caregivers, especially since, in most cases, key health data lacks any useful structure and is not available when it is needed. It is hoped that a miniaturized, modular measurement and advisory system being developed in a joint project that includes Fraunhofer researchers will soon ease this situation. The system uses inconspicuous sensors to automatically measure dementia patients’ health and care data and suggests personalized treatment options based on their current condition.