iL-CURRENT
January 29, 2024
Living Lab: Platform
for experts and citizens
The meeting of the Do Tank Network for Wearable Technologies in the iL premises was very popular. More than 20 external participants inspired the Office for Economic Development and Science of the City of Heidelberg as the initiator to come to the Bahnstadt and be present for an afternoon with numerous ideas and impulses. The aim of the network is to act as a regional platform for the development of attractive projects in the broad field of wearable technologies, but also to promote the creation of a pop-up living lab/real-world laboratory in Heidelberg city center in the summer and bring together well-known partners.
"It is a high-quality initiative with a wide range of promising contact opportunities. That's why we at iL were happy to take on the role of host, especially as it fits in with the realignment of our platform concept and technology transfer," says Dr. Tanja Benedict, iL authorized signatory and a participant in the network from the outset.
Four events in the summer
Dr. Claudia Sandoval-López and Daniel Bumiller from the Office for Economic Development and Science introduced the participants to the upcoming "Summer of Wearable Technologies" project at the second meeting of the Do Tank network, consisting of universities, their clinics, schools, research institutions, companies and start-ups, which comprises a total of four events in the scientifically and medically oriented university city of Heidelberg: The Wearable Technologies Conference focusing on robotics and exoskeletons on June 11, the IEEE BIOROB 2024 conference for biorobotics and biomechatronics (September 1 to 4), SHIFT Medical (September 18 to 20) for extended reality (XR) in the field of health and medicine and a pop-up living lab lasting several monthsin the middle of the city, which is aimed at a broad section of the population. An exciting overall package.
Strong together: iL platform manager Maren Heusser (from left to right), Daniel Bumiller, iL authorized signatory Dr. Tanja Benedict and Dr. Claudia Sandoval-López, like her colleague Bumiller from the Office for Economic Development and Science of the City of Heidelberg. Picture: InnovationLab
A real laboratory at the heart
In short: between June and September, the Living Lab/Real Lab will be the heart and connecting link of the summer for wearable technologies. A platform for experts, researchers, companies and citizens. In this real-world laboratory, hands-on demos, design thinking workshops, hackathons on wearable technologies and other related technologies are planned. The Living Lab will also include wearables for sale and a café that invites people to linger.
For the organizers, who are still in the final stages of negotiations regarding the location, it is particularly important to reach different target groups as a meeting platform to accompany the conference programme and to emotionalize them with concrete applications from the multifaceted fields of health, medicine and life sciences.
Fits the MITTENDRINSTADT
"This is the right time for a real-world laboratory," says Claudia Sandoval-López, convinced of the concept, "we want to make technology transfer topics in the field of wearables accessible and tangible. Spaces are being created here for citizens and consumers." The brainstorming process should be completed by March if possible. "It's a test of a pop-up concept, but the bottom line is that our clear goal is to establish a Living Lab on a permanent basis," states Daniel Bumiller. He speaks of "urban effects" that fit in very well with the "MITTENDRINSTADT" project, which in turn is funded by a 5 million euro funding program. Of this, 3.75 million euros come from the federal funding program "Sustainable inner cities and centers" of the Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction. Right in the middle instead of just being there - right in the middle of the MITTENDRINSTADT, Heidelberg is working on the quality of stay, attractiveness and experience, which is not only supported by the historic old town.
In his presentation, Dr. Johannes Zimmermann (iL) will focus on the three-year project "PreMoo - Small patients, big needs", which is supported by the BMBF. Image: InnovationLab
Impulses from Johannes Zimmermann and Gerardo Hernandez-Sosa
The program in the iL conference room was rounded off by two lightning talks by Dr. Johannes Zimmermann (InnovationLab) and Professor Gerardo Hernandez-Sosa from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Zimmermann, a former doctoral student of Hernandez-Sosa, focused on the topic of "PreMoo - small patients, big needs" in his keynote speech. This project, which has been supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) since June 2021 and will run for three years, focuses on the early detection of electrolyte disorders in premature babies. The young patients are monitored using a non-invasive method and continuous monitoring. The aim is to develop an integrated, portable sensor solution for detecting the electrolyte balance in the sweat of premature babies. The task of iL GmbH is the process development for the commercial production of printed electrolyte sensors.
The impulse from Gerardo Hernandez-Sosa, who has been researching printed electronics for the KIT at iL for over ten years, dealt with the topic of "Inkjet-printed thin-film sensors for wearables". Experiments with inkjet printers, solar and weather simulators can be used to create reference values for light or humidity sensors. The sensors used are flexible and deformable, a breath of nothing, so to speak, "a small island with a hard substrate in a stretchable environment". This aroused the curiosity of the participants and the question of possible collaborations promptly made the rounds. "I'm 100 percent ready for it," said Hernandez-Sosa with a grin. Both presentations were followed by a final tour of the neighboring iL clean room in Hall L.
Lightning Talk by KIT Professor Gerardo Hernandez-Sosa on the topic of "Inkjet-printed thin-film sensors for wearables". Image: InnovationLab
Next meeting at the UMM Mannheim
The next and thus third meeting of the Do Tank Network for Wearable Technologies in February has already been scheduled. The INSPIRE Living Lab at the University Medical Center Mannheim (UMM) will be the host after iL GmbH.
There is a lot to do - in view of the colorful "Summer of Wearable Technologies". And if you would like to start activities, be part of the Do Tank Network or exhibit your products in the Living Lab, you are welcome to contact the Office for Economic Development and Science of the City of Heidelberg directly (e-mail: claudia.sandoval-lopez@heidelberg.de).
Joachim Klaehn
Head of Communications
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