New perspectives for material detection

MARIE Collaborative Research Centre enters third funding period

A major success for terahertz research: Scientists at the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Ruhr University Bochum have been researching mobile material detection since 2016 in the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio MARIE. The German Research Foundation is now funding the third phase with 14.8 million euros, in which mobile transceivers will be realized that can also analyze the materials of moving objects and precisely localize them.

MARIE is headed by Materials Chain Member Prof. Dr. Thomas Kaiser (speaker), head of the Department for Digital Signal Processing at the University of Duisburg-Essen, and Materials Chain Member Prof. Dr. Ilona Rolfes, head of the Chair for High-Frequency Systems at the Ruhr University Bochum. Also involved are the University of Wuppertal, the Technical University of Darmstadt, the Technical University of Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems (IMS/Duisburg) and the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques (FHR/Wachtberg).

The technological foundations for Mobile material characterization and localization by electromagnetic sensing (MARIE) were laid in the first two funding phases: compact transmitters and receivers that can be placed in cell phones and process signals up to 6 terahertz, making them some of the most powerful systems in the world. In the third phase, which is now beginning, the technology will be applied in real-life scenarios and prototypes that can detect material differences in the micrometer range.

One possible application scenario: A warehouse is on fire, and thick smoke obscures the view of the firefighters. An autonomously flying rescue robot scans the situation inside using radio measurements in the terahertz range and provides real-time information to the rescue teams: Where are the people and what is their condition? Are there hazardous substances in the hall? Are metal struts melting and becoming unstable? Further applications are promising, for example in care, logistics and accident prevention.

“The next big step is to make the leap from feasibility under ideal conditions to real-life use in interdisciplinary applications,” says Kaiser, outlining the upcoming research. ”Gigahertz radio technology for voice, television and data transmission has already significantly changed our daily lives. With terahertz technology, materials can be localized and identified at any place and at any time, and in the future, radio systems can be miniaturized “to the size of a pinhead” with new, as yet unexplored applications for the benefit of our society.”

https://www.uni-due.de/2024-11-25-crc-trr-marie-enters-third-funding-period