Research projects at the professorship

Duration:

15.04.2024 - 14.04.2027

Funded by:

German Research Foundation (DFG)

Cooperation partners:

Phoniatrics and Pedaudiology, Clinic of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU)

Short description:

The project aims to answer the questions related to the effect of the boundary conditions on vowel formants, which involves interactions between multiple mechanisms. Specifically, we investigate the effects of finite glottal impedance and velopharyngeal opening on the shift of vowel resonance frequencies. To this end, a combination of methodologies is employed, including computer simulations and physical models. We also collect and analyze different types of voices, such as pathological and singing voices, as well as typical speech by healthy speakers.

Duration:

As part of the EFRE validation grant program, Dresden University of Technology is working on an innovative approach that uses radar-based sensor technology for human-machine interaction and biomonitoring. The sensor is capable of wirelessly detecting the movement of muscles in the body (e.g., the heart or tongue). 

The innovative sensor principle offers a promising alternative to conventional control methods such as physical buttons, touchscreens, gesture recognition, or voice control. A particular advantage of the new sensor system is its suitability for situations in which manual control with the hands is not possible. Thanks to its planned miniaturization, the sensor will also be very comfortable to wear.

FKZ:

Duration:

01.11.2022 - 15.04.2023 (Phase 1) and 01.05.2023 - 14.07.2023 (Phase 2)

Sponsor:

Federal Agency for Leapfrog Innovation, Challenge "New Computing Concepts"

Cooperation partner:

Dresden Integrated Center for Applied Physics and Photonic Materials (IAPP)

Short description:

In this project, we aim to explore the theory and practical hardware implementation of self-learning physical reservoirs as a highly power-efficient and versatile edge-computing system for on-chip classification of bioelectronic signals or environmental monitoring. With this approach, we are not following the current paradigms of edge-computing using e.g., field-programmable gated array or memristive networks, but rather we will pioneer a radically new path of analog, in-material computing using self-learning physical reservoirs. Our edge-AI-system does not require massive neural networks with precisely adjustable weights, but rather utilizes the nonlinearity of the material to create a sparse, random neural network offering superior power-efficiency over other edge-AI approaches.

FKZ:

16SV8989

Duration:

01.08.2022 - 31.07.2024

Funded by:

BMBF

Cooperation partners:

Altavo GmbH, Dresden; Chair of High Frequency Technology, TU Dresden

Brief description:

Voice loss represents a severe disability, often accompanied by social withdrawal and inability to work. The collaborative project Promise-AI pursues a fundamentally new approach to voice rehabilitation in order to

help voiceless people regain a natural-sounding, easy-to-learn artificial voice without complications or stigma. This will involve capturing articulation movements of the vocal tract with non-invasive radar sensor

technology, processing them in real time, and using a previously trained AI to synthesize natural-sounding speech that is output through the speaker of a smartphone. In a participatory approach, patients and other stakeholders will be involved in the design of a patient-friendly MTI concept. The sub-project of TU Dresden is focused on the investigation of the radar sensor technology, signal analysis and EMC compatibility as well as on the acquisition of training data and the execution of validation study.

FKZ:

20D2106C

Duration:

01.01.2022 - 31.12.2024

Funded by:

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Cooperation partners:

Chair of Flight Mechanics and Control (TU Dresden), Chair of Radio Frequency and Photonics Engineering (TU Dresden), Infineon Technologies, and others

Brief description:

The project addresses the efficient use of networked unmanned aerial vehicles in an urban environment through the development of new sensor and communication strategies, and the development of novel control methods to exploit local weather effects. It makes important contributions to the funding policy goal of "Capable and efficient aviation" with a focus on "New mobility of the future". Extensive work is being carried out in the field of unmanned systems for logistics tasks, starting with an investigation of urban environmental aerodynamics and the development of new sensors for wind field measurement through to trajectory control and evaluation in flight tests. The technologies developed are also essential for more environmentally friendly manned aviation, e.g. in the field of urban air mobility.