At the joint stand of the universities of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia at HANNOVER MESSE 2025, the Technical University of Ilmenau is presenting two novel technologies for the autonomous driving of the future, as well as two groundbreaking solutions for energy-efficient and intelligent mobile networks. Further inventions by research teams at the TU Ilmenau are presented by the patent management team of Thuringian universities, which is based at the TU Ilmenau in the PATON, the Thuringian State Patent Center. The university is the national leader in patent applications: no other German university has more patents per employee than the TU Ilmenau. The exhibits can be seen at Stand C16 “Research for the Future” in Hall 2.

“Eyes” for the autonomous vehicle of the future

A necessary prerequisite for autonomous driving is that the vehicle must be able to recognize its surroundings completely and precisely. Only in this way can it “understand” the traffic situation and choose the optimal, safe route. However, the fields of vision of vehicles are limited, which is particularly critical when traffic is highly automated and in complex terrain and driving situations. Two exhibits from the Technical University of Ilmenau at HANNOVER MESSE 2025 present solutions to this challenge by giving the autonomous vehicle of the future “eyes”: a drone that serves as an external sensor platform and assistant for vehicles in rough terrain, and AI-supported perception software for autonomous robots moving on sidewalks.

Patented drone-based method

When autonomous vehicles are off-road, for example on construction sites, in agriculture or in completely unknown terrain, it is particularly important for them to receive precise information about the terrain in good time: Where are obstacles located? What is the road surface like? Is the road surface muddy or icy? A research team from the Department of System and Software Engineering and the Department of Control Engineering has developed a patented drone-based method to determine all these parameters on the road in front of the vehicle. A drone equipped with lidar sensors and a computer flies at a constant height in front of the vehicle and detects obstacles in the road, measures the road profile and transmits this information to the vehicle in real time. This enables the vehicle to avoid obstacles in good time, adapt its suspension or anti-lock braking system to changing road conditions and brake or accelerate accordingly.

Use as an assistant for rescue or disaster relief vehicles

The method was developed at the Faculty of Computer Science and Automation at the TU Ilmenau by a research team from the Smart Vehicle Systems working group led by Viktar and Aleksandra Beliautsou: “The drone could be used, for example, as an assistant for rescue or disaster relief vehicles. Depending on the terrain and the scope of the mission, it is possible to vary the drone's payload with additional cameras, sensors or measuring devices, to calculate the necessary battery life and size of the drone with the help of mathematical modeling, or to deploy several drones simultaneously.”

Robots with proactive and reactive behavior

Also on display at HANNOVER MESSE 2025 is a patented solution for the autonomous driving of the future: an AI-supported perception software for autonomous robots that are on the move on sidewalks. The software, which is based on an algorithm developed in-house, acts as a central perception and control system that precisely detects the traffic situation and the environment, enabling the robot to behave both proactively and reactively. Qais Yousef, who developed the new process together with Prof. Pu Li, head of the Process Optimization research group, explains the major advantage over comparable systems: “While these systems only analyze the movement of pedestrians using pattern recognition, our system also reads their facial expressions and can thus predict the pedestrians' intentions in real time. This enables the robot to change its route at an early stage without having to brake at short notice.” Another new feature is the software's ability to recognize the environment at an early stage and control the robot accordingly: “We are giving the robot eyes: with the help of a 2D camera, our software can analyze, understand and react accordingly to the entire environment – the condition of the pavement, the weather situation or different lighting conditions – and thanks to digital zoom, it can do so from a distance.”

Delivery robots, pavement cleaning robots or assistant robots

The software is already prepared to communicate with traffic lights and to provide information about the degree of certainty of the AI's forecasts. This ensures safe and efficient navigation between pedestrians and enables the robot to complete its tasks faster and on optimized routes. The software can be used, for example, for delivery robots, robots for cleaning sidewalks or assistant robots for visually impaired people.

Powerful and energy-efficient mobile networks for industry

A powerful, stable mobile network is an essential prerequisite for autonomous, connected driving, but also for automated and efficient production processes. That is why the Technical University of Ilmenau is also presenting groundbreaking innovations for energy-efficient and intelligent private mobile networks, so-called campus networks, at this year's HANNOVER MESSE. Tailored to the individual needs of users, they will play a central role in the introduction of the future 6G mobile communications standard.

Seamless integration of new mobile technologies

As part of the 6GCI project, a team of scientists led by Prof. Andreas Mitschele-Thiel, head of the Integrated Communication Systems research group, has designed a 5G+ campus network that serves as a research platform for autonomous systems, industrial automation and augmented reality applications. Intelligent network technologies such as intent-based networking enable intuitive and automated network control. Network operators can formulate their requirements as “intents”, i.e. in natural language. The system automatically implements these, monitors performance and adapts independently. In combination with the open radio access network (ORAN), which promotes manufacturer-independent, standardized network architectures and will play a key role in future 6G networks, operators can seamlessly integrate new mobile network technologies without being slowed down by increasing system complexity. This enables powerful and flexible networks for a wide range of industrial applications.

Optimized energy consumption of networks

At the same time, the energy consumption of the networks has also been optimized with the help of the Energy Saving (ES)-xApp/rApp. Radio access networks connect mobile devices such as smartphones, cars and connected industrial devices to the core network and account for over two-thirds of the energy consumed by mobile base stations. The innovative software application enables energy-efficient operation of ORAN-based 5G campus networks. With the help of AI and machine learning, it analyzes and controls network operation in real time, adjusting network elements in a targeted manner or switching them off without compromising service quality.

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