Spokesperson: Prof. Alexander Schlaefer, schlaefer(a)tuhh.de
Deputy Spokesperson: Prof. Alexander Kölpin, alexnader.koelpin(a)tuhh.de / Prof. Christian Renner, christian.renner(a)tuhh.de
Cyber-physical systems (CPS) and medical technology are important future fields that benefit from each other. In this context, CPS are an important driver of digitization, while many areas in medical technology are still at the beginning of digital development. CPS are networked information-processing systems that interact directly with their surrounding physical environment. CPSs record environmental information via sensors, process this information with computer support, and in turn influence their environment via actuators. CPS are therefore in a continuous control loop and in many application areas must perform time-critical and safety-relevant calculations as well as communicate with other technical systems or humans across domains. Today, CPS represent the basic technology for many "smart" products and applications worldwide. For example, they are indispensable in the fields of medical technology, mechatronics, robotics, vehicle or aircraft construction, Industry 4.0 or automation technology. TUHH's research on CPS is characterized by the fact that it covers all relevant aspects: from the sensors and actuators, the hardware and networking across the software of a CPS to their real applications and their certification. In the field of medical technology, for example, specialized CPS for direct robotic interaction with humans are integrated into complex control loops for medical rehabilitation and diagnostics. In medical technology in general, the future belongs to digitalization in combination with classical electrotechnical, mechanical and biotechnological approaches to ensure healthcare for an aging society. The challenges and opportunities here are great, as many medical disciplines are just beginning to address this issue. Future improvements in medical technology, diagnostics and patient care will require even more joint efforts from all disciplines. At the TUHH, these cooperations have been lived practice for more than 20 years, which is expressed in joint research projects with the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and industrial partners.
