Industrial Automation and Building Systems Engineering, FHNW School of Engineering and Environment

The BATLOGGER can record (log) the ultrasonic calls of bats and can perform these recordings automatically or according to a predefined schedule. It logs signals in the frequency range of 10–150 kHz and provides additional information on the location, temperature, time, and date of the recordings.

To capture these data, the BATLOGGER is equipped with a highly sensitive ultrasonic sensor system, a GPS receiver, and a temperature sensor. The large volume of call data is stored as WAVE files, while the additional metadata are stored as XML files on an SD card. This card can be used to transfer the data to a computer for analysis. The LOGGER can be operated and configured either via buttons and an LCD display directly on the device or via the SD card from a computer.

EUPASS stands for Evolvable Ultra Precision Assembly Systems, which can be translated as “evolvable high-precision assembly systems.” The aim of the EUPASS project is to develop an assembly system that is as modular as possible, both in hardware and software.

The advantage of this modularity is that an assembly system is not designed for just one product and a fixed output capacity. Instead, a wide range of products can be manufactured on the same system, and the output capacity can be adapted as needed through simple reconfiguration. The required modules can be added to or removed from the system with minimal installation effort.

Within the framework of a KTI project, we are developing strategies and concepts for line detection on highly diverse background structures and in continuous image sequences. The detected line is intended to provide a reliable guidance reference for line tracking. Such line-tracking problems frequently arise in the use of mobile robots.

In this project, we present an approach that delivers promising results. The method is called “Snake.” The algorithm, so to speak, “slithers” along a line.

During orthopedic surgery, a navigation system assists the surgeon in positioning and guiding their instruments. A wireless, sterilizable drive unit enables the automatic positioning of the cutting guide.

In this project, supported by the Aargau Research Fund, the goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of a sterilizable wireless drive unit, identify the required technologies and regulatory requirements, and, based on this, develop a functional prototype. This prototype is intended to verify the practical applicability of the new approach.

The KTI project Water Hardness Measurement is a feasibility study aimed at discovering and developing an in-situ measurement method for determining the hardness of tap water. The industrial partner in this project is the fittings manufacturer R. Nussbaum AG in Olten.

Previous literature and patent research, as well as investigations into purported water hardness measurement methods, repeatedly identified conductivity measurement as a method for determining water hardness. Unfortunately, conductivity is only a measure of the total ion concentration in water and not solely the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions, which are the primary contributors to water hardness.

The measurement principles applied in this project included, on the one hand, the direct measurement of physical quantities that were assumed to depend on water hardness, and, on the other hand, differential conductivity measurements of treated and untreated water. Treatments of the water samples included static and dynamic electric and magnetic fields of varying strength, temperature changes, and ion exchange.

The rapidly growing transport demand and increasing maximum speeds in rail-bound transportation worldwide are leading to rising requirements for measurement and testing technologies for railway vehicles, particularly their bogies (running gear).

Current bogie test benches either operate statically or are extremely complex dynamic test systems that simulate driving conditions. Within the framework of an Innosuisse project, the static test benches were further developed.

This article describes the modeling of a novel rock milling machine. It shows how appropriate modeling of the milling process can be used to correctly adjust system parameters during operation. In a first step, the milling kinematics are modeled. In a subsequent step, the performance of the milling machine is optimized by exploiting quasi-stable oscillations in order to achieve a high material removal rate, low energy consumption, and a compact device design.

As part of an inter-university collaboration between the School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geomatics, the School of Life Sciences, and the School of Engineering, a strategic initiative was launched on the topic of “Building Automation, Energy Efficiency, and Alternative Energy Generation.” In this context, a test facility is being established at the Muttenz campus to investigate the dynamic behavior of heat pumps in combination with solar technologies.

The optimization of daylight and artificial lighting in indoor spaces requires an interdisciplinary approach; architectural, design, and technical aspects must be addressed jointly. The School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geomatics with the Institute for Energy in Building, the School of Engineering with the Institute for Automation, and the School of Design and Art with the Institute of Interior Architecture and Scenography have joined forces within the framework of the “Strategic Initiative on Lighting” to meet this interdisciplinary challenge and to holistically address questions related to the optimization of daylight, artificial light, and mixed lighting.

As part of the initiative, the flexible test platform Façade Lab was developed for applications in building, façade, lighting, and energy technologies.