Fraunhofer IMS develops AI platform for health, care and social participation

The logo of the AI platform "CareFul KI"

Platform should build an ecosystem for health economy

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is participating with the institutes IMS and IIS as consortium partners and wants to help SMEs with the integration of AI solutions

VDE wins with the project “CareFul KI” in the AI innovation competition that was organized by the BMWi and thereby proving themselves against 130 other applicants

Contest of the BMWi proves considerable application potential in Germany

 

Germany is still lagging behind the leading AI nations (AI: Artificial Intelligence), especially China and the USA. To change that the technology associaton VDE and its renowned partners are developing an accounted AI platform for health, care and social participation with the name “CareFul KI” which is supposed to build an ecosystem for the health economy. The AI platform is based on open standards and is to contain a safe and highly available competency and data pool. Furthermore the project includes an AI application guide that is comprised of regulatory and ethical aspects. The development of the AI platform “CareFul KI” is part of the AI innovation competition of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The VDE has established itself against more than 130 consortia from science and economy. The 35 best competitors, including the CareFul KI consortium, are invited to draw up a detailed roadmap for the realization of their concept ideas until September of this year. The most promising proposals are going to be prized and realized.

 

CareFul KI targets SMEs in particular

“The accounted AI platform pursues two goals. First, anonymized, pseudonymized or personalized medical and health data, care data, and behavioral and social data are integrated into the AI data platform and used for innovative products and services. This includes data from the intelligent environment or mobile health data, even from wearables. Second, we want to facilitate the integration of AI solutions into the health and care sector for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) in particular to open up new business models”, says Prof. Dr. Karsten Seidl, department head of micro- and nanosystems at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in Duisburg.

The goals are being developed during the competition phase in a joint specialist discourse. In this process the best realization and application partners for the initial setup of the ecosystem become involved. After that a proposal for a three-year project supported by the BMWi is formulated with the partners.

 

Out of the research laboratories and onto the streets

Federal Minister Peter Altmaier: „With our AI innovation competition we have apparently struck a nerve in science and economy. The enormous response shows: In Germany, we have the potential and the will to bring AI into applications broadly and quickly. Now, we just have to put that into practice. Our goal is to realize great and assertive lighthouse projects in central areas of our national economy. This way, we contribute to get AI out of the research laboratories and onto the streets.”

The CareFul AI consortium is under the leadership of the VDE and consists of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for the advancement of applied research, AAL Netzwerk Saare e.V. and the C&S Computer and Software GmbH. Moreover, the Apollon University Bremen, the Charité Berlin, the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern and User Interface Design GmbH Ludwigsburg are involved as well.

On May 20th 2019 the project is being discussed and prepared within the framework of workshop discussions in Berlin. The event takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the 21st floor of the Charité complex, Luisenstraße 65 in 10117 Berlin. A conference for the presentation and choice of the best realization concepts is planned for the end of June.

 

Fraunhofer IMS

For over 30 years scientists at Fraunhofer IMS in Duisburg have been dealing with the development of microelectronic circuits, electronic systems, microsystems and sensors. Because of its comprehensive know-how, the access to technology and the high-quality development work the Institute is a worldwide recognized partner for the industry. In eight business units Fraunhofer IMS is dedicated to applied research, advance development for products and their applications. Stable, efficient and marketable technologies and procedures that are used in extremely many branches take center stage in contract work.  Regarding Embedded AI for sensor systems in the areas of health and care, the departments Micro- and Nanosystems (MNS), Transponders, Systems and Applications (TSA) as well as the Fraunhofer-inHaus-Center are contributing with joint research work and drive forward various developments and projects in this field.


www.ims.fraunhofer.de   
www.inhaus.fraunhofer.de    

www.aifes.de