Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB Fraunhofer IOSB-AST researches cybernetic methods and procedures for the optimal control and management of complex systems and transfers them into innovative operational management applications. Application areas are in particular energy systems and water supply, for instance power plant deployment planning, virtual power plants, operational management of energy storage facilities and power grids, water supply networks and barrage cascades. Localization solutions and autonomous robotic platforms for industry, including but not limited to underwater vehicles, are another focus.
Like all Fraunhofer institutes, Fraunhofer IOSB-AST is active in contract R&D for industrial and public customers as well as in publicly funded projects at state, federal and European level.
Assets include research infrastructure for indoor and underwater robotics, a pressure test rig for deep-sea components and several platforms on the topic of “digitization of energy supply”, the latter focusing on energy and energy (data) management and IT security for critical infrastructure.
The departments Embedded Intelligent Systems (EIS), Cognitive Energy Systems (KES) and Underwater Robotics (UWR) are located in Ilmenau.