uni.news

» Published on 26. Juli 2017

How a robot is teaching language to preschool children

Team at Cluster of Excellence CITEC present progress made on EU project

Researchers at Bielefeld University’s Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) are investigating what a robot needs to be able to do to teach a second language to preschool children. Since 2016, they have been researching whether and how social robots are suitable for teaching language. This research is part of the international project L2TOR, which is funded as part of the European Commission’s Horizont 2020 research program. A preliminary finding, according to the researchers: robots can motivate children to learn, and help them retain more vocabulary. On 13 July 2017, the Bielefeld project team demonstrated how the robot supports preschool kids in their learning.

» Published on 29. Juni 2017

Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome: System to help patients communicate

Researchers at Cluster of Excellence CITEC launch collaborative research project

A new device is meant to help people with severe brain damage to communicate with others. The NeuroCommTrainer is supposed to understand brain signals, and enable the patient to respond with a “yes” or a “no” using electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements.  Best of all, the system helps train patients to control their brain activity in a targeted way. The NeuroCommTrainer project begins this month and is funded with 1.87 million Euro. Neuropsychologist Professor Dr. Johanna Kissler, of Bielefeld University’s Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC), is leading the new research. Three universities, two companies, and the v. Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel are working together on this project.

» Published on 8. Juni 2017

Self-Learning Robot Hands

Cluster of Excellence CITEC presents new system that learns how to grasp objects

Researchers at Bielefeld University have developed a grasp system with robot hands that autonomously familiarizes itself with novel objects. The new system works without previously knowing the characteristics of objects, such as pieces of fruit or tools. It was developed as part of the large-scale research project Famula at Bielefeld University’s Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC). The knowledge gained from this project could contribute to future service robots, for instance, that are able to independently adapt to working in new households. CITEC has invested approximately one million Euro in Famula. In a new “research_tv” report from Bielefeld University, the coordinators of the Famula project explain the new innovation.

» Published on 13. April 2017

Smart Glasses Replace Construction Manual for Bird House

New development from CITEC researchers at Bielefeld University

Instead of having to tediously search for the right part with one hand and flip through the pages of the instruction manual with the other hand, the smart glasses from the Adamaas system display what step comes next directly in the user’s field of vision. This works for both operating a coffee machine and assembling a bird house. Professor Dr. Thomas Schack, Dr. Kai Essig, and Dr. Matthias Schröder further developed the smart glasses at Bielefeld University’s Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC). Using “computer vision”, the system can autonomously recognize objects and steps of an activity, and based on this, the glasses show appropriate step-by-step support directly in the display of the glasses. The Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF, Federal Ministry of Education and Research) is providing the project with 1.2 million Euro in funding. A film about Adamaas can now be viewed online.

» Published on 1. März 2017

Nanoinjection increases survival rate of cells

Physicists at Bielefeld University develop new methods for microscopic research

How do tumours grow? And how do bacteria transform harmless substances into medical agents? When biophysicists want to understand what is happening in living cells, they have to introduce fluorescent probes  or other foreign molecules. There are several ways to overcome the cell wall without causing the cell permanent harm. Physicists at Bielefeld University have developed a particularly gentle method for this: nanoinjection. In a new study to be found in ‘Scientific Reports’ published by ‘Nature’, they show that with this method, nine out of ten cells survive being injected with foreign molecules.

» Published on 1. März 2017

New Merian Centre not just on but also in Latin America

Bielefeld University and University of Kassel head major academic policy project with up to 20 million Euros of funding

A new research centre with its headquarters in Guadalajara, Mexico will be studying how Latin American societies solve crises. Bielefeld University and the University of Kassel are setting up the second Merian Centre in the world in cooperation with the University of Hannover and the University of Jena. The University of Guadalajara’s inspiration when founding the institute comes from Bielefeld University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF). The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be funding each Merian Centre for up to twelve years with up to 20 million Euros. This makes it the most highly funded research project on Latin America currently being sponsored by Germany.

» Published on 22. Februar 2017

Bilateral graduate school opens in Cameroon

Cooperation between Bielefeld University and the University of Yaounde I

YaBiNaPA, which stands for ‘Natural Products with Antiparasite and Antibacterial Activity’, is the name of the new bilateral graduate school set up by Bielefeld University and the University of Yaounde I (Cameroon) that has now been opened in Cameroon. Representatives of Bielefeld University travelled to the opening ceremony.
Professor Dr. Norbert Sewald (Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Chemistry), Professor Dr. Gabriele Fischer von Mollard (Dean of Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Chemistry), and Dr. Thomas Lüttenberg (Head of Bielefeld University’s International Office) travelled to Cameroon for the YaBiNaPA opening ceremony that was also attended by the German Ambassador to Cameroon Dr. Hans-Dieter Stell.

» Published on 16. Februar 2017

University canteen in the Building X will reopen tomorrow, Friday

The university canteen in the Building X will reopen tomorrow, 17 February. The Studierendenwerk [Association for Student Affairs] informs: “However, the technical malfunctions in the power supply have damaged several kitchen devices so that these can momentarily not be used any more. That is why we start with a changed menu.“

» Published on 10. Februar 2017

University representatives explore partnership with the province of Alberta

Canadian guests on return visit to Bielefeld University

In which specific fields of study could cooperation be viable between the higher education regions of Alberta in Canada and Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL)? This was the main topic during a visit to Bielefeld University by Doug Weir (Executive Director, Student Programs and Services, University of Alberta) and Meghan McKinnie (Manager, Education Abroad and International Partnerships, MacEwan University).

» Published on 1. Februar 2017

Making health information and counselling understandable for patients

Bielefeld University develops practice guidelines for the health professions

A new brochure presents practical guidelines for counselling patients. It is designed to help consumer and patient counsellors to communicate treatments and diagnoses in an understandable way. Professor Dr. Doris Schaeffer from Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Health Science and her team have put together this collection of materials and methods. The brochure, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, has been published on Thursday, 26 January.