Digitalisation has permeated all areas of life, what are the positive aspects of this?
Rüther: Digitalisation, as we understand it today, is first and foremost information processing and information provision. Increasing digitalisation in the private and public sectors, as well as in companies, simply makes a lot more information available to a much wider audience. And you can access this information from anywhere. You can deal with official business on your mobile phone, receive notifications about events in the company while on the move and can react quickly. Digitalisation has ultimately made teleworking possible. We can communicate via a wide variety of channels, with other people, but also with devices and machines, which are also becoming increasingly intelligent.
What are the downsides of digitalisation?
Rüther: In the trend towards digitalisation and AI, we see an increasing mix-up and risk of confusion between digitally prepared content and content created by humans. This plays into issues such as copyright and also includes ethical aspects. We are also observing that digitalisation has brought about a trend reversal in the use of resources in recent years. Currently, a high level of resources is required to pursue digitalisation at the highest level. And this is also one of the biggest research projects: How can modern methods of information processing and AI be utilised in a resource-efficient way and on small devices?
What about data security?
Rüther: The security aspect is a double-edged sword: once data is in the cloud, it is fundamentally secure, but you have to comply with the cloud provider's regulations or make appropriate agreements. The big security issue is the path from the real world to the cloud. In between are edge systems, sensor systems and the data transmission channel. This very heterogeneous system, from data collection to data analysis in the cloud, is an enormous challenge for security. We are therefore also looking at edge security: how can we make end devices secure that are installed somewhere on site, are intended to last a long time and are often not easy to update? Our dependence on digital technology has been growing since the 1980s and modern digital systems, digital networks and even submarine internet cables are now, of course, critical infrastructure that keeps our economy alive and should be protected accordingly.
What are the most important areas covered by the institute? What are the trends?
Rüther: Digitalisation thrives on information - only when I have information can I process it, interpret it and use it further. We see ourselves primarily as a solution provider in the acquisition of information and have a strong research background in the field of sensor technology, in the acquisition and initial processing of data and in automated further processing. We do this in the field of image processing as well as in acoustics and with earth observation and radar data. A current trend is for such systems to become increasingly smaller and more resource-efficient while still offering more processing options, i.e. AI methods and data interpretation on site. This is one of our major research topics: advancing automated sensor data processing and edge AI systems.
Where are these smaller data processing systems used?
Rüther: Small sensor computer systems enable completely new applications. They can be installed in industrial control systems. But they can also be launched into space, where they can be used as very small and very cost-effective satellites. A classic example is Elon Musk's Starlink system, which consists of thousands of miniature satellites and is a global communications network. However, similar satellites can also be used for precision measurements on earth or for earth observation missions. This opens up completely new possibilities because the costs are much lower, both for transport into space and for the satellite itself, which does not have to be larger than a 10 cm cube. Precision measurements on earth can also be realised in this way. For example, we have our corner reflector system, which makes it possible to measure ground changes with high precision without actually installing a single piece of electronics on the ground. On the ground, we only have a reflector that optimally reflects the satellite signal. If you now think about sensor technology on Earth, it also provides much more insight into how processes and our environment work, which enables the creation of so-called digital twins.
How can one imagine that?
Rüther: The aim is to replicate processes that take place in the real world in the digital world. To a certain extent, a digital twin is a ‘playground’ where changes in the system, such as process improvements, can be simulated very cost-effectively and the effects studied. We create the basis for this with our Digital Twin Lab in Carinthia, for example. There, we can generate highly accurate maps of transport infrastructure or industrial plants. I would also like to mention our hyperspectral imaging laboratory, which enables spectrally broadband images: if you record the entire light spectrum - from the ultraviolet range to infrared across visible light - then you can not only make statements about the surface of objects, but also about the material the object is made of. For example, the nature of recycled material can be precisely analysed. It is then possible to separate different types of plastic or metal, for example, but also to differentiate between textiles, organic waste, residual waste and paper.
Let's take a look into the future: where will digitalisation develop?
Rüther: The green transformation will continue to determine digitalisation. Another factor is demographic development. The future scarcity of human resources must be compensated for by higher productivity. We are currently seeing this trend in information processing in particular. AI systems are used to provide information in a clear and convenient way. If we manage to make these systems sufficiently trustworthy, we will be able to integrate them more and more into decision-making processes in the future. We will increasingly see assistance systems that make decisions independently and carry out tasks autonomously. This ranges from autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles and robots to machines and personal assistants at home. If we look 10 years into the future, we will find many autonomous little helpers that will make both our work and our daily lives easier.
Interview: Petra Mravlak
