Extended Reality Berlin Brandenburg and Fraunhofer HHI announce collaboration

24 Jul 2024

Video technologies project to focus on 3D, VR/AR/XR, and 3D video for diverse applications.

One of the leading German associations in the field of extended reality, Extended Reality Berlin-Brandenburg (XRBB), and Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) are starting a closer collaboration to advance the development of XR and immersive technologies.

The HHI-operated Innovation Center for Immersive Imaging Technologies (3IT) will be central to this venture. 3IT is a network of scientific and industrial partners developing new technologies with a focus on 3D, VR/AR/XR, volumetric video, UHD and HDR for industrial, medical and cultural applications and is part of the HHI showroom known as Science Tech Space @ HHI.

The partners say they intend to use their “intensified collaboration to strengthen Berlin’s XR ecosystem”. HHI contributes its expertise in the development of the latest immersive image, video and audio technologies to the partnership, while XRBB provides the broad and diverse network of its members from the high-tech and media industry.

XRBB will use the 3IT as both a meeting place for its members and for joint events with Fraunhofer HHI. In addition to this, there are plans for two new event formats per year as well as other joint activities. Members of XRBB will also have the opportunity to exhibit their latest results and products at the 3IT and present them to stakeholders from business, science and politics.

Close cooperation

The first example of the close cooperation was a successful joint event, entitled Future Narratives – Smart City, which was held in Berlin on June 2nd. Experts in “innovative urban solutions” presented and discussed new technologies and concepts.

Participants experienced up-close the SMART SPACE Hardenbergplatz pilot project and saw how innovative XR technologies can transform an urban space. Another highlight was the XReco project, which demonstrated how XR is revolutionizing tourism in cities and creating new experiences for visitors.

The HHI projects on display – BIMKIT, EConoM, DigitalTWIN and COMPAIR – also provided valuable insights into the application of digital twins, artificial intelligence and citizen science in urban development.

Dr. Ralf Schäfer, Deputy Executive Director of Fraunhofer HHI, commented, “We are excited about the opportunities that our collaboration opens up and look forward to creating more innovative solutions together for the larger network of our institutions.”

Kathleen Schröter, Chairwoman of the XRBB Board, said, “The synergies between XRBB and Fraunhofer HHI are obvious. As the former Executive Manager of 3IT, I am particularly pleased that we are now officially building more stable bridges between our networks.”

The next joint event – “3IT Summit meets XRBB” – will take place on October 15, 2024. Members of XRBB are invited to exhibit their projects and actively participate in the program.