Research at IMI

Impressionen

The development of new products or new product generations can be described by an S-shaped curve, which can be divided into the phases development, implementation and optimization. The industry is currently stuck in the optimization phase for the majority of products, in which existing processes and technologies are only improved incrementally.
However, in order to be able to survive on the market with new products in the future, it is necessary to switch from the incremental approach to a leap-frog approach. This requires the consideration of the entire product life cycle and the active, continuous transfer of knowledge between research and industry in order to identify and develop new technologies.
IMI meets these requirements by cooperating as closely as possible with industry. In addition, new paths are being broken by transferring research results to various institutions at KIT and, in particular, by linking lifecycle engineering with virtual engineering by means of Smart Immersive Environments. Today's ever-increasing amounts of data, in particular Big Data, are addressed at IMI by means of innovative knowledge management solutions. In addition, environmental aspects are also taken into account.

IMI thus develops practical solutions in the research fields of
  • Process Management
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Smart Immersive Environments
  • Digital Twin
The central research topics are complemented by the following:
  • Flexibility Management
  • Feedback Management
  • Human-Machine-Interface
  • Process and system integration
  • Computer integrated planning of new products
  • Product, process and resource integration
  • Energy efficiency

The Center for Artificial Intelligence Talents (CAIT) promotes and supports IMI through modern virtual reality/augmented reality/mixed reality technologies, thus enabling direct implementation of the institute's research results.
The close cooperation with the Research Center for Information Technology (FZI - Department Process and Data Management in Engineering (PDE) of the research area Intelligent Systems and Production Engineering - ensures the direct practical relevance of IMI's research topics and the efficient transfer of knowledge and technology to industry.