COSMO Science Forum

An interactive journey through Dresden’s MedTech innovations

Cosmo Science Forum

The COSMO Science Forum located in the middle of Dresden’s city center hosted from October 2024 to February 2025 the exhibition “Dr. Zukunft – Medical Technology from Dresden Science”. Various scientific institutions and research projects showcased interactive exhibits for the visitors. As part of the societal transfer (Q4), the SEMECO projects, Q1 – Secure and trusted system architectures, A2 – Psychoactive, multisensory communication implant and B2 – HybridEcho participated in the exhibition. With interactive exhibits, videos, science comics, games and workshops, the scientists presented their projects in an entertaining way and encouraged visitors to critically engage with the research topics. The topics of the Cluster4Future SEMECO have also been made accessible by the BI for a young target group. In the learning lab of the BI, school classes and groups could explore in interactive workshops that have been designed in close cooperation with the scientists of the cluster. The COSMO Science Forum is organized and curated by the Barkhausen Institut and TU Dresden’s Department of Speculative Transformation, in collaboration with DRESDEN-concept partners, the Dresden Philharmonic, and the Central Library.

Kulturpalast Dresden, Fensterfront der Ausstellungsräume von außen

Trustworthy networked medical technology

Information is transmitted faster via networked medical devices. This means patients can receive better care. For example, health data is transmitted from the ambulance to the hospital in order to prepare care for the affected person. Patients’ quality of life also improves if they can be cared for regardless of their location. For example, with a networked pacemaker, they can keep an eye on their medical data independently. They do not need to visit a medical practice for every check-up. But the technology has to work safely and reliably. It must be trustworthy. Data protection, IT security and operational security are the three main pillars of trustworthy networked healthcare.

An attentive hearing aid

Hearing aids make life easier for many people by amplifying the sound waves. However, they do not yet work optimally in some situations: if several people are speaking at the same time, it is very difficult to distinguish between them. In the future, hearing aids could automatically recognize which conversation the wearer wants to focus on. This conversation will then be specifically amplified, and other noises suppressed. The new device is no longer worn behind the pinna but implanted in the middle ear. There, the microphone is combined with the loudspeaker and connected to a small computer that is inserted behind the ear. This computer is also linked to electrodes on the skull bone that measure brain waves. An artificial intelligence on the computer analyzes the outgoing currents and recognizes which source of noise the person is concentrating on. These sounds are then specifically amplified.

Interaktives Exponat des Projekts "HybridEcho"

Advancing Ultrasound Technology

Ultrasound is a gentle examination method without radiation exposure. However, interpreting the different shades of gray in an ultrasound image requires a lot of experience. Whether a light area in the image is a tumor or harmless scar tissue often has to be determined by taking a tissue sample. A new technology is designed to help here and enable a more accurate diagnosis by not only making the ultrasound images sharper, but also distinguishing different types of tissue. How does it work? Ultrasound, like other sound waves, is reflected by the tissue. Due to its special composition, each tissue reflects the sound waves in an individual pattern. The research group is now using a wider range of ultrasound frequencies. This means that more and different sound waves hit the tissue. This gives the doctors more analyzable data and more detailed images with better resolution. They can distinguish between tissue types more accurately – even without taking a sample. The leap in quality of this new method is comparable to switching from black and white photography to color photography. At the exhibition, visitors could examine their own necks and try to identify various organs with a traditional ultrasound device. This interactive setup highlighted the limitations of current ultrasound imaging and the potential for improvement.

Fostering public interest in science

The Cluster4Future SEMECO partners are convinced that the public needs to engage with the opportunities and implications of modern technologies and medical innovations in order to understand and accept them. Therefore, clear and accessible communication is essential. We are delighted that many SEMECO-affiliated researchers actively contributed to the COSMO exhibition, helping to bridge the gap between complex science and public awareness. With 1,900 visitors, the exhibition attracted more visitors than the previous exhibition on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in 2023. The exhibition was met with great enthusiasm, reflecting the growing interest in medical technologies. It showcased the diversity of research projects. We are proud to be part of this dynamic and innovative ecosystem and we look forward to future public engagement opportunities.