The ambitious overall work plan in Listen2Future is based on the envisioned research activities, which serve the project objective, namely the demonstration of the huge versatility and innovation potential of new types of acoustic transducer solutions integrated with digital technologies as key enablers for emerging applications fostering Society 5.0. All work packages are strongly interconnected with defined objectives within each technical work package and subdivided into tasks.
WP1: Use case and building block definition, requirements and alignment
WP leader: SINTEF
WP partners: all
In WP1 the technical work starts with the definition of the target performance indicators for transducers and electronics to facilitate competitive positioning in the general market and in the markets addressed by the Use Cases. Use Case demonstrator requirements will be analysed in detail to guarantee market relevance and feasibility and broken down to building block/components.
WP 2: Towards more performant acoustic MEMS transducers for emerging applications
WP leader: SAL
WP partners: GEHC, PULS, IMEC, BUT, IFAG, TUM, TUDA, INOSON, PATH MEDICAL, SINTEF, CSIC, UGR, SMD, SOLMATES, SONION, UNITWENTE
WP2 aims to develop piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) and piezoelectric microphones (PMIC) by leveraging advanced MEMS technologies and platforms. The different approaches will lead to up to two generations of transducers. The first generation (G1) will be delivered to the WP3 and WP4 and will allow selecting the best approaches. WP2 characterization results and feedbacks from WP3 and WP4 will lead to generation 2 (G2), that will be implemented in the use cases in WP6 with optimized behaviors in the whole system of their use case, to deliver final demonstrators.
WP 3: Next generation Electronics for the intelligent Acoustic Signal & Data Processing Chain
WP leader: IFAT
WP partners: SAL, PULS, TUM, IFD, ELLIPTIC, CODA
WP3 plans to achieve the higher goal of providing bi-directional and multi-channel driver systems and AI processing electronics hardware for novel acoustic transducer MEMS.
The overall goal of this work package is to bridge the gap between the transducer MEMS chips (WP2), the soft- and firmware (WP5) and the user interface (WP6). For that purpose, research on all required electronic components will be pursued by analysing, selecting, designing and realising the research results to finally enable two application scenarios: a) acoustic application for single transducers and b) US imaging, e.g. medical, application for transducer arrays.
WP 4: Assembly and Packaging
WP leader: HSG
WP partners: SAL, GEHC, PULS, IMEC, IFAG, TUDA, INOSON, SINTEF, CSIC, UGR, SMD
The technology hardware/electronics work packages (WP2 to WP4) are dedicated to developing and testing transducers, electronics and package.
In WP4, novel packaging approaches will be developed to enable acoustic transducer system integration. Within this WP, frontend and backend packaging of piezoelectric microphones and PMUTs is targeted as well as the combination with electronics and the assembly according to the specific application scenarios. WP4 gives a feedback loop to WP2 for generation 2 transducers that will be implemented in WP6.
WP 5: Algorithms & Embedded Software
WP leader: BUT
WP partners: SAL, PULS, UTIA, IMA, INOSON, ELLIPTIC, SINTEF, CSIC, DASEL, NBS, UGR, SMD, CODA
WP5 develops advanced algorithms and software components which eliminate hardware imperfections on both acquisition and generation sides of the signal chain, generate advantageous ultrasound patterns, process acquired data from single or multiple (array of) sensors and compute information required for final application.
This WP will provide necessary software components related to processing of ultrasound data for development of final application demonstrators, thus it will closely interact with WP6 as a software technology provider and also with WP1 where requirements on use-cases will be defined. There is also a direct and very important link to WP2 and WP3 which develop hardware components (transducers and electronics) providing data to be further processed within this WP.
WP 6: Demonstration in emerging applications
WP Leader: CSIC
WP Partner: IFAT, SAL, GEHC, PULS, IMEC, BUT, UTIA, IMA, IFAG, TUM, HSG, TUDA, INOSON, PATH MEDICAL, SINTEF, ELIPTIC, SONITOR, DASEL, NBS, UGR, SMD, SOLMATES, SONION, UNI TWENTE, CODA
The work of the work packages 1-5 supports WP6 in the detailed design, prototyping, verification and testing of the Use Case demonstrators in the selected applications in industry (6 use cases) as well as health&wellbeing (8 use cases) including a roadmapping for the future technology development and emerging applications to support long-term exploitation/business cases in the European context.
WP 7: Dissemination, Communication, Exploitation
WP leader: UGR
WP partner: all
The efforts in WP7 relate to all dissemination, communication activities according to the dissemination and communication plan, as well as handling of all topic in data management and follow up on exploitation activities as from the initial exploitation plans. WP 7 and 8 are in close cooperation and have an “umbrella function”.
WP 8: Project management
WP Leader: IFAT
WP Partners: all
The work package of project management comprises the overall project management, as well as quality and risk management, the monitoring and handling of any IPR topics, result management as well as the management of standardisation activities in relation to exploitation and liaison with other projects. WP8 works in close cooperation with WP7.