Evaluation platform for silicon-based ultrasound sensors

Miniaturized silicon-based ultrasonic transducers – so-called MUTs (Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers) – are considered a key technology for the next generation of medical diagnostics, industrial sensing, and smart robotics. However, the adoption of this technology by many companies has so far been hindered by a simple barrier: companies seeking to determine whether the technology is suitable for their products either have to invest millions in their own development or rely on insufficiently documented laboratory prototypes.

The EVASUS project addresses this gap. Fraunhofer IPMS and ENAS combine their extensive expertise in the design, fabrication, and characterization of different MUT variants and make this expertise available for the first time as a structured evaluation service – including industry-ready datasheets, defined measurement packages, and a transparent portfolio of 5–8 technology variants.

The result: Companies can systematically and cost-effectively evaluate which transducer technology best matches their application – without million-euro risks and without months of in-house development. From point-of-care diagnostics to object recognition in the IIoT, the path from initial concept to prototype is significantly shortened.

Objectives

• Establishment of a publicly accessible MUT technology portfolio with standardized datasheets and defined evaluation packages
• Low-threshold market access for SMEs and start-ups: technology evaluation at a fraction of current development costs
• Positioning Fraunhofer IPMS and ENAS as the first point of contact for MUT technology in the DACH region, generating concrete industrial contacts and follow-up projects