High value through Model Tracking – Visometry develops AR solutions for industry 4.0

• High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is Lead Investor in the Seed Round
• Visometry – a spin-off from Fraunhofer IGD
• Model Tracking – Key Technology for Industrial Augmented Reality (AR)
• CAD and 3D data used to accurately locate and track objects

HTGF invests in the AR Start-up Visometry GmbH, a spin-off of the Fraunhofer IGD. Together with his team, CEO Dr. Harald Wuest has been developing innovative tracking methods for 15 years, which are now used in modern AR solutions and have partly become standard in industry. With its VisionLib engine, the startup has also been offering its AR tracking with a focus on object recognition and tracking as a software development kit since 2017, bringing together CAD and 3D data with image processing in an automated workflow. With seed financing, the start-up intends to expand the functionalities of the technology and expand the application possibilities of the software through industry specific solutions.

AR as basic technology for industry
In order to seamlessly augment digital content into the user’s reality, common computer vision techniques roughly reconstruct the user’s environment from the situation. However, the digital content interacts only to a limited extent with the environment itself or with objects. Low-light environments or dynamic scenes with a lot of movement are a challenge for stable and precise object recognition and tracking in industrial environments. “This is where most industrial AR applications fail. Our technologies, on the other hand, enable us to bring the content precisely to the objects,” explains Dr. Harald Wuest.

Model tracking as a key technology – not only for classic AR applications
The VisionLib engine uses model tracking techniques to reliably and stably locate objects in their environment and continuously track them with cameras. “This is so precise that not only classic AR applications can be implemented, but also objects can be compared and measured against each other, or their altered state can be detected,” adds Dr. Wuest.

High value in industry 4.0
In the future, this technology will open up completely new possibilities because changes can be made visible during assembly processes or moving parts such as doors and flaps can be tracked in real time. The context is captured precisely so that content can be inserted that reacts to the change. In this way, errors can be detected and recommendations for action given as they arise.

Yann Fiebig of HTGF adds: “Model Tracking is the key to unlocking the potential of AR in the industry and opening up this exciting market. We are happy to support the team on this journey.”

“With HTGF as investor and partner, we can transfer our technology roadmap more quickly into our products and drive growth in the enterprise AR market with the further development of our basic technologies and the development of industry specific solutions. With more speed and more employees we want to extend our lead in the market and in software development” adds Timo Engelke, co-founder and CTO of Visometry.

About Visometry
Visometry GmbH is a start-up and Fraunhofer spin-off offering Augmented Reality basic technologies, services and special solutions. Founded in 2017 from the Fraunhofer IGD, the company is quite young, with over 15 years of R&D background, founders and team have many years of experience in these areas. With its VisionLib, the company offers Augmented Reality Tracking on an industrial scale: the engine enables precise ‘multi-object tracking’ in an automated workflow from CAD to AR. Combining image processing and CAD with a focus on AR solutions that bring industries forward is part of the mission statement of the young Hessian company.

Contact
Visometry GmbH
Dr. Harald Wuest
Fraunhoferstr. 5
64283 Darmstadt
T: +49 6151 155 273
info@visometry.com
www.visionlib.com

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven start- ups. With EUR 892,5 million in total investment volume across three funds (EUR 272 million in HTGF I, EUR 304 million in HTGF II and EUR 316,5 million for HTGF III) and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge 500 start-ups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and start-up experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in a range of sectors, including software, media, internet, hardware, automation, health care, chemicals and life sciences.

This group also includes a number of success stories, such as Mister Spex, Rigontec, 6Wunderkin- der, Next Kraftwerke and Cumulocity, as well as Juniqe, an online shop for art enthusiasts. To date, external investors have injected over EUR 1.9 billion into the HTGF portfolio via about 1,400 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 90 companies.

Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry For Economic Affairs and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, BAYER, B.Braun, Boehringer Ingelheim, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, Drillisch AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, Postbank, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.

Contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Yann Fiebig
Schlegelstrasse 2
53113 Bonn, Germany
T: +49 (0) 228 82300 – 100
y.fiebig@htgf.de
www.htgf.de