On January 1, 2018, the Fraunhofer project group MESYS at Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) was added as a new business unit of Fraunhofer IPMS under the name “Monolithically Integrated Actuator and Sensor Systems.”

MESYS (Mesoscopic Actuators and Systems) was launched in 2012 as a collaboration between Fraunhofer IPMS and BTU. The focus of the research lies on innovative electrostatic micro-actuators known as nanoscopic electrostatic drives (NEDs). The new class of actuator developed and patented by MESYS is CMOS-compatible and solves some fundamental problems of electrostatic actuators. It represents an alternative to piezoelectric MEMS bending transducers. This increases the performance of these microsystems and opens the door to entirely new kinds of design solutions.

The possible applications for NED technology are mostly to be found in the micro range: these uses could stretch from micropumps and microvalves to positioning systems. This technology has already been put to practical use in micro-loudspeakers integrated into silicon. This could pave the way for potential new uses in hearing aids, hearables, or in-ear headphones. The scientific successes of MESYS are also to be put to good use in industry as quickly as possible. The scientists expect this technology to create new scientific impulses – particularly for the eastern German region of Lusatia.