On 11 November 2009, the project group of the Thuringian Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT invites you to the inauguration ceremony at The Haus des Hörens in Oldenburg. After a good year of successful existence, the first results of the research work will be presented to the invited guests and the premises introduced. "The new project group combines our globally recognised Oldenburg hearing research with the expertise developed at the Fraunhofer IDMT. True to our motto "Better hearing for everyone, in every place, in every situation", we are working with our colleagues in Ilmenau to improve hearing in everyday life," explains the head of the project group, Prof Birger Kollmeier. In addition to 100 invited guests from business, science and politics, the Lower Saxony Minister for Science and Culture, Lutz Stratmann; the Fraunhofer Director for Research Planning, Prof Ulrich Buller and Prof Hans-Jürgen Appelrath, Vice President for Research at the University of Oldenburg will also be welcomed to the event.

An exhibition will provide guests with information about selected work by the Fraunhofer project group and explain, for example, how Oldenburg research can make unpredictable situations recognisable or how voice-enhanced internet telephony works for people with hearing impairments. The "Harmony Pad" composition and music design tool developed at the Fraunhofer IDMT will provide the musical accompaniment to the inauguration ceremony. In addition to the project group, the University of Oldenburg, the HörTech Center of Competence and the Oldenburg University of Applied Sciences will also be presenting various works. It is not least the close networking of the individual institutions and competences that has contributed to making Oldenburg's hearing research known worldwide.
An impressive exhibition on wheels awaits guests and interested members of the public directly in front of The Haus des Hörens. In the Fraunhofer truck, which will be stopping off in Oldenburg on this day, visitors can find out which Fraunhofer research work will soon find its way into concrete applications in our everyday lives. For example, visitors can see how harmonious playlists can be put together on a PC to match the mood with just one click or how objects on a screen can be controlled completely contactlessly using simple gestures. Visitors can also expect to see a small robot that organises guided tours and presents new products. The Fraunhofer truck and the exhibition in The Haus des Hörens are open to the public from 1pm to 6pm. Project Group Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology The aim of the Oldenburg project group's research work is to create new applications and customer groups for the pioneering market of audio system technologies. Based on Oldenburg hearing research and in combination with Ilmenau research, work is being carried out on topics that deal with both normal and impaired hearing. The aim of the project group is to further develop the scientific and technological findings in the areas of hearing rehabilitation, speech communication and audio technology and thus significantly improve hearing in everyday life.