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Fraunhofer IDMT and Zander Labs are developing an EEG system for BCI applications outside the lab
The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT has successfully completed its work on the research project “Neuroadaptivity for Autonomous Systems” (NAFAS). The experts from Oldenburg played a key role in the development of a mobile EEG system for brain-computer interfaces as part of the project, which in total received 30 million euros in funding from the Cyber Agency. In doing so, they made a significant contribution to achieving the project’s first milestones.
The NAFAS project, led by Zander Labs, aims to simplify communication between humans and machines. Among other things, the goal is to enable artificial intelligence to understand human reasoning based on brain activity. In January, Zander Labs provided a project update and unveiled their first fully integrated passive brain-computer interface (pBCI) to detect cognitive loads in brain activity based on an electroencephalogram (EEG) and then adapt user interfaces in real time.
In recent years, the “Mobile Neurotechnologies” group at Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg has focused on developing EEG electrode systems for everyday use outside of laboratories and clinics. For the BCI applications in the NAFAS project, the researchers have specifically refined their patented electrode patches (“trEEGrids”) worn on the face for unobtrusive and comfortable recording of brain signals. The quick and easy application, combined with high signal quality, opens up new possibilities for the practical use of EEG—as being pursued by Zander Labs.
Innovative electrode patches as a key component for BCI
The researchers adapted both the electrode placement and the design of the EEG patch to the specific application scenarios in the NAFAS project. This included expanding the system to incorporate electrodes on top of the head. Central to this effort was the systematic evaluation of different electrode types and conductive materials to achieve the best possible and most robust signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, the patch’s layered structure was modified with a view toward more cost-effective production processes.
“The work in the NAFAS project is an important milestone for us on the path to bringing EEG technology from the lab into everyday life,” says Dr.-Ing. Insa Wolf, Head of Mobile Neurotechnologies at Fraunhofer IDMT. “We are very pleased that our electrode patches, for which we have just successfully obtained a patent, will find their way into concrete BCI applications.”
Zander Labs also describes the collaboration positively. “Through their work on the mobile EEG system, Fraunhofer IDMT has made a significant contribution to achieving the milestones of the first NAFAS project phase and have already played a significant role in the success of the overall project,” says Jonathan Zwaan, co-founder and CEO of Zander Labs.
NAFAS is funded by the Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) and, with a funding volume of 30 million euros for a four-year project, is the largest individually funded research project in the European Union. It is expected to be concluded in November 2027.
Further information:
About Zander Labs
Zander Labs is a German-Dutch DeepTech company that builds non-invasive BCI infrastructure to capture human cognitive states as a new modality for AI training data. Real-world AI requires the intent, context, and meaning behind human action.
By providing continuous, high-fidelity data across human cognition, Zander Labs gives AI systems what reinforcement learning alone cannot: access to human understanding. The company empowers industries to build and scale AI for higher levels of autonomy and hyperpersonalization, grounded in the complexity of the real world.
About the Fraunhofer IDMT-HSA
The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT is one of over 70 institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, a leading organization for applied research based in Germany. The Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA stands for market-oriented research and development with a focus on the areas speech and event recognition, sound quality and speech intelligibility, smart applications in speech analysis as well as mobile neurotechnology. With in-house expertise in the development of hardware and software systems the experts are transferring scientific findings into practical, customer-oriented solutions.
About the NAFAS project
Neuroadaptivity for Autonomous Systems (NAFAS) is funded by the Agentur für Innovation in der Cybersicherheit GmbH (Cyberagentur) and strives to revolutionize human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence through neuroadaptive technology.
The project’s main goal is to develop neurotechnological prototypes to simplify communication between humans and partially autonomous systems. And enable artificial intelligence to directly learn from the human brain to adopt skills and understand mental concepts of humans.
More information: https://zanderlabs.com/nafas
Contacts for the media:
Zander Labs
Heather Hurd
Head of Marketing, Zander Labs
Delftechpark 25
2628 XJ Delft, Netherlands
marketing@zanderlabs.com
Fraunhofer IDMT-HSA
Christian Colmer
Head of Marketing and Communication
Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA
Marie-Curie-Straße 2, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
christian.colmer@idmt.fraunhofer.de
https://www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/en/hsa.html
Photo from Zander Labs’ Zypher electrode patch. For the BCI applications in the NAFAS project, the r ...
Copyright: 2026 Zander Labs
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