Institute for Software Technology
The Institute for Software Technology is a research institute of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) . It is represented at the DLR locations in Cologne-Porz , Braunschweig , Oberpfaffenhofen and Berlin-Adlershof .
Until 2019, the institute was a scientific and technical facility of the DLR under the name "Simulation and Software Technology". The conversion to a DLR institute took place at the end of 2019.
Research tasks
The tasks of the DLR Institute for Software Technology are research and development in the field of innovative software technologies. The current main topics are software for distributed and intelligent systems, artificial intelligence , software for embedded systems, scientific visualization, quantum computing and high-performance computing.
According to the institute, the increasingly complex software landscape requires new approaches to make systems manageable and to avoid error states with serious consequences. A core task of the Institute for Software Technology is to develop processes through its own research and in cooperation with project partners that enable stable software solutions for the future.
The technologies developed in the institute are used in all research areas at DLR, from space travel to aviation, transport and energy to digitalization and security research. Over 90% of the institute's products are open source software and can therefore also be used outside the DLR without restrictions.
In addition to its own research, the institute offers training in software engineering processes for employees in other DLR institutes or other research facilities of the Helmholtz Association.
Departments
In addition to the management level, the Institute for Software Technology is divided into three specialist departments:
- The High-Performance Computing department researches efficient, scalable algorithms and data structures for highly parallel computers of the future. Further topics are efficient management and high-performance analysis of large amounts of data as well as research in quantum computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence for software solutions in all DLR subject areas. The department consists of three working groups: “Intelligent Algorithms and Optimization”, “Quantum Computing” and “Parallel Numerics”.
- The Intelligent and Distributed Systems department conducts research in the areas of distributed and decentralized software systems, intelligent and knowledge-based software systems, artificial intelligence, as well as software engineering and software analytics. The department is further divided into the working groups “Distributed Software Systems”, “Intelligent Software Systems”, “Software Engineering” and “Human Factors in Software Engineering”.
- The software for space systems and interactive visualization department deals with research into robust space software, from mission planning to on-board control. This work is supplemented by the development of analysis methods for interactive visualization, e.g. B. with the help of virtual and augmented reality. The department is divided into the working groups “Modeling and Simulation”, “Onboard Software Systems”, “Scientific Visualization” and “3D Interaction”.