MULTIMA Project Launched to Develop Compact and Cost-Effective MSI Systems
Jena | 19.10.2026
In early October, the MULTIMA project was launched, in which a consortium consisting of Fraunhofer IOF, ams Sensors Germany GmbH, University Jena and ZBS Ilmenau aims to develop a compact multispectral imaging technology. Potential applications range from industrial quality control to smartphones and medical engineering, as well as agriculture.
What looks the same to the human eye can be clearly distinguished by a multispectral camera. The reason for this is the different ways in which different materials and surfaces reflect light, even in spectral ranges that are invisible to us. For example, this makes it possible to detect quality deviations in production, distinguish between similar materials reliably, and evaluate images taken under difficult lighting conditions more effectively.
The MULTIMA research project is building on this potential. In collaboration with project partners ams Sensors Germany GmbH, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Zentrum für Bild- und Signalverarbeitung e.V. in Ilmenau, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF is developing a particularly compact multispectral imaging technology designed to capture higher volumes of more precise information than conventional cameras.
Such multispectral imaging (MSI) technologies capture additional light spectra—such as infrared (IR) or ultraviolet (UV)—in addition to standard colors like red, green, or blue. “However, currently available MSI systems are reaching their limits in terms of the achievable dynamic range. This involves distinguishing between very bright and very dark areas, and adapting to specific practical requirements, such as image quality, speed and size.” explains Corona Schmalian, a researcher at Fraunhofer IOF and project manager for MULTIMA, outlining the background of the project. “With MULTIMA, we aim to tackle precisely these challenges.”
To this end, the project partners aim to combine imaging HDR multispectral sensors with novel meta-optics and refractive optical elements, a new chip design (IC design), and methods for on-sensor multispectral image processing to overcome existing performance limitations. Enabling cost-effective mass production is also a stated goal of the project.
Fraunhofer IOF is responsible for the design of the micro- and nano-optical system within the project. In addition, the institute is developing and demonstrating novel optics using polymer-on-glass technology. This technology enables the precise and cost-effective fabrication of compact meta-optics—ultra-thin, finely structured optical components capable of directing light with high precision.
Thanks to the targeted miniaturization, multispectral sensor technology is well-suited for small and portable devices. “In smartphones, the system could improve color measurement and white balance. This would help reduce color casts and unnaturally rendered skin tones, even under changing lighting conditions,” says Schmalian.
In food processing and sorting, products with similar spectral properties can be distinguished more reliably. MSI can also help to improve the determination of fertilisation and lighting strategies, as well as the optimal harvest time, in agriculture. In addition, the consortium sees potential for on-site medical diagnostics.
The project is being carried out by Fraunhofer IOF in collaboration with project partners ams Sensors Germany GmbH, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Zentrum für Bild- und Signalverarbeitung e.V. Ilmenau (ZBS Ilmenau) and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the Free State of Thuringia’s program for the promotion of research, technology, and innovation (FTI).
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF