emergenCITY presents its research at the exhibition booth of the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art, and Culture
What exactly is a Heinerbox, and how does it work? Heinerbox developers Frank Hessel and Julian Euler answered this question for numerous interested visitors at this year’s Hessentag in Fulda. At the invitation of the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK), the researchers from TU Darmstadt presented their work on the opening day, June 12. Hesse’s Minister President Boris Rhein also stopped by the booth at Treffpunkt Hessen.
The Heinerbox is a sensor box with an emergency network that collects anonymized environmental and traffic data and serves as a test bed for means of resilient communication. Visitors were able to examine one of these boxes in detail, explore the sensors, and ask the developers questions about crisis communication. The researchers also brought along first live data from Darmstadt’s Lichtenbergblock, where 40 Heinerboxes have been installed since the beginning of the year—presented on a clickable map: Guests in Fulda could thus see how warm or how loud it currently was in Darmstadt and learned how such data can be helpful in sustainable urban development and in crisis situations.
The Digital Resilience Xchange (DiReX) Transfer and Application Center is also represented at this year’s Hessentag. On Saturday, June 13, DiReX showcases additional resilient technologies and concepts for crisis situations in the KI Erlebniswelt. The focus is on the eHUB, a research demonstrator from emergenCITY on the Lichtwiese campus of the TU Darmstadt. The energy-self-sufficient building shows how cities can remain functional even during widespread and prolonged power outages. The smart home uses photovoltaics for its energy supply and, as an off-grid building, can sustain itself independently in the event of a crisis. At the same time, it serves as a hub for the public, supports emergency communications, and can share power with the neighborhood or critical infrastructure.
The program for the 63rd Hessentag, themed foll hessisch, continues in Fulda through June 21. Over the next few days, various other institutions and initiatives from Hesse’s cultural and scientific landscape will be presenting themselves at the HMWK booth: From genealogy to a meet-and-greet with Rembrandt, there is a varied program. Hessentag is Hesse’s largest state festival and brings together people from politics, science, business, and society once a year at different locations in Hesse.
Learn more about the program at the HMWK booth
More about the DiReX program
Further information about Hessentag 2026 in Fulda
