Signalgeführte

Signalgeführte is a German term that translates roughly as signal-guided. In technical contexts it serves as an attributive adjective describing processes, systems, or interventions that are directed or controlled by signals produced by sensors, devices, or external sources.

The term is used across disciplines rather than as a single formal field. It encompasses methods in control theory, robotics, medicine, and signal processing in which real-time data from signals—electrical, optical, acoustic, thermal, or biochemical—are used to shape decisions or actions. This often implies a feedback loop in which the outcome depends on observed signals.

In engineering and robotics, signalgeführte control or navigation relies on sensor inputs to adjust actuators to achieve desired behavior. In medicine, signalgeführte approaches refer to procedures guided by physiological signals or imaging data, such as real-time MRI-guided interventions or ultrasound-guided therapies.

Advantages include improved precision, adaptability, and safety when signals are reliable; challenges include signal noise, latency, and the need for robust interpretation and integration of heterogeneous data.

The term is descriptive rather than a standardized label; its exact meaning depends on context, often aligning with concepts such as closed-loop control, sensor-guided navigation, or image-guided procedures.