Robots have long had the reputation of simply replacing human work. Nowadays, the claim is much more that they should specifically support human work in many application areas. For this purpose, a larger number of sensors are to be used in the robotic system in order to enable the interaction between humans and robots in a safe manner. Current examples in human-robot collaboration are still quite inefficient, as robots are allowed to move at a maximum of 250 mm/s for safety reasons. This is due to the detection of humans and objects, which so far are only detected on contact or at a close distance of a few centimeters.

In this laboratory, research is being conducted into ways of using robot kinematics economically in an industrial environment and of making MRK robots applicable for practical use in addition to conventional kinematics. For this purpose, six robot kinematics (both conventional and collaborative) including a wide variety of gripping systems are available in practical research in addition to simulation tools.

Current and Past Research Projects

Publications

The main research areas of the WLRI are:

Collaborative robotics: Collaborative robotics refers to the development and use of robots that can safely interact with humans without physical separation by protective fencing or barriers.

Applied Industrial Robotics: Applied industrial robotics describes the use of robots in industrial manufacturing and production. Here, robots are used to automate and optimize production processes in order to increase efficiency and quality.

Lean Robotics: Lean Robotics is a concept that focuses on the application of lean principles in robotics. The goal is to improve the efficiency and flexibility of robotic systems.

Machine Safety and Approval of Robotics Applications: This area focuses on the safety of robotic systems and compliance with regulatory requirements and standards. The safety of robots plays a crucial role, especially when they work in close proximity to humans.

Assisted living and care robotics: Assisted living and care robotics refer to the field of robotics that focuses on the use of robots and automated systems in the care of elderly people or people in need of assistance. These robotics applications are designed to support the daily lives of those receiving care.

Additively manufactured components in robotics: This area deals with the application of additive manufacturing processes (3D printing) in robotics.

Shopfloor simulation: Shopfloor simulation is an important tool in the robotics industry to analyze and optimize the behavior of robotic systems and production processes in a virtual environment before they are implemented in real manufacturing.