FORobotics - SF research project

Until now, robots have generally only been used in stationary applications, such as on production lines, which is mainly due to the design of the robots. With current research in the field of mobile robotics and team robotics, significantly more possible applications are conceivable in the future. Robots no longer have to be seen merely as substitutes for human labour, but as partners, for example in the form of autonomously moving robots in factory environments.

The FORobotics research network, which also included Software Factory, focussed on this basic idea and conducted research into ad-hoc cooperating robot teams. The aim of the project was to solve exemplary production tasks using human-robot teams and robot teams that co-operate with each other. This co-operation was intended to increase the value-adding time, for example through the multitasking capability of the robots. In order to achieve the project objective, work was carried out on the standardisation of interfaces and platforms in addition to the design of the teamwork capability. Here, particular attention was paid to industry standards such as OPC UA. The work in the network was also accompanied by a user evaluation. The other project partners alongside the Software Factory were AREVA GmbH, Bertrandt GmbH, Fraunhofer IGCV, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, HEFTER Maschinenbau GmbH&Co. KG, ITQ GmbH, MAN Truck&Bus AG, Mangelberger GmbH, Mayser GmbH &Co KG, Metrilus GmbH, MRK Systeme GmbH, SALT Solutions GmbH, software4production GmbH, Stäubli Tec-Systems GmbH, Teamware GmbH, TU Munich, University of Augsburg, University of Bayreuth, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich and Yaskawa Europe GmbH.