Reference projects

Time-saving weed removal from row crops without chemicals: the autonomous platform uses optical sensor technologies to detect weeds and remove them mechanically.

In the ARAIG project, Fraunhofer IPA makes the safety and performance of service robots comparable and comprehensible. The developed testing environment enables manufacturers of mobile robots to evaluate the safety and performance of their products via standardized tests.

The aim of the research project “Attention-Sensitive Assistance Robot” (ASARob) was to develop new skills for interactive assistive robots - including new image processing solutions - so that they can detect the state of attention of their human counterparts and, if appropriate, influence and guide it through their behavior.

EOS GmbH offers its customers advanced systems for industrial 3D printing. It is also forging ahead with digitizing its own product development process. Together with Fraunhofer IPA, EOS has developed a new data-driven business model that can be used to generate even more added value for the customer.

Fraunhofer IPA developed a robot prototype and programming software for welding-as-a-service on construction sites. The system based on ROS is capable of collision-avoidance, column localization and changing tool for removal of slag. The proof of concept for autonomous multi-layer welding was demonstrated with real welding tests in our lab.

SKAN AG is a worldwide leading producer of aseptic isolator equipment for the pharmaceutical industry. To drive automation in aseptic productions, IPA researchers carried out a process analysis and elaborated a basic concept for a robot-based automation solution.

Innovations in production logistics at BMW include the “Smart Transport Robot” (STR) developed by BMW in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML. In the past, the STR navigated on fixed paths and required special sensors and a close-meshed network of anchors for localization. BMW wanted a solution that was more flexible, autonomous and economical. It was able to realize this with the IPA navigation software, which uses the safety laser scanner already integrated into the STR for navigation. Methods for dynamic path planning and obstacle avoidance assure the necessary degree of autonomy.

With the BIOTRAIN project, an extensive pilot survey on the biological transformation of the industrial value chain was started under the management of Fraunhofer IPA on the 1st of November 2017. Other members of the project consortium are the Fraunhofer institutes IGB, IML, IWM, IPT and IWU. The project aims at analyzing the potential and requirements associated with implementing biological transformation, particularly regarding a sustainable economy.

Development of a haptic output device in the form of an exoskeleton, which can provide caregivers with a realistic feeling of strain and thus be used as a training device.

A user-friendly, actively powered and anthropomorphic exoskeleton demonstrator will be developed, optimized and evaluated for high-stress care settings.