Automation and Control
Fields of Expertise
For many years, the department of Automation and Control has been dealing with issues related to automation and digitalization in production. The goal of the research, which is always oriented very closely to industrial needs, is the consistent validation of research results under real conditions. The department is organized into three groups: Robotics, Industrial IoT, and Cognitive Systems.
The Robotics group deals with industrial robotics in a production environment. Both classic industrial robots and cobots are considered, for example in applications for assembly automation or in modern handling processes. In addition, both machining and additive manufacturing by industrial robots are highlighted in current research and industrial activities. The combination of robots with vision systems and smart applications enables applications such as reaching into the box, adaptive path planning, or intuitive programming methods, and the combination with automated guided vehicles allows the use of mobile robots.
The Industrial IoT group looks at horizontal as well as vertical networking in production technology, taking into account greenfield scenarios as well as retrofitting in the brownfield. The focus is on fields such as cloud edge computing, industrial communication technologies and standards, the acquisition and use of machine data, methods for virtualizing control systems, and industrial tracking technologies. In addition, the group is also investigating how sustainability potential can be tapped through intelligent networking.
The Cognitive Systems group is concerned with the integration of human and artificial intelligence in smart production systems as well as its combination in applications with hybrid intelligence. For this purpose, concepts and technologies of human-machine interaction (MMI), such as AR or VR in assistance systems, are considered and these are combined with intelligent knowledge management. On the other hand, machine learning applications are developed, for example, to increase productivity or quality. New trends such as the use of the Industrial Metaverse in the industrial environment are also considered in the group.
Services
We always strive for close cooperation with our partners in production technology. The current challenges of our partners form the basis of our questions both in the processing of research projects and within the scope of services. Cooperations include, for example, contract research or project-related services on the following topics:
- Automationconsulting - From process and potential analysis, concept, and prototype development to consulting during commissioning, we accompany your project!
- Digitalization Consulting - We help you define your digitalization strategy and introduce the appropriate IoT & networking technologies for its implementation.
- Edge-Powered Data Acquisition - Starting with hardware selection on the store floor, configuring the platform that makes sense for you - AWS, Azure, Mindsphere, or others - and app development, our IoT experts can support you in all aspects.
- Intuitive MMI - By developing intuitive assistance systems or user interface concepts, we help you provide your employees with the right information at the right time.
- AI-based production optimization - From data acquisition to the AI pipeline, we are happy to support you in the introduction of smart AI applications.