Automation Technology

Our Automation Technology division develops new technologies and systems that combine innovative robotics, control and security concepts with machine vision methods. The aim of this work is to use the integration and combination of these key automation components to allow our customers to benefit from more efficient processes. New force control procedures, for instance, enable industrial robots to carry out machining processes – a more versatile and cost-effective solution than conventional machine structures. We are also using innovative methods and automation concepts from the world of production engineering to pave the way for new applications and business divisions in the fields of security technology and medicine. Well-known examples include our process for automated virtual document reconstruction and our robot systems for stroke rehabilitation.

The ability to process visual information is a prerequisite for many automated processes. The Machine Vision department uses innovative methods of digital image processing and pattern recognition to teach machines how to "see". We develop learning methods for the inspection of material surfaces within the scope of quality assurance, for the control of handling and assembly processes, as well as for monitoring systems which guarantee the safety of persons in hazardous areas. In addition, we transfer production engineering solutions in the fields of image segmentation, character and document interpretation, motion analysis, object classification and biometric recognition systems to non-industrial fields of application. Our core competencies:

• Automated virtual reconstruction
• From ronstruction to »repair«
• Pattern recognition in digital worlds

Today, production automation is no longer governed solely by economic considerations. Instead, sustainable use of resources and the effects of demographic change are becoming key priorities. The Process Automation and Robotics department is tackling these challenges using intelligent control systems as well as advanced robot technology. Our expertise ranges from tools for process modelling and simulation to innovative kinematic systems with new drive and control solutions, to higher-level process control engineering and technologies to support operating personnel. A speciality are force-controlled robot systems and human-robot cooperation. Our core competencies:

• Robots with feeling
• Human-centered automation with COBOTs
• Machining robots
  
• Process optimization in complex systems

In Germany alone, over 200,000 people a year suffer a stroke. The majority of them experience partial paralysis or even a complete loss of voluntary motor function. The rehabilitation robotics work group is developing robot-assisted exercise devices that significantly improve the rate of success in neurological rehabilitation therapy for relearning movement abilities. Our core competencies:

• Therapy devices for motoric rehabilitation
• Mechatronic and robotic assistance systems
• Intelligent mobility aids