How can robots and humans work together in harmony with the help of artificial intelligence? This question is being answered by students at Offenburg University of Applied Sciences in the Work-Life Robotics Institute (WLRI) at Campus West. The 22.5 metre robot axis from our own production facilities supports this research.

Robots race through space with high accelerations on the 22.5-metre-long axis. This is how human affective movements are simulated and human interactions are predicted. Research is also being done to determine how to distinguish between humans and passing autonomous machines. The goal is for machines to independently stop, slow down or take other safety measures when a human approaches the work area.

“As a company, we will benefit greatly from this research work at the university,” explains HIWIN Managing Director Werner Mäurer at the inauguration of the new robot axis. This includes both findings for our own manufacturing process as well as general research results in robotics. The director of the WLRI, Prof. Thomas Wendt, also praises the collaboration: ”The close partnership with HIWIN is a perfect example of the good relationship the university has with regional partners from the economy.”