The use of AI-based robotic systems offers enormous potential for strengthening industries that rely on the high efficiency and flexibility of robotic systems. These include manufacturing, logistics and service industries. The robotics market will experience significant growth in the coming years. To fully exploit this potential, the RoX project will bring robotic systems to a new level of performance using advanced robotic components, artificial intelligence (AI) and a digital ecosystem. This will shorten innovation cycles and significantly improve system integration and commissioning.
Efficient solutions through practical research
No single market participant can cover or master the high complexity of AI-based robotic systems alone. That is why RoX is a consortium of industry and science working together across company boundaries. The focus is on practical use cases that address the industry's current need for action and offer innovative, transferable solutions. Key application areas include:
- Loading and unloading processes throughout the logistics chain
- Picking processes in unstructured environments
- Multi-functional and site-flexible robotic systems in production
- AI-based commissioning of robotic systems
These areas demonstrate the feasibility and practicality of the solutions developed and evaluate their potential for continued development and scalability.
DFKI contributes expertise in various use cases
Together with partners, the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center is working on AI-based solutions for more flexible and efficient robotics in industry in several use cases. This includes the co-development of a robotic system for the automated cleaning of molded parts in the pharmaceutical industry to replace the manual cleaning process used to date. DFKI is optimizing the form and function of robot grippers and using simulation-based learning methods to analyze gripping and movement patterns.
Another use case focuses on the intuitive programming of robots to enable easy reprogramming by skilled workers without special knowledge. DFKI is developing solutions for flexible robot configuration, precise object representation and automatic behavior control that significantly simplify commissioning.
DFKI is also involved in the planning and optimization of multi-robot cells for complex tasks such as painting and gluing. The goal is to make robot-based processing of variable workpieces, for example in automotive manufacturing, more efficient through AI-supported path and process optimization. To this end, DFKI is developing tools for optimizing path planning and integrating robot simulations to increase efficiency.
Integration of the developed solutions in the digital ecosystem
In order to develop a scalable digital ecosystem for AI-based robotics, RoX focuses on the integration of the developed, practice-oriented solutions in development and application environments, the provision of quality-assured software modules and AI models, as well as the design of semantic models and metadata structures. Data security of the robotics ecosystem and networking with international initiatives are also an integral part of the work.
The sustainable organizational structure ensures that the developed software modules, semantic models and the digital ecosystem will be made available and further developed beyond the end of the project. In this way, RoX will make an important contribution to the future of AI-based robotics and sustainably strengthen the innovative power of the participating industries.
About the RoX project
RoX is a BMWK-funded research project that started in September 2024 with a duration of 30 months. A consortium of leading industrial and scientific partners aims to develop a digital ecosystem for AI-based robotics with scalable and innovative solutions for practical implementation.
Consortium members: ABB AG, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, German Aerospace Center (DLR), German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Fiege Logistik Stiftung & Co. KG, Gluth Systemtechnik GmbH, RIF Institute for Research and Transfer, Intrinsic Innovation GmbH, INVITE GmbH, Mercedes-Benz AG, Roboception GmbH, Robomotion GmbH, SCHUNK SE & Co. KG, SOTEC GmbH & Co. KG, T-Systems International GmbH, VDMA Robotics + Automation, Wacker Chemie AG, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, Yardstick Robotics GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, Dürr Systems AG, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH, SAFELOG GmbH, Siemens AG.
Consortium management: ABB (spokesperson), Siemens, DLR, Fraunhofer IPA
