Robotics Exploration Laboratory

The Robotics Exploration Laboratory is part of the Robotics Innovation Center (RIC) of the DFKI in Bremen. It provides a unique research infrastructure.

In the approximately 1,300 m² large Maritime Exploration Hall new robotic technologies for use on and under water can be tested. The heart of the facility is a large basin filled with 3.4 million liters of saltwater, where research conditions are created which are controllable and observable and are not subject to changes in weather.

At the pressure chamber, individual components can be tested at a water pressure of up to 660 bar. Two more separate water basins and a 3D virtual test environment also belong to the extensive facilities of the Maritime Exploration Hall. The systems developed here can be used for example in the inspection of ships and pipelines, for exploring uncharted waters or for repairing offshore installations.

Robots that are developed for future space missions, will be tested in the 288 m² large Space Exploration Hall. The nine-meter-wide crater landscape, whose surface is modeled based on a crater of the lunar south pole, and the moon-like light conditions provide a realistic test environment. A robot path in the outdoor area of the RIC with 15 challenging obstacles on an area of 500 m² is the performance review of walking, climbing, driving and floating robotic systems.