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Innovation award for collision avoidance software from the Augsburg-based robot manufacturer |
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| Augsburg/Peking, October 2006 – Together with the Institute for Process Technology and Robotics (IPR) at the University of Karlsruhe and the Gesellschaft für fortschrittliche Robotertechnologie (GFRT – Society for Advanced Robotics), KUKA Roboter has been honored with the “Invention and Entrepreneurship Award in Robotics and Automation”. Along with its partners, the company, which is one of the world’s leading suppliers of industrial robots, managed to beat off stiff competition with its innovative collision avoidance software, CAFIR. The world’s largest engineering association IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and the “International Federation of Robotics” (IFR) presented this award for the second time. It is an award for outstanding innovations in the field of robotics. |
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Nowadays, industrial robots are multi-talented machines that can carry out all manner of tasks in manufacturing operations. They work on valuable workpieces using expensive tools, often teaming up with other robots in the process. Ever shorter product life cycles necessitate ever faster reprogramming of the robots and the increasing use of sensor systems – with ever less time left to test the programs thoroughly. Collisions between robots, tools and other cell components can thus not be precluded, and these can result in downtime in production and damage to equipment – all of which is very costly for the manufacturing company.
But this is now all a thing of the past – thanks to CAFIR. CAFIR stands for “Collision Avoidance for Industrial Robots”. It was precisely the avoidance of such collisions that KUKA Roboter set as its goal, together with its partners IPR and GFRT, at an IPR spin-off supported by KUKA. The results of the intensive cooperation between industry and research culminated in the new, award-winning robot technology.
This software prevents collisions between the robot and its surroundings. A realistic and highly complex model of the cell is calculated in real time on the robot controllers involved. | |
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If, on the basis of the known and estimated motions of the robots, it is expected that, without external intervention, the robots will collide, CAFIR ensures that they are braked safely. Forgotten interlocks or incorrect robot motions, e.g. in jog mode or sensor-assisted operation, can no longer cause collisions.
The award was presented to KUKA Roboter and its partners at the internationally renowned robotics conference IROS (“International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems”), which was held recently in Peking. KUKA Roboter sees this award as confirmation of its technological leadership and evidence that its policy of close research and development cooperation with the world’s leading robotics institutes is the correct approach in view of the significant innovations that have resulted from it. And these, in turn, are of benefit to the company’s customers. | |
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| | KUKA Roboter GmbH, Augsburg, is a member of the IWKA Aktiengesellschaft Group (Karlsruhe) and ranks among the world’s leading suppliers of industrial robots. Core competencies are the development, production and sale of industrial robots, controllers, software and linear units. The company is the market leader in Germany and Europe, and the number three in the world. The KUKA Robot Group employs about 1,750 people worldwide. Of these, 1,200 are employed in Germany, either at the KUKA Robot Group headquarters in Augsburg, or at various subsidiaries. In 2005, sales totaled 324 million euro. Over 20 subsidiaries provide a presence in the rest of Europe, the US and Asia. | |
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Any questions? We would be happy to help |
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KUKA Robot Group
Head of Communications
Jürgen Schulze-Ferebee
Tel.: +49 821 4533–3318
presse@kuka.com
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