Future with robotics

Pupils from Vilsbiburg Grammar School were given an insight into current research at THI during a visit on 27 October 2023: Prof. Kanso, Head of the Bachelor's degree programme in Robotics, and Maurice Hufnagel, research assistant from Prof. Pfitzner's research group, guided the pupils through the fascinating history of robotics. They were also given an outlook on future trends in the field of human-robot collaboration.

Prof Kanso used a demonstrator to show how robots and humans can interact with the help of simple sensor technology. This means that robot movements can be taught to the robot without extensive, specialised programming knowledge.

Maurice Hufnagel presented an ongoing research project on how mobile robots will support chefs and kitchen assistants in commercial kitchens and canteens in the future. The mobile robot can already bake bread rolls autonomously and takes care of placing them on the baking tray and serving them.

Mobile robots also help after a reactor disaster: In recent years, the RoboTHIx team, consisting of scientific staff and students, has shown how robots can be used after a reactor disaster. These robots autonomously search for radioactive radiation and provide valuable assistance to the emergency services. The use of robots in such scenarios emphasises the need for further research in this area.