FZI Living Labs

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FZI Living Lab Service Robotics

Robust next-generation robotics – for use at home, in production, and in outer space

In the FZI Living Lab Service Robotics, innovative robot systems are developed and researched. These result from robust, lightweight constructions, specialized power and control components, and the latest software libraries in modular frameworks. The components that make the application optimally feasible are always developed in-house or selected from commercial systems. As a result, the FZI’s service robots offer a high degree of autonomy and flexibility that suits their respective applications.

Robotics at the FZI

The FZI develops novel basic technologies for environmental interpretation, robot control, gripper planning, and human-robot interaction. These are used in various FZI-wide application scenarios. The robots assist and relieve humans in routine tasks and take over exhausting or dangerous work. Special systems are also developed and used alongside traditional industrial production and logistics robots. Care-related tasks, outer space, or mines can also be performed reliably and robustly.

Intelligent
basic technologies

We develop future-oriented
basic technologies such as environmental interpretation, robot control, gripper planning, and human-robot interaction – for modular use.

Robotics in the service
of mankind

Our robotic systems relieve people of monotonous, heavy, or dangerous tasks – from industry to everyday life.

Flexible
areas of application

Whether it’s production, logistics, care, space travel or mines – our solutions are robust, reliable and tailored to specific requirements.

Application scenarios
at the FZI

The developed technologies are tested FZI-wide and in real-life environments – for practical research with genuine added value.

More videos on the FZI’s YouTube-playlist Collaborative Robots and Virtual Engineering.

What makes us special

The FZI’s unique proposition combines the latest hardware, adaptive and modular software, and rapid and robust prototyping. Various manipulators, mobile platforms, sensor systems, and extensive software libraries are available at the FZI Living Lab Service Robotics, enabling the control of different actuator systems and evaluating complex sensor data for experiments and for demonstrator and prototype development.

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The latest innovative hardware

  • Large selection of industrial, service, and walking robots
  • Long-standing experience in the professional handling of robotic hardware
  • Workshop for custom-made products and development of components for individual prototypes
More about our hardware

Adaptive, modular software

  • Integration of the latest algorithms from commercial and open-source repositories
  • Applied Artificial Intelligence, SLAM, Motion Planning, Bin Picking, Vision and Large Language Models
  • Development of ROS / ROS 2 interfaces
  • Working with Isaac Gym and MuJoCo
  • FZI MotionPipeline, FZI NavigationPipeline, ros_bt_py, FDCC controller or robot_folders
More about our technologies
LAURON

Fast, robust prototype development

  • Manufacturer-independent implementation of innovative prototypes and application scenarios
  • Integration and evaluation in existing environments and infrastructures
  • Successful long-term collaborations and industry partnerships
More about our projects

References and success stories

Experienced

  • ROS driver maintenance for Universal Robots (UR), ifm electronic, SICK Sensor Intelligence
  • Over 35 years of experience with the in-house development of our walking robot LAURON
  • Over 15 years of experience with our in-house service robot development HoLLiE

Award-winning

  • Winner of the ESA-ESRIC Resources Challenge 2023
  • Second Place in the AIRA Challenge 2024
  • Winner of European Robotics Challenge 2018

Community-oriented

  • Member of ROS-Industrial
  • Member of euRobotics
  • Member of Digital EU Space Ecosystem
  • Member of competence center ROBDEKON
  • Coordinator of transfer center Robots in Everyday Life (RimA)

Cooperation options

As an independent research institution, the FZI Research Center for Information Technology supports you with solutions to your problems.
We offer:

  • Robust, modern robot platforms
  • Extensive expertise in robotics software frameworks
  • Contract research, prototype development, or experience sharing
  • Feasibility studies, pilot applications and evaluation in practice
  • Training and professional development

Arrange an appointment now with our experts!

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Dr.-Ing. Georg Heppner

Department Manager ISPE
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Tristan Schnell

Department Manager ISPE

Robotics technologies and infrastructure at the FZI

Walking robot
LAURON

Developed by FZI for robust operation in demanding inspection tasks

More about LAURON

Service robot HoLLiE

Used to support people in their daily lives

More about
HoLLiE

Robot arms
incl. grippers

Lightweight and industrial robots from Universal Robots, FRANKA, Pilz, Doosan, Schunk, KUKA, FANUC

Mobile
platforms

Platforms with manipulators and walking robots (for example LAURON, ANYmal, Spot)

Robotic prototyping workshop

Workshop for 3D printing and computer-aided manufacturing

Robotic prototyping workshop

Workshop for 3D printing and computer-aided manufacturing

GPU cluster for AI training

State-of-the-art computing infrastructure for compute-intensive tasks such as training large language models (LLMs)