Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Division Engineering of Adaptive SystemsIndustrial robots are increasingly being used to perform dangerous and precision tasks, with new installations rising to 553,000 worldwide in 2023. Despite this increase, the productive use of robotics continues to fall short of its potential, particularly due to stagnant innovation processes in programming. While a robot’s average purchase price is 100,000 euros, programming and customization account for about 75% of its total life-cycle costs.
Current programming tools are often designed only for single robots, which makes implementing multirobot systems complicated and costly. As a result, these technologies primarily benefit the automotive industry, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often left behind.
Finding the solution
DigiMon is responding to these challenges by developing industry-ready multirobot technology and innovative teaching methods. The objective is to find a no-code solution that greatly reduces the amount of engineering effort needed and enables the widespread use of multirobot systems in manufacturing. There is a wide range of potential benefits: Such a solution lowers programming costs, shortens changeover times, and cuts the space the systems require to a minimum. In addition, it improves the reusability of existing hardware and drastically reduces technological barriers to adoption. Parallel processes and a more spatially efficient arrangement of the production steps serve to significantly enhance the potential for increasing productivity and plant efficiency. This makes the manufacturing of complex mechatronic products in Germany economically attractive, even for small and medium production runs.
