Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE
Fraunhoferstrasse 2053343 Wachtberg
Germany
http://www.fkie.fraunhofer.de
Keywords
Profile
The Cognitive Mobile Systems (CMS) department studies scientific issues in the context of mobile single- and multi-robot systems management. Mobile robot systems are tools that make it possible to carry out dangerous work from a distance. In so doing, they enable the protection of deployed personnel.Reliable execution of more complex tasks is very difficult using today's standard direct remote control (teleoperation) of robot systems. By developing methods for spatial environmental perception and intelligent control and planning procedures, the department increases the autonomous capabilities of robot systems with the aim of purely supervisory management of multi-robot systems. Where direct remote control of individual robot systems remains necessary, more intuitive solutions are achieved with the aid of intelligent assistance functions.
Based on these new developments, the department designs and implements innovative prototype applications for single- and multi-robot systems in order to evaluate the current state of performance of the systems together with potential users.
The department consists of two separate research groups: The Autonomous Mobility & Experimental Systems research group designs and develops prototype applications for ground-based unmanned systems used in safety-critical tasks. Its research centers on issues of interoperability and the modularity of software and hardware. Another focus of the group are algorithms for autonomous navigation of different drive and sensor configurations. In the Environment Recognition, Mobile Manipulation & Multi-Robot Interaction research group, the focus is on intelligent assistance functions and intuitive operating concepts for the effective use of unmanned systems. Sensor-based 3D environment models and modules for semi-automated manipulation support the operator in controlling the system. Innovative methods for coordination, exploration and navigation are also being researched for the use of multiple robots.