Scientists here have been developing automated assistants for retail, care, rehabilitation and domestic use as part of various research projects since 1994. Over the past 30 years, a wide variety of service and assistance robots have been developed, mostly in collaboration with the company MetraLabs GmbH from Ilmenau. To ensure that these technological witnesses are not forgotten after the end of the project, head of the Neuroinformatics and Cognitive Robotics Group , Prof. Horst-Michael Groß, has created the interactive robot exhibition:
It is a well-known problem in all robotics laboratories worldwide that the robots undergo a kind of ageing process after the end of the project. This means that basic robotic skills no longer work, complex demos don’t work at all, batteries discharge or displays no longer turn on. The robots often end up leading a desolate existence in storage rooms. We want to counteract this with our exhibition.
On the text panels attached to each exhibit, visitors can get a quick overview of the robots on display.
There is also the option to interactively call up information about the exhibits on two large monitors using pointing gestures. A total of around one hour of video material is available in German and English - including some fun facts to discover.
The exhibition also serves as a showroom for the Thuringian Center for Systems and Robotics (TZLR), where interested parties or potential users can find out about successful robotic assistance systems.
Pepper, a "technical employee" at the department and the youngest member of the battery-powered team, normally lends a hand to human colleagues or assists at events. At the official opening, however, the little robot with the googly eyes was the master of ceremonies and was allowed to explain to the guests how the interactive exhibition works. "I’m pretty excited about it," he admitted.
The Robo-Expo is located in the Zusebau, 2nd floor, corridor D and can now be visited by anyone interested from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feedback on the short instructions provided on site is very welcome.
Read more about the robots developed at the TU Ilmenau and their use in care, rehabilitation and retail here.
