Learning from nature – this is the spirit that spelled success for OnRobot A/S as the winners of this year’s ROBOTICS AWARD in the context of HANNOVER MESSE, the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology. The Danish enterprise received the top prize for its Gecko Gripper. Therunners-up – forwardttc (in cooperation with KUKA) and the MASKOR Institute – also attracted a lot of attention and praise for their innovative robotic solutions.
Hannover. Developed byOnRobot A/S, the Gecko Gripperis an innovative system designed to hold objects without the need for additional energy – a system that captured the imaginations of the jury and the general public at the 2019 ROBOTICS AWARD. On Tuesday, robotics experts and enthusiasts gathered for the ninth successive year at the Automation Forum in order to celebrate innovative technological solutions. The Finance Minister for the German State of Lower Saxony, Reinhold Hilbers, presented the Award (which carries a total purse of €10,000) on behalf of Award Patron Bernd Althusmann, Lower Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Employment, Transport and Digitalization.
The Gecko Gripper (developed by OnRobot, a company based in the Danish city of Odense) is modelled on structures found in the feet of certain reptiles. Millions of microscopically fine hairs create so-called van der Waals forces when they contact smooth surfaces. This results in strong adhesion and anti-shearing force without the need to use any power for the purpose. The object is released simply by tilting the gripper surfaces.
In the run-up to the 2019 ROBOTICS AWARD, numerous enterprises and institutions from Germany and abroad submitted innovative solutions in the fields of industrial automation, mobile robots and/or autonomous systems. Three made it through to the final round at HANNOVER MESSE. The second prize was awarded to a joint project by forwardttc GmbH and KUKA AG. This project involves a low-cost charging assistant for electric vehicles (both private and commercial). The automatic charging process is initiated via a remote control or an app. In terms of the possible charging capacities, the charger is compatible with all electronic passenger vehicles, and the process can even be adapted for other innovative fuels such as hydrogen. Third prize was awarded to MASKOR, the Institute for Mobile Autonomous Systems and Cognitive Robotics at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences, for its autonomous field robot (“ETAROB”). The function of this robot is to facilitate cost-effective weed management in vegetable production. In contrast to conventional systems the ETAROB can navigate freely in an unstructured environment, avoid obstacles and remove weeds by their roots.
The ROBOTICS AWARD is given under the auspices of HANNOVER MESSE, in partnership with the Robotation Academy and the Konradin Media Group.
HANNOVER MESSE – Get new technology first!
HANNOVER MESSE is the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology. With its core focus on “Integrated Industry – Industrial Intelligence”, it covers the full range of digitization solutions for tomorrow’s manufacturing and energy systems. HANNOVER MESSE will next be held in 2019, when it will feature six parallel shows – IAMD (Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives), Digital Factory, Integrated Energy, Industrial Supply, ComVac and Research & Technology – as well as special showcases for startups and career starters, plus over 90 conferences and forums. HANNOVER MESSE 2019 will run from 1 to 5 April 2019 in Hannover, Germany, and will put the spotlight on Sweden as its official Partner Country.
Deutsche Messe AG
As one of the world’s foremost organizers of capital goods trade fairs, Deutsche Messe (Hannover, Germany) stages a rich array of events at venues in Germany and around the globe. With 2017 revenue of 356 million euros, Deutsche Messe ranks among Germany’s top five tradeshow producers. The company’s portfolio features such world-class events as (in alphabetical order): CEBIT (Europe's Leading Digital Event), CeMAT (intralogistics and supply chain management), didacta (education), DOMOTEX (carpets and other floor coverings), HANNOVER MESSE (industrial technology), INTERSCHUTZ (fire prevention, disaster relief and safety & security), LABVOLUTION (lab technology) and LIGNA (woodworking and wood processing tools, equipment and machinery). Deutsche Messe also stages trade fairs at other German venues, for example parts2clean (industrial parts cleaning) and SurfaceTechnology (surface treatment). The company also regularly hosts a number of internationally renowned events by third parties, among which are AGRITECHNICA (agricultural machinery) and EuroTier (animal production), both of which are staged by the German Agricultural Society (DLG), EMO (machine tools; staged by the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association, VDW), EuroBLECH (sheet metal working; staged by MackBrooks) and IAA Commercial Vehicles (transport, logistics and mobility; staged by the German Association of the Automotive Industry, VDA). Deutsche Messe’s portfolio also includes trade fairs in Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and the USA. Among the sectors addressed at these overseas events are Automotive, ICT & Digital Business, Manufacturing & Processing Industries, Energy & Logistics and Metal Processing. With more than1,200 employees and a network of 58 sales partners, Deutsche Messe is present in more than100 countries.
