DLR - Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics

Departments of the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics (Head: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerd Hirzinger)

Robotic Systems (Head of the Department: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerd Hirzinger)

The long-term goal of our robotics activities has always been based on the idea of relieving man from inhuman and dangerous tasks. While in the early years of robotics in our department the main focus of interest has been restricted to designing robot sensors (and sensor-based man-machine interfaces) and closing smart sensory feedback loops, in the last years the activities have widened up considerably. Presently the general goal is the design of a new generation of multisensory light-weight robots for space applications which are operable by astronauts as well as from groundstations, based on powerful telerobotic concepts and man-machine-interfaces.

System Dynamics and Control (Head of the Department: Dr. Johann Bals)

The System Dynamics and Control Department of the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics is responsible for advancing the state-of-the-art in system dynamics and control technologies for high-performance mechatronic systems in aerospace, robotics and ground vehicle application. The increasing requirements on higher performance, improved comfort, safety, lower energy consumption, etc. for innovative technical products urge the need for better dynamics and control methods and tools of practical value.

Optical Information Systems

The department of Optical Systems is divided in optical sensing / electronics (Head: Dr. Andreas Eckardt), data processing optical information systems (Head: Dr. Anko Börner), and sensor concepts and applications (Head: Frank Lehmann) and is located in Berlin.

The DLR crawler explores and maps antonomously its envirinment

Perception und Cognition (Head of Department: Dr. Ing. Michael Suppa)

The Department of Perception und Cognition develops solutions to enable a wholistic perception of robotic systems using the two predominant robot senses vision and tactility. Perception and cognition are elementary components for tele-operated, and autonomous robot systems, due to the fact that they enable reactive behaviour, attention-based control and interpretation of situations

Autonomy and Teleoperation (Head of Department: Christoph Borst)

The Department of Autonomy and Teleoperation works on the planning and execution of movements on multi-arm robotic systems with many degrees of freedom. The field of interest varies from simple motion primitives to the execution of complex manipulation tasks with robotic arms and hands.Fundamental techniques for programming and controlling robot motions on flexible, efficient and distributed computing platforms under hard real-time conditions are also investigated

Mechatronic Component and Systems (Heads of Department: Dr. Ing. Alin Albu-Schäffer, Markus Grebenstein)

Main objective of the department is the development and control of highly integrated, high performance, yet dexterous robots in terms of the “soft robotics philosophy” of the institute focusing mainly on manipulation and locomotion in space and terrestrial applications. Medium and long-term goal is to enable effective and cost-efficient operation and exploration in space using robotic systems as well as the transfer of the evolving technologies to terrestrial applications.