Delegation visits DLR at the German Robotics Conference
DLR will demonstrate the EDAN (EMG-controlled daily assistant) robot system at the German Robotics Conference in 2025. This mobile robot is designed to support people with severe motor impairments – as seen here assisting a person drinking from a coffee cup. Pictured here (from left): Engelbert Beyer, Head of Directorate at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research; Simon Hechinger, Federal Ministry of Education and Research; Alin Albu-Schäffer, Director of the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics; and Jörn Vogel, DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.
EDAN (EMG-controlled daily assistant) is a robotic research platform for people with severe motor disabilities. The assistive robot consists of a wheelchair with a sensitive, lightweight robotic arm and hand. EDAN can be controlled semi-autonomously using a joystick and muscle signals, which are measured on the skin using electromyography (EMG) and then processed.
The DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics will also present the latest iteration of its CLASH (Compliant Low-cost Antagonistic Servo Hand) robotic hand at the first German Robotics Conference in Nuremberg. Specifically developed for grasping fruit and vegetables, CLASH can be mounted on a robot and is aimed at future use in online supermarkets. The mechanical stiffness of the fingers can be adjusted using two additional drives, allowing the hand to grip a mango, for instance, very gently during the contact phase and then more firmly when lifting the object.
The first German Robotics Conference will showcase the strength of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in Germany's business and research landscape.
The DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics will be presenting its current research work at the event.
The conference is organised by the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG). As a RIG partner, the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics is responsible for technology transfer.
Focus: Robotics, artificial intelligence, space
Robotics is one of the most significant technology development trends worldwide. At the first German Robotics Conference, leading experts will provide insights into the current research landscape of artificial intelligence-based robotics in Germany. From 13 to 15 March 2025, the RIG-organised conference in Nuremberg will showcase the highlights of German-developed robotics and AI. As a RIG partner, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) will be there, represented by its Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.
Germany is ideally positioned as a robotics research location, with over 1200 scientific publications in the last five years, more than 70 major projects supported by the German Research Foundation and nine German universities among the top 100 in the global computer science rankings for robotics. A study by consulting firm Capgemini has shown that AI-based robotics and generative AI are among the top five growth areas for technology worldwide in 2025. AI-based robotics is also becoming increasingly important for industry – almost half of companies surveyed worldwide are currently developing application scenarios, and 89 percent of investors believe that AI-based robotics will be one of the top three areas of focus in the technology sector in 2025.
The research landscape for AI-based robotics
The current state of research will be presented in over 200 papers at the conference, including by RIG coordinator Angela Schoellig from the Technical University of Munich, RIG spokesperson Tamim Asfour from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Wolfram Burgard as the local host and RIG partner at the University of Technology Nuremberg. The DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics is actively involved in the event through its technological contributions. It is also moderating events and organising a networking lunch in collaboration with the Women in AI & Robotics association. In the interactive live demo area of the venue, DLR researchers from Oberpfaffenhofen will also present their care assistance system EDAN (EMG-controlled daily assistant). This assistance robot consists of an electric wheelchair with an integrated DLR-developed lightweight robot arm. EDAN is designed to enable people with severe physical disabilities to carry out simple everyday tasks independently, such as drinking or opening doors.
Current trends in AI-based robotics include robot design and learning algorithms for robotic perception and interaction. New areas of focus, known as research clusters, are also emerging in Germany. These clusters cover topics relating to robotics and AI, including multimodal learning, networked robotics, the safety and reliability of AI-based robotics, robots with tactile capabilities and AI-based industrial robotics. The aim is to define clusters and work in collaboration on these topics within the RIG network.
The RoboCup German Open 2025 will also be taking place at the same time as the German Robotics Conference. The range of competitions will involve over 1000 students from more than 40 'major teams' from universities and research institutions in Germany, the rest of Europe and beyond, along with 200 'junior teams' from German schools. The competitions focus on intelligent robotics in visionary scenarios such as autonomous football robots, rescue robots and smart assistants for the home and industry.
Stronger networking for technology transfer
With the ever-faster advance of technological innovation, integrating industry and research is crucial. DLR is responsible for technology transfer at RIG, seeking to translate research results into innovative industry applications at speed. "Through close networking and collaboration with leading robotics laboratories in Germany, we're also creating a critical mass of innovation to ensure the competitiveness of German industry going forward," says Alin Albu-Schäffer, Director of the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics. "With RIG, we are jointly supporting the development of advanced technologies and robotics applications, which then find their way into the market through our start-ups and cooperation with large DAX-listed corporations and medium-sized enterprises."
RIG consists of 14 universities and research institutions that conduct internationally leading research in the field of AI-supported robotics, train upcoming scientific talent and translate research into practical applications. In addition, 20 other renowned universities and research networks support the initiative as affiliated partners. RIG is an initiative launched and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
