An ongoing project spearheaded by MIRMI researchers and coordinated by Prof. Achim Lilienthal, DARKO “Dynamic Agile Production Robots that Learn and Optimise Knowledge and Operations”, has been identified as a high-potential innovation by the EU Innovation Radar, alongside 53 other key innovations at TUM, 11 of which are connected to robotics. Backed by funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, DARKO aims to address the gap in current production systems by realising a new generation of agile production robots that are energy- and cost- efficient, dynamic, safe, and capable of collaborative and intuitive interaction with humans in the same working environment.
The EU Innovation Radar is a European Commission initiative, which aims to identify and nurture high-potential EU-funded innovations and innovators, and allows citizens and businesspersons to explore such developments according to their maturity level, topic, and associated project. By identifying how each innovation can contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and encouraging stronger and more dynamic connections between project incubators, entrepreneurs, and investors, the Innovation Radar supports innovators in bringing these impactful projects ‘out of the lab and into the market’.
DARKO is identified as aligning with two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 8, which seeks to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, alongside full and productive employment opportunities for all; and SDG 9, aiming to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation. For the DARKO consortium, the identification of the project by the Innovation Radar supports their commitment to human-centred robotics, and their mission to bring them into practical real-world environments and foster safe, responsible, and sustainable human-robot collaborations.
Related Links
- Read more about the Innovation Radar initiative here: https://innovation-radar.ec.europa.eu/about
- Read more about TUM’s innovation at the Innovation Radar: https://innovation-radar.ec.europa.eu/innovator/999977463
- Learn more about the DARKO project here: https://www.mirmi.tum.de/en/mirmi/research/projects/darko/