Air Robots and Mobile Robot Systems Distance University of Hagen

Air Robots FernUniversität in Hagen

The FernUniversität in Hagen is a university of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. As the only distance teaching university in Germany, it offers undergraduate and graduate degree programmes for professionals.
Their research groups in “Control Systems Engineering” (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Helmut Hoyer) and in “Mechatronics Systems“ (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Gerke) work closely together within systems engineering. Joint research in mechatronics and robotics is being conducted here.

Their research focus is in the area of stationary and mobile robot systems. Omnidirectional robot vehicles for heavy-duty transport and for assistive technology applications have been successfully developed in numerous projects. Not only innovations in vehicle technology, but also the principle of multi-sensor integration and increasing system autonomy are at the fore of the research work here.

The range of applications of distributed and heterogeneous robots has been extended recently, through mobile flight systems, to safety regulation requirements and catastrophe scenarios. A co-operation between terrestrial
and airborne robots is intended to automate challenging operations (security and rescue). For example, teleoperated or partly autonomous mobile robot systems allow targeted and continuous ‘monitoring’ (observation and measurement) in critical areas of application. A minuscule airship is currently being developed into a semi-autonomous sensor platform, which is distinguished by an extremely high dwell time and a stationary operation close to the ground.

This flight system can be used for the early identification of hazardous situations, for reconnaissance and data acquisition (“view from above”) and as a communication relay. Co-operation with terrestrial mini-robots or
sensor technology dispersed over the ground enables a powerful communication network to be created with the flight system. To implement the described innovative robotic applications, the two research groups are contributing to national and international research projects. Distance University of Hagen Air Robots.