Gripper Specialist Wins Hermes Award

Gripper specialist Schunk won the Hermes Award for this year's Hanover Fair. Federal Minister of Education and Research Johanna Wanka awarded the renowned industry award, which is presented every year at the opening of the trade fair for innovative technical products.

Intelligent gripper enables human-robot collaboration

Schunk receives the price for the JL1 gripper. The intelligent gripper module is suitable for human-robot collaboration and can interact and communicate directly with humans. The built-in sensor technology registers the approach of people and thus enables a situation-dependent reaction without people and robots touching each other. The gripper fingers have force measuring jaws and tactile sensors and thus support adaptive gripper operations. Two camera systems show the surroundings in 3D format and support gripping device detection.

The jury headed by Wolfgang Wahlster, chairman of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, explains: “For safe and accessible human-robot collaboration, part of the system intelligence must also lie in the end effectors such as the grippers. Schunk succeeded in this in an excellent manner, so that our jury came to a unanimous conclusion.”

Sheet metal bending machine and smart control panel nominated

In addition to the winner, the following companies were nominated: AGS process technology with innovative cable laying technology, Augumenta from Finland with a smart control panel that enables new interactions, the Linz Center of Mechatronics with an automated sheet metal bending machine, and Noonee AG with posture support enables employees to sit anywhere without a chair.

All nominated companies and the winner will be exhibiting at the Hannover Messe. In addition, the "Tech Transfer - Gateway2Innovation" innovation stand in Hall 2 provides detailed information about all nominations for the Hermes Award and the companies. (kj)

Hanover Fair 2016

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