In factories, robots have become indispensable. They relieve humans of both simple and highly complex tasks, making them the backbone of industrialization. The growth in sales and revenue is correspondingly strong. According to the International Federation of Robotics Industries and Research Institutes IFR, 380,000 industrial robots were shipped worldwide in 2017, almost 90,000 more than in the previous year. By 2021, the total is even expected to rise from the current level of around 2.1 million industrial robots to 3.8 million. The largest market is China.
In agriculture and horticulture , on the other hand, automation solutions are still largely limited to highly specialized machines on a large scale, such as full harvesters or manure removal systems. A start-up from the Upper Palatinate region of Germany, founded in 2012 with the help of an EXIST start-up grant, has therefore specialized in combining electronic and mechanical components for outdoor applications. With automation solutions and the pre-development of robot prototypes, Innok Robotics GmbH aims to bridge the gap between basic research and service robots suitable for everyday use. The young company made a start with a prototype for a fast and all-terrain robot chassis.
Easily watering flowers thanks to robotics
The goal of a current project is to develop a universal basic robot vehicle that can take on specific tasks as a driverless transport system in the agricultural sector. "The new robot should be able to travel along paths completely independently, assist a person with transport or harvesting work, for example, and work a given area with an attachment," says Innok Robotics co-founder Alwin Heerklotz, describing the specifications.
By integrating suitable localization and navigation technology, it was possible to implement a robust and reliable solution for unpaved outdoor surfaces. "A particular challenge was also to design the system in such a way that it could be set up and controlled in a short time by users with no prior knowledge," continues Alwin Heerklotz. It quickly became apparent that the robot can be used for a wide range of tasks with the appropriate attachments and superstructures - for example, for clearing snow from large yard areas. In the most current expansion stage, the "Rainos," the system takes over the laborious watering in cemeteries, where hot summers pose major challenges for nurseries. "But tasks such as use as an inspection robot are also conceivable," says Alwin Heerklotz, already thinking about the next step.
