The DLR-KUKA Success Story

Abstract

This paper discusses the joint venture between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics and the German robot manufacturer, KUKA Robotics GmbH, for the successful transfer of the knowledge in robot dynamics and control, human robot interaction, and sensory feedback as originally developed for the remote control of space robots to industrial robotics. This technology transfer venture aims to promote more industrial sensory feedback applications with particular focus on the fusion of vision and force, while merging service and industrial robots into the future. As such, the aim is to transfer new robonaut technologies and ultra-lightweight, torque-controlled, kinematically redundant arms with multifingered articulated hands into the terrestrial robot industry.