Prof. Dr. Gerd Hirzinger

The Robotics and Mechatronics Center (RMC)

The talk addresses the historical background and the present activities of DLR`s Robotics and Mechatronics Center RMC in Oberpfaffenhofen and Berlin. Dynamic modelling, simulation and intelligent control of smart mechanisms has been a long-term scientific basis of the center`s work. The development of robots for space applications, especially orbital servicing and planetary exploration, is a central focus that led e.g. to the development of anthropomorphic light weight arms, multi-fingered hands and complex mobile “soft-robotics” systems like JUSTIN. Technology transfer into terrestrial applications as are industrial production and surgery with increased human-robot interaction has always been of major interest in the center. Intelligent control and modelling of airplanes and terrestrial vehicles builds more and more on synergies with robotic concepts (e.g. optical navigation and autonomy) for the development of flying robots, planetary rovers and electro-mobiles. And photorealistic 3D-worldmodelling (including terrestrial and planetary landscapes) makes use of the optical and airborne camera technologies in our Berlin department “Optical Information Systems”, too.