Chaotic storage is still considered a prime example for those too lazy to search. At the Technical University of Munich (TUM), a robot has now been developed whose primary task is to track down missing items. According to TUM, it's one of the first robotic companions that not only integrates image understanding but also meaningfully connects it. 

Another piece of the puzzle for assembling the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) , vacuum segment No. 9 , was loaded onto a freighter in Monfalcone, Italy, two days ago , which will transport it to southern France.

The research work carried out by the fire protection experts of the Wagner Group has recently received confirmation of its eligibility for funding for its current R&D projects for the second time from the Research Grant Certification Authority (BSFZ). The innovation department is headed by Barbara Möller. 

The Innovation Park Zurich in Dübendorf is intended to become one of the key points between "Space Florida" – the US state of Florida's agency for space financing and development – ​​and a hub for trade, logistics, research and innovation between Florida, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The engineering company Ecoro will be presenting its automated shuttle, the P2X, at IFOY 2025. This shuttle can transport four pallets weighing up to 2.4 tons on a separate track – or even underground. It's a kind of "light" version of the CST (Combined Storage and Transport) system for transporting palletized goods on factory premises and in industrial parks.

At the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, over 150 scientists have drawn a positive conclusion from the large-scale research project "Silicon Economy". Over a period of four years, 20 development projects and the "Open Logistics Foundation" were initiated.

67 percent of 90 surveyed companies from the German transport and logistics sector have recently been affected by the consequences of climate change, according to a recently published study by KPMG - Wirtschaftsprüfungs-Gesellschaft and the German Logistics Association (BVL).

According to a survey conducted by the German Logistics Hall of Fame in cooperation with the Schunck Group, a large majority of logistics companies consider the risk of suffering harm from the consumption of alcohol or cannabis in the workplace to be low to very low. Only one in ten is skeptical.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer IML have been investigating the noise emissions of alternative drive systems (battery-electric, gas, hydrogen) during delivery processes in urban areas for some time. This research has resulted in a "Handbook for Low-Noise Logistics," which has now been presented to the Ministry of the Environment in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Over 170 experts in the field of driverless transport systems met this week at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics to exchange information on current developments in the segment of flexible automation and human-machine cooperation at the AGV conference.

 Photo: Kion Group

The Kion Group is initiating an endowed professorship for AI-supported autonomous systems at the Technical University of Dortmund. Sebastian Peitz, professor in the Faculty of Computer Science, is intended to underscore the university's pioneering position in the promising technology field of artificial intelligence (AI).

 predecessor model LHC

While the world grapples with crises, climate issues, and AI, Fraunhofer IML, as part of a larger puzzle, continues to work on the logistics concept that will help realize the multi-billion-euro " Future Circular Collider " at CERN in Geneva. A modular vehicle concept and a simulation model ensure the planning is sound.

Recognizing waste as waste and distinguishing goods as sortable items: Swisslog and Kuka aim to simplify robot programming and the correct item selection of food and other products in large warehouses using artificial intelligence. Remarkable results are possible – but other things could probably be done more simply.

Robodog assists

It doesn't have to be an alien planet. But what's driving a significant technological leap in intralogistics also warrants a look at external robotic solutions, such as those that have been gaining traction in the construction and agricultural industries for some time now. For example, controlling excavators from 500 km away.

Numerous awards have been bestowed upon Michael ten Hompel over the years as CEO of Fraunhofer IML. The Fraunhofer Medal, awarded at the end of May, was therefore almost overdue. It is thanks to him that logistics has found its place among the scientific disciplines.