Rokit – Robot Competence and Interaction Cluster

Background

The overall goal of the planned competence and interaction cluster "rokit-Hub" is to provide an offering that enables any manufacturer to design robots for useful, ethical, safe and economical use in public spaces. This offering includes anongoing exchange with users, the public, policy makers, and relevant committees.

Project description

The short-term goal in the first months is to develop methods and metrics that form the scientific basis for the work of the competence center. The medium-term goal over the remainder of the funding period is to implement scenarios of integrated research that are suitable for everyday use. The long-term goal is to effectively support robot manufacturers and users with methodological and technical expertise, benchmarks, best practices and practical experience in the domain of public space and to promote political, normative and social discourse.

Range of services

In order to achieve these goals, the consortium brings together contributors whose expertise includes interaction design and ergonomics, safety, law, ethics, economics, occupational science, social science, and technology assessment. These expertises are bundled or clustered in the three core elements of Thinktank, Method Workshop and Living Lab as well as the networking rokit hub to achieve specific sub-goals.

The latter serves as a competence broker for the individual building blocks. Fraunhofer IMW is responsible for the development of the organizational and exploitation concept of the competence cluster.

Client

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Funding measure "Robots for assistance functions: Interaction in practice" (in German: "Roboter für Assistenzfunktionen: Interaktion in der Praxis")

Project partners

• HFC Human-Factors-Consult GmbH
• Angsa
• Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF
• Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA
  
• University of Applied Science Düsseldorf (HSD)
• Technische Universität Berlin
• University of Technology Chemnitz
• Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA)

Project duration

10.10.2022 - 9.10.2025