Fraunhofer IML with Study on the Opportunities of Humanoid Robots

What vision do logistics professionals have for humanoid robotics and how realistic is their deployment? And how far has the industry come to date? A market study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML aims to provide answers to these questions. As part of the study, the institute is also conducting an industry survey among experts from intralogistics and robotics. Participation in the survey is now open.

(Dortmund) What hopes does the logistics industry associate with humanoid robots? What deployable solutions are already available on the market? And where should the journey go in the future? Technologically, there seem to be no limits to developments in the field of humanoid robotics. The smart helpers can move more confidently on two legs, perceive their environment through sensors, interact with humans – and learn from experiences.

But do robots need to have dexterous hands for use in logistics, with which they can grasp? What skills they need in practical applications for which tasks and what vision the industry is pursuing should be the central findings of the market study. Participating is worthwhile: every perspective counts and every assessment will influence the vision for application.Structure in four thematic areas

• Logistics as a stage for the deployment of highly automated systems
• Industry survey on the vision in the field of humanoid robotics
• Market study: Which systems are available on the market?
• Where should the journey go?

Initial insights from interviews already show what hopes for efficiency gains, flexibility, and human-machine collaboration exist and where current solutions still show gaps. The industry survey aims to enrich the findings of the market study with as broad a spectrum of perspectives as possible.

Here is the study

Photo: © Fraunhofer IML