These Bremen companies are developing autonomous systems
DigitizationRobotics companies from the Hanseatic City
![A man and a woman and an autonomous robot A man and a woman and an autonomous robot](/sixcms/media.php/63/thumbnails/DSC_9293%281%29.jpg.94903.jpg)
Autonomous systems are intelligent machines that are able to find their way around in an unknown environment, react to changes in that environment and perform tasks independently while they are there. These companies are creating the basis for new business models on land, inside buildings, at sea or in the air. Many Bremen-based companies are already active in this field.
Bremen's success in recent years in becoming a hotspot for the development of autonomous systems is due to its outstanding universities and the wealth of commercial research taking place in the city. Leading institutes such as the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) with its Robotics Innovation Center, Fraunhofer IFAM, MARUM, BIBA and current AI research projects in a number of institutes at the University and the Technical University of Bremen are building a strong foundation in this sector and inspiring a continuous stream of spin-offs. This makes the city extremely attractive to other companies in the sector.
These Bremen companies are working on autonomous systems*:
![The scanning robot created by Georg Bartels (r) and Jonas Reiling has attracted a huge amount of interest in the retail trade. The scanning robot created by Georg Bartels (r) and Jonas Reiling has attracted a huge amount of interest in the retail trade.](/sixcms/media.php/63/thumbnails/20210701-Ubica-137.jpg.70508.jpg)
Land-based autonomous systems
Self-driving cars may be the first thing that comes to mind, but there's a whole host of other applications for robotic vehicles. Ubica Robotics GmbH, for example, is working on a robot that can be used to check stock in retail stores. DFKI Industrials, on the other hand, is a spin-off from the research centre of the same name. It is also investigating applications for the industrial analysis of scientific findings, such as robots that can navigate themselves in difficult terrain. One possible application: future space missions.
![Testing pool DFKI Testing pool DFKI](/sixcms/media.php/63/thumbnails/PD_DFKI_Explorationshalle_%C2%A9%20DFKI%20GmbH_Foto%20Annemarie%20Hirth.jpg.46341.jpg)
Sea-based autonomous systems
As undersea environments are some of the most dangerous places to work, this is an excellent reason for using autonomous systems. Another good reason is the fact that the majority of the seas and oceans have not been investigated yet and are still unknown. Robots have enormous potential here and this is something Bremen-based companies are well aware of. For example, the ROSEN Group is innovative new underwater vehicles at its site in Bremen, Rosenxt Creation Center GmbH. The company Marinom GmbH is also active in this field and is currently developing an autonomous ferry. Similarly, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH is involved in a research project on one of the largest autonomous submarines for non-military purposes. The Canadian robotics company Kraken Robotics and the Turkish firm Werover also have facilities in Bremen which benefit from the city's excellent infrastructure (such as the DFKI's maritime exploration hall) and the close ties between science and industry.
Air-based autonomous systems
With Bremen's long history as a major aerospace centre, it's no surprise that several companies are working on new approaches to drone technology. These include companies such as Optoprecision, b.r.m. IT & Aerospace and TRILITEC, whose drones are used on land in agriculture or for maritime surveillance in the North Sea. In addition, service providers such as UAV-DEV are contributing to the growing expertise in applications. Click on this link for an overview of 8 Bremen companies and institutes working on drones.
General development of intelligent, autonomous systems
TOPAS Industriemathematik Innovation GmbH doesn't limit its activities to a single specific field. As a spin-off from WG Industrial Mathematics, this company is investigating every aspect of autonomous system and already has a wide array of demonstrators and research vehicles available. For example, there is a van which is fitted with a range of different sensors and systems that enable to make journeys autonomously. The company has been involved with optimising lawn-mowing robots and is also a major partner in the #MOIN Initiative, which involves continued developments in many different autonomous technologies, especially drones.
Bremen Autonomous Systems Meetup
The wide range of activities that companies and institutes are engaged in has created a lively community in the Hanseatic City. Information, experiences and views can be exchanged at the Bremen Autonomous Systems Meetup, a networking event created by TOPAS which will take place for the first time in the summer of 2024. Alongside a social get-together, members and guest speakers will present the latest insights into the state of this technology. The second event is planned for Wednesday 4th September 2024 and the group will be delighted to receive more applications to attend.
*(this is not an exhaustive list)
Success Stories
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