RobOdin - An Interactive Humanoid Robot

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Funded by: Interreg Deutschland - Danmark

Runtime: 01/10/2025 → 30/09/2028

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RobOdin is an Interreg De-Dk 6A project aimed at creating and testing an high-performance humanoid robot for industrial tasks with social interaction in mind.

Motivation

Imagine a world where robots are not just machines, but intuitive partners working hand-in-hand with humans. This is the vision behind RobOdin.  By combining Danish mechanical engineering expertise with German AI excellence, the project develops high-performance humanoid robots for industrial and assembly applications.

Goals and Procedure

The aim of RobOdin is to develop a cognitive robot platform that enables complex social interaction and cooperation in industrial tasks. Furthermore, the project involves testing humanoid robots in real-world scenarios alongside industrial partners. Despite Denmark's strong robotics industry and German AI excellence, research and production of these robots are currently absent in Denmark and Northern Germany. Consequently, the project seeks to establish a robotics and AI network in the Danish-German border region, strengthened by specialized workshops for researchers and industry professionals.

Innovation and Prospects

At the University of Lübeck, the focus of the research is on the development of cognitive skills for the robot, including situational awareness and task anticipation. These cognitive skills enable the robot to maintain an explainable mental model of its physical environment and humans. By adopting a hybrid cognitive architecture, the robot's behaviour remains highly transparent and interpretable. This structured approach has significant advantages over many deep learning approaches, ensuring that robotic actions are transparent and predictable in complex industrial settings.

Project Partners

  • SDU Robotics (lead)
  • Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (Project partner)
  • German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) (Project partner)
  • Novo Nordisk (Project partner)
  • Flensburg University of Applied Sciences (Project partner)
  • Harting Technology Group (Project partner)
  • Löschzuggefahrgut Schleswig-Flensburg (Network partner)
  • Diakonie Nord Nord Ost in Holstein gemeinnützige GmbH (Network partner)
  • navel robotics GmbH (Network partner)
  • University of Twente (Network partner)

Link to Project Details