We develop automation solutions based on machine intelligence

The Machine Intelligence department researches and develops automation solutions based on artificial intelligence, providing human-machine interfaces for operation, maintenance and management in the factories of the future.

We develop industry-compatible solutions that help people manage and control the complex production environments of today and tomorrow. For this purpose, we collect, analyze and utilize data relevant to production. We build big-data platforms and interoperability frameworks based on open standards such as OPC UA. Thanks to machine learning, we can predict how real processes will behave, optimize them, ensure system integrity and also diagnose the operating status of plant machinery. Our research focuses on model-based design, optimization methods and knowledge-based system diagnosis. In the field of human-machine interfaces, we develop assistance systems that provide support in job training, manual assembly and maintenance. This includes research into user experience, usability, and information and interaction design.

The range of possible applications and markets for our products is virtually endless. From modern, networked production in the automotive industry to small workshops, from robot cells to handheld drills – sensor data can be gathered in all kinds of environments and then simulated in models, in order to streamline processes and generate useful knowledge. Our vision: reliable, standardized communication for Industrie 4.0 so as to integrate machine and plant data using a plug-and-monitor system, and to automate the interpretation of this data with models that deliver sound information. We have also worked with the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) to develop an OPC UA manual for medium-sized companies.