Looking to the Future: The European association euRobotics

Robotics is more than a technology. It influences our lives and work and is in the focus of industry, research, politics and society. The European robotics association euRobotics brings this diverse robotics community together at one table – and also deals with areas outside production.

Teresa Scheunert

17 April 2019

Society

Reading Time: 2 min.

Over 240 companies, research institutes and institutions are represented at euRobotics. This makes the non-profit association the largest European robot network. “One of the main tasks of the association is the cooperation with the European Commission”, says Dr. Rainer Bischoff, euRobotics Vice President Industry. “The aim is to create a roadmap for research, technological development and innovation in robotics”.

Unusual areas for robotics

In order to allay possible fears and promote a positive perception in society, euRobotics brings the topic closer to people all over Europe with events such as the European Robotics Week. And the exchange in a strong network drives robotics research, development and innovation. In addition to new technologies in production and logistics, the focus at first glance is also on unusual areas:

AGRICULTURE – Did you know? Europe is the leader in milking and feeding robots. They control the health of the cows, reduce the stress for the animals during milking and thus not only ensure higher productivity, but also better milk quality. And agricultural robots help increase yields and reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers. They measure soil quality, grow plants and spray them with high precision.
HEALTH – The treatment of humans is and remains naturally the task of the physician. However, as medical assistants, robots can help to keep operations as minimally invasive as possible or to produce very precise medical reports. These include robot-assisted biopsies for breast cancer patients, radiosurgery, in which cancer patients can be treated particularly gently thanks to the use of robots, and robot helpers for elderly people in their own four walls.
INFRASTRUCTURE – Whether bridges, power plants or power lines: Robots can help to monitor and maintain critical infrastructure. The use of flying, maneuverable or autonomous robots makes sense, especially when construction systems are in remote locations, difficult to access or harmful to health. They can also carry out regular inspections at great heights or in narrow pipes and relieve people of dangerous work with electricity or nuclear material.

Would you like to find out more about the future of European robotics and the work of the association, or would you like to make a personal contribution? You can find more information on the euRobotics website.