Innovative partners for new business models

In the future, customers will be able to conveniently monitor, network, and control their entire production process - and implement flexible Industrie 4.0 solutions.

To further strengthen its position as the innovation leader for Industrie 4.0, KUKA not only expanded its own research and development department by adding international locations, it also invested in startup companies and entered into strategic partnerships. "To remain an Industrie 4.0 pioneer, it is important to forge new paths and be open-minded when it comes to new ideas", according to KUKA CEO Till Reuter. "This is how KUKA is bolstering its own core competencies and offering customers added value."

connyun, a KUKA start-up company for cloud technology, will introduce itself directly at the KUKA booth in Hall 17. Roboception – a young Munich-based company that develops 3D-sensing for robot systems and an enterprise in which KUKA holds a stake – will also be represented.

Roboception – Stereo-based 3D sensors

KUKA robots perceive their environment – and can now even see in 3D. The Startup company Roboception is presenting the world's first 3D sensor technology in Hanover, which enables flexible and intelligent three-dimensional object recognition. A KUKA robot fitted with the 3D sensor retrieves various products from a shelf and places them into a box - just like a shopping assistant. Trade show visitors can individually "order" the desired products. Unlike conventional automated applications, it is not necessary to continually dimension and specify the coordinates of the products. Instead, the sensor reorients itself and forwards the current coordinates of the shelf and the products directly to the robot. This still works flawlessly even if products or entire shelves are moved to a different location.

In addition to the innovative sensor, Roboception also offers many software modules in the form of a library. This offers new customers easy entry into image processing systems.

connyun – Driving the ecosystem principle

The startup based in Karlsruhe is a subsidiary of KUKA and offers technology that can connect machines and services through their Industrie 4.0 cloud platform. The goal is to network machinery and components in production systems, enable them to communicate, and collect data that can be analyzed. The linkup to the cloud facilitates process and product quality improvements.

connyun relies on an open software architecture, making it extremely easy for customers to take the first step. In addition, end customers are offered a comprehensive ecosystem, with partners and startups who can offer their software solutions (services) on the connyun platform to establish a rapidly growing solution portfolio.

With the cloud platform, connyun provides a technology with which the ecosystem partners can develop and offer their Industrie 4.0 solutions. The ecosystem philosophy covers both KUKA's own and partner solutions in order to be able to offer end customers extensive options for optimizing their production and logistics processes.

At the Hanover Messe, connyun will be presenting the topics of Machine Connectivity, Big Data and Data Analysis, Industrie 4.0 Applications for Mechanical Engineers as well as Manufacturing & Software Ecosystems.