The Future Control Centre (FCC) researches methods for the production control centre of the future based on modern mixed reality technologies. The faculty's machine laboratories are connected to the FCC via an IIoT network in order to answer research questions on digital transformation in mechanical engineering and the factory of the future.  

New methods of mobile autonomous robotics are tested in this experimental field. The focus here is on autonomous indoor flying robotics. Real flight tests for the industrial use of autonomous indoor flying robots are made possible in a secured flying robot cell. In addition to indoor localisation with various sensor technologies, online path planning methods for the collision-free operation of autonomous indoor flying robots are being investigated.

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The Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) recently hosted the ‘Metaverse for Industry’ event in cooperation with the Virtual Dimension Center (VDC) Fellbach, which was organised as part of the Baden-Württemberg Industry 4.0 transfer platform (TPBW I4.0). With a varied programme, the latest findings and application examples relating to the industrial metaverse were presented and showcased through live demos.

TPBW I4.0 supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Baden-Württemberg in making the best possible use of the potential of new technologies. Since 2017, the universities of Aalen, Esslingen and Reutlingen, together with the Steinbeis Foundation and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing, have been providing SMEs with access to modern Industry 4.0 applications and methods. Objectives such as increasing efficiency, faster product development and safer work processes have already been successfully implemented with the support of TPBW I4.0. In future, the focus will be on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in order to further strengthen SMEs in product development and promote their competitiveness. Universities and vocational training institutions will also benefit from these innovations, training the next generation of skilled workers with TPBW I4.0 and thus having a lasting impact on the economy in Baden-Württemberg.

The highlights of the event

The event programme began with a presentation by Ioannis Alexiadis from VDC Fellbach, who introduced the latest global technology trends in the field of mixed reality. Prof Dr Sascha Röck from the Virtual Automation Lab then presented a variety of application examples that illustrated the potential and possible uses of the Industrial Metaverse. Marc Schnierle from geminiware then spoke about the central role of platform solutions for the Industrial Metaverse, presented Digital Twin as a Service applications and explained how these can be used in practice.

After the presentations, participants had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the technologies during a machine lab tour with live demos. Esslingen University's VAL presented its mixed reality applications, Aalen University's ‘AccelerateKI-Geochecker’ programme showcased industrial object analysis with AI and Reutlingen University demonstrated the industrial applications of large language models with Werk150. The subsequent get-together provided space for networking and discussion about the technologies presented and enabled participants to try out the applications for themselves.

Further dates for the TPBW I4.0 Roadshow

The event was a successful start to the three-part TPBW I4.0 roadshow - further exciting insights await at Reutlingen University and Aalen University.

21.11.2024 | Werk150, Reutlingen University

• 12:30 - 15:30: EDU Centre of Excellence - Digital Engineering with the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform
• 16:00 - 19:00: Digital twin in the product life cycle

05.12.2024 | Aalen University

• 16:00 - 19:00: Digital twins for machines and systems

Interested parties can register via the TPBW I4.0 homepage

The Virtual Automation Lab welcomed Esslingen's Lord Mayor Matthias Klopfer and IHK President Claus Paal. They discussed the production of the future and research findings on autonomous indoor flying robotics.

The reason for the visit:
Esslingen University of Applied Sciences was the only university in Baden-Württemberg to be awarded a DFG research grant on the topic of ‘Smart Factory Grids’.

Esslingen University of Applied Sciences was also selected from almost 500 applications submitted nationwide for a DATIpilot innovation community on the topic of ‘Open online platform for digitally assisted and cross-manufacturer solution finding’.

The anthology ‘Echtzeitsimulation in der Produktionsautomatisierung’ was published by Springer Vieweg Verlag on 5 February 2024.

For the book, the three editors Prof. Dr Alexander Verl (ISW, University of Stuttgart), Prof. Dr. Sascha Röck (VAL, Esslingen University of Applied Sciences) and Dr Christian Scheifele (ISG Industrielle Steuerungstechnik GmbH), together with 41 authors from science and practice, have compiled their expertise and experience in 22 independent articles and presented the current state of research and technology in the field of real-time simulation of machines and systems. In addition to research results, the successful transfer into practice is presented using selected examples. The anthology covers the range of topics from real-time simulation for virtual commissioning and its use in the development and operating phase to the utilisation of simulation models in control functions.

The director of the VAL, Prof. Röck, is delighted with the publication: ‘The creation of this comprehensive anthology was only possible thanks to the intensive and demanding collaboration of our authors. With this book, we would like to make a contribution to the topic of real-time simulation in production automation and link science with practice with the contributions on virtual commissioning, digital engineering and digital twins.In addition to the current state of the art, the book also highlights current research results and application reports and looks to the future with new technologies and methods, e.g. mixed reality and web technologies.’
Interested readers can download the open access book digitally and obtain a hardcover print version:

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-66217-5

On 31 January 2024, our research institute Virtual Automation Lab presented current research results at the Adiro Competence Forum in Esslingen Berkheim. The VAL presented an exhibit on the Digital Twin as a Service approach and mixed-reality-in-the-loop simulation.

Over 200 visitors were able to find out about and exchange information on learning and research systems in the context of automation technology at the event, which was designed as an in-house exhibition.

The DFG is funding Esslingen University of Applied Sciences as the only university in Baden-Württemberg and one of only ten universities in the Federal Republic of Germany with a research impulse that will receive funding totalling around 6 million euros over a period of five years.

The ‘Smart Factory Grids’ research project, led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sascha Röck, Head of the Virtual Automation Lab, is pursuing the vision of dynamically distributed, highly flexible production for small quantities with short set-up times. An interdisciplinary research network of professors and academic staff at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences will research the necessary transformation of industrial manufacturing systems and, as a result, provide important impetus, particularly in our industrial location of Baden-Württemberg.

Further information:

Press report Hochschule Esslingen

Press report Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft
 

The Virtual Automation Lab has been awarded the AVRiL 2023 - Gold prize for its entry ‘Mixed-Reality-in-the-Loop Simulation based on a Digital Twin as a Service concept for education and training in mechanical engineering’.

The nationwide competition ‘AVRiL 2023 - Successful VR/AR Learning Scenarios’ was awarded for the sixth time by the VR/AR Learning working group of the educational technologies and VR/AR specialist groups formed within the Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (German Informatics Society) . The aim of this competition is to recognise current, effective learning scenarios involving VR and AR technologies.

The award ceremony took place on 11 September 2023 as part of the VR/AR learning workshop at the DELFI conference in Aachen.

Further information:

AVRiL
Video of application

The Virtual Automation Lab at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences presents Mixed-Reality-in-the-Loop Simulation (MRiLS) for the training of technical specialists in the magazine IT & Production Issue 7.

Further information:

Magazin IT & Prodction Ausgabe 7

The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs is funding the joint transfer platform BW Industry 4.0 (TPBW I4.0) of the universities of Aalen, Esslingen and Reutlingen in cooperation with the Steinbeis Foundation in a further third phase until the end of 2024. The already proven project helps SMEs to make better use of the opportunities in the field of digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

In November 2022, the importance of TPBW I4.0 for SMEs in Baden-Württemberg and the scope of digitalisation, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), was once again highlighted at the second industry conference held in Stuttgart. In his keynote speech, Mr. Claus Mayer, Head of Division at the BW Ministry of Economic Affairs, emphasised the successful transfer through TPBW I4.0.

The participating universities in Aalen, Esslingen and Reutlingen are continuing their successful transfer activities in cooperation with the Steinbeis Foundation and are making the demonstration centres established in recent years available for a broad transfer of knowledge and, on this basis, advising SMEs on digitalisation and artificial intelligence. The transfer platform is geared towards the existing needs of middle-sized companies in Baden-Württemberg and thus offers companies a low-threshold introduction to these future technologies.

In the Industry 4.0 laboratories at the universities, research proposals are submitted together with SMEs in the state and concrete solutions are developed in the form of research and development projects. In addition, training and further education in these areas is promoted.

‘The transfer platform was launched as a pilot project in 2017 and is now being supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs with a third grant. This funding is recognition of the work that has already been done and demonstrates the TPBW's needs-based offering for small and medium-sized companies in the state,’ says co-initiator and project manager at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sascha Röck. 

Further information:

TPBW I4.0

On 27 June 2023, the Rotary Club Esslingen-Neckarland visited Esslingen University of Applied Sciences for the evening meeting ‘Mobility of the Future’. The Rotary Club was first warmly welcomed by Prof. Christof Wolfmaier, Rector of the university. Prof. Dr. Gregor Rottenkolber, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Mobility and Technology, then presented various perspectives on sustainable drive technologies in his lecture entitled ‘Energy for the mobility of the future’. Following the technical presentation, the participants were given interesting insights into the laboratory for vehicle drives.

The final get-together took place in the Smart Factory test environment at the Faculty of Machines and Systems, where Marc Schnierle and the Virtual Automation Lab team presented accompanying exhibits on digital twin, mixed reality and indoor flying robotics.

Further information:

Presse report Rotary Club Esslingen-Neckarland

At XR Expo, the Virtual Automation Lab will be presenting the latest research and transfer results from the field of Digital Twin as a Service and mixed-reality-in-the-loop simulation.

Further information:

Press report
XR Expo

The Virtual Automation Lab will be presenting various exhibits from the fields of autonomous indoor flying robotics, digital twin as a service and mixed-reality-in-the-loop simulation at Esslingen University's Open Day.
Further information:

Press report

The 13th Conference on Learning Factories took place from 9-11 May 2023 at Reutlingen University. As part of this conference, Timm von Bergen presented the submitted paper entitled ‘Mixed-Reality-in-the-Loop Simulation based on a Digital Twin as a Service concept for Learning Factories’.

Further information:

CLF

Kürzlich war der Arbeitskreis XR-Technologiewerkstatt zu Gast im Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) der Fakultät Maschinen und Systeme. Zu Beginn erhielten die Gäste durch Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sascha Röck (Leiter VAL) einen Einblick in aktuelle Forschungsthemen und Forschungsprojekte des Virtual Automation Lab. Zudem wurden verschiedene Möglichkeiten der Zusammenarbeit aufgezeigt, um aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse im Rahmen von Transferprojekten niederschwellig im eigenen Unternehmen zur Anwendung zu bringen. Anschließend erhielten die Teilnehmer konkrete Einblicke in verschiedene Anwendungsmöglichkeiten Digitaler Zwillinge von Maschinen und Anlagen in der Produktion. 

Der Arbeitskreis XR-Technologiewerkstatt wird vom Virtual Dimension Center (VDC) Fellbach organisiert. Das Netzwerk des VDC vereint Unternehmen aus dem Hard- und Softwarebereich, Technologiedienstleister, Anwender, Hochschulen und Forschungsinstitutionen. Die Hochschule Esslingen ist seit 2007 Mitglied in diesem Netzwerk.

Weitere Informationen:

Pressemitteilung
Homepage VDC

On 15 March 2023, 22 students from the technical college specialising in mechatronics and four teachers from Max-Eyth-Schule Kirchheim unter Teck visited the Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) of the Faculty of Machines and Systems. At the beginning, the guests were given an insight into the research topics of the VAL and the study opportunities at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. The participants were then given a concrete overview of various possible applications of a digital twin and artificial intelligence (AI) in mechanical and plant engineering. As part of a workshop, the students were able to create their own digital twin of a robot based on the Digital Twin as a Service platform developed at the Virtual Automation Lab and explore it on various mixed reality end devices (e.g. augmented reality glasses or virtual reality glasses).

Further information:

Press report
MESK

As part of the 19th AALE 2023 conference, Thomas Fettahoglu will present the submitted paper entitled ‘Synthetic training data generation and object recognition with deep learning for mixed reality applications with digital twins’.

Further information:

AALE

On 25 January 2023, the American Consul General Norman Thatcher Scharpf visited Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. Rector Prof. Christof Wolfmaier and Prof. Dr. Siegfried Zürn, Head of the International Centre and Graduate School, gave Norman Thatcher Scharpf a tour of the university's laboratories and facilities. In the Virtual Automation Lab (VAL), academic staff presented current research topics from the fields of mixed reality, digital twin as a service and autonomous indoor flying robotics.

Press report

Almost 200 participants from industry, SMEs, research and politics recently came together at the ‘6th Industry 4.0 Day Baden-Württemberg’ organised by the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Industry and Commerce for a joint exchange on digitalisation potential and Industry 4.0 innovations. In addition to presentations and workshops, guests were able to find out about specific technology demonstrators at the accompanying exhibition. The Industry 4.0 Day is organised by the IHK Stuttgart Region and supported by the Allianz Industrie 4.0 Baden-Württemberg, microTEC Südwest e.V., the Plattform Industrie 4.0 and Transferplattform BW Industrie 4.0.

Press report

Around 100 guests from medium-sized companies & industry, the public sector and associations & politics were recently able to find out about successful transfer projects in the field of ‘digitalisation and artificial intelligence’ and discuss technical innovations at the 2nd Industry Conference of the Transfer Platform BW Industry 4.0 (TPBW I4.0) .

Further information:

Press report
TPBW I4.

The Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) will be exhibiting at the Future Conference (Zukunftskonferenz) in Leipzig from 28 September to 29 September 2022. Research results from the BMBF-funded Mixed-Reality-in-the-Loop Simulation project will be presented.

Further information:

Zukunftskonferenz

The Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) will be represented at XR Week from 14.09-15.09.2022 at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart. Research and transfer results on the topic of digital twins in connection with augmented and virtual reality as well as applied artificial intelligence such as AI-based speech processing and synthetic training data generation for object recognition will be presented.

Further information:

XR Week

The Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) was represented at the Hannover Messe, the world's largest industrial trade fair, from 20 May to 2 June 2022 together with the BW Industry 4.0 transfer platform. At the joint stand of Baden-Württemberg international and the Alliance Industry 4.0 BW, research and transfer results were presented on the topic of digital twins in connection with augmented and virtual reality as well as applied artificial intelligence such as AI-based speech processing and synthetic training data generation for object recognition.

Further information:

www.hannovermesse.de
www.tpbw-i40.de
www.bw-i.de
www.i40-bw.de

This year, the annual Motek trade fair, the international trade fair for production and assembly automation, will once again take place at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre from 5 - 8 October 2021. The transfer platform will be represented there by the Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) and the Automation Systems Lab (ASL) from Esslingen University of Applied Sciences Esslingen and will present its showcase functions in the field of #industrie40 and #artificialintelligence.

www.motek-messe.de
www.tpbw-i40.de

On Tuesday, 21 September 2021, 25 participants from industry and SMEs met for the Industry Circle of the Baden-Württemberg Industry 4.0 Transfer Platform (TPBW I4.0) at the Stadtmitte site of Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. Sascha Röck and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolf-Dieter Lehner presented various opportunities for collaboration in order to be able to use the existing expertise of TPBW I4.0 and current research results in transfer projects in a low-threshold manner in their own companies.

The participants were then given specific insights into various possible applications of artificial intelligence in mechanical and plant engineering. Following a series of presentations, the Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) and the Automation Systems Lab (ASL) of the Faculty of Machines and Systems at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences presented exhibits on AI-based speech processing and simultaneous translation on a robot controller, AI-based gesture recognition for human-machine interaction and synthetic training data generation for AI-based object recognition for context-sensitive information provision in production.

Further information:

Press report
Transferplattform BW Industrie 4.0

The Virtual Automation Lab of the Faculty of Machines and Systems at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences was able to convince the expert jury at the Places_Virtual Reality Festival 2021 at the DIVR Science Award with the MRiLS project and the Digital Twin-as-a-Service platform and was awarded 1st place, the DIVR Science Award 2021, in the ‘Best Tech’ category. The DIVR Science Award is the most important award for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) projects in the German-speaking university landscape (divr.de).  

DIVR Science Award
Award ceremony video 
Press report

On 13 September 2021, the Virtual Automation Lab at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences will be presenting at the VR/AR-Learning workshop. The VR/AR-Learning workshop will take place for the fourth time in 2021 as part of the Educational Technologies Conference (DELFI) and is organised by the VR/AR-Learning working group.

Further information:

Homepage Workshop

The Virtual Automation Lab of the Faculty of Machines and Systems at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences impressed the selection jury with its Industry 4.0 solution for mixed-reality-in-the-loop simulation in mechanical and plant engineering and was honoured as one of the 100 Industry 4.0 locations in Baden-Württemberg by the I4.0 Alliance and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The network initiative Allianz Industrie 4.0 Baden-Württemberg is a network initiated and funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism and coordinated by VDMA e.V. Baden-Württemberg. The network aims to pool expertise in production technology as well as information and communication technology, connect all key players and support small and medium-sized industrial companies in the implementation of Industry 4.0 through innovative transfer offers.

Further information:

Allianz Industrie 4.0 Baden-Württemberg
Speech of Dr. Rapp

Two graduates from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Systems at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences were honoured in the nationwide competition ‘12. Student Award 2021 special’ of the AALE 2021 conference. Yannick Kloos (Bachelor's student at VAL) received the award for his Bachelor's thesis entitled ‘Generation of synthetic training data for object recognition with deep learning in industrial applications using digital twins’.

Further information:

12. Student Award
Press report

As part of AUVA's ‘Industry 4.0’ webinar, the Virtual Automation Lab at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences is focussing on the use of augmented, virtual and mixed reality in mechanical and plant engineering.

Further information:

AUVA Webinar

The Virtual Automation Lab of Esslingen University of Applied Sciences will be presenting at the XR WEEK 2021. On Tuesday 18 May 2021 at 9 a.m. the lecture entitled ‘Intuitive and multimodal interaction in mixed-reality-in-the-loop simulation in mechanical and plant engineering’ will take place.

Further information:

XRWeek2021

Dipl.-Ing. Marcel Huptych has defended his doctoral thesis

Marcel Huptych successfully defended his doctoral thesis ‘Online path planning for multiple flying robots in a variable environment using the curve flow method’ with ‘magna cum laude’ at the University of Stuttgart on 20 April 2021. In his research work, he developed a path planning method for the collision-free operation of flying robots in industrial production facilities. Until 2020, Marcel Huptych worked in the Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) at the Faculty of Machines and Systems at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and the Steinbeis Innovation Centre Transfer Platform Baden-Württemberg Industry 4.0.

His doctorate was supervised by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sascha Röck at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences at the Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) in cooperation with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Verl, Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units at the University of Stuttgart.

Congratulations from the entire VAL team at the Faculty of Machines and Systems!

Press report

The Virtual Automation Lab will be represented at the Baden-Württemberg international joint stand from 12.04.2021 - 16.04.2021 together with the Transferplattform BW Industrie 4.0 (www.tpbw-i40.de) and will present its activities relating to the digital twin with a focus on artificial intelligence.

You can find impressions of our topic areas on our YouTube channel:

Link YouTube Kanal VAL

The Faculty of Design, Production and Automotive Engineering at the University of Stuttgart has accepted Prof Dr Sascha Röck, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, as an associate member of the doctoral committee for five years. This puts the scientist on an equal footing with a university professor when it comes to supervising doctorates.

The competition ‘AVRiL 2020 - Successful VR/AR Learning Scenarios’ is jointly organised by the VR/AR Learning working group of the GI specialist groups Educational Technologies and VR/AR and the Stifterverband. The aim of this competition is to recognise current, effective learning scenarios involving VR and AR technologies.

The Virtual Automation Lab at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences took part in this year's competition with the entry ‘DigiTwin: didact: understanding machines with the digital twin in AR/VR learning scenarios’. The jury honoured the submitted entry with the AVRiL 2020 - Silver - and justified the award as follows: ‘The DigiTwin:didact entry impresses with its combination of digital methods: the digital twin provides the data basis for AR/VR-based learning scenarios. The platform approach used allows for easy customisability. The systematic development of teaching objectives and the successful utilisation of the specific advantages of AR and VR were praised. The transferability of the platform has been proven several times through its use in different contexts. Overall, DigiTWin:didact can be described as a mature concept that sets standards and is therefore honoured with the AVRiL 2020 - Silver.’ (https://ak-vrarl.gi.de/wettbewerb-avril/detail/wettbewerb-avril-2020-gelungene-vr-ar-lernszenarien)

Further information:

Homepage AVRiL

Prof. Dr. Ralph Schmidt, Marc Schnierle and Jana Hönig show the Virtual Automation Lab (VAL) and the Laboratory for Machining and Forming Technology at Campus Stadtmitte.

The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs is funding the joint transfer platform for Industry 4.0 (TPBW I4.0) of the universities of Aalen, Esslingen and Reutlingen in cooperation with the Steinbeis Foundation with a further two million euros following a pilot phase. The project, which has already proven its worth, helps  medium-sized companies to make better use of the opportunities offered by digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

As part of a final thesis at the Virtual Automation Lab in SS19, a digital twin of a smart factory was modelled using the example of the mechanical engineering laboratories at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences:

Link Youtube VAL

Timm von Bergen, VAL explains the ‘Digital Twin as a Service’ platform in an interview at Hannover Messe Industrie 2019. VAL presented itself with the Baden-Württemberg I4.0 Transfer Platform (TPBW) at the joint stand of the Industry 4.0 BW Alliance.

Together with industry partners, the Virtual Automation Lab presented successfully implemented I4.0 projects at the industry conference of the BW Industry 4.0 transfer platform (www.tpbw-i40.de) at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart on 28 March 2019. Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing of the state of Baden-Württemberg, visited the industry conference and, after her welcoming address, informed herself about the digitalisation projects on display at the partner stands.

The Virtual Automation Lab presented the digital twin of the Schuler CSP100 servo press at a ceremony to mark its inauguration at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences on 25 March 2019. Following a welcome address by Domenico Iacovelli, CEO of Schuler AG, and subsequent speeches, the guests from business and politics were able to experience a demonstration of the real system and its digital twin.

On 20 March 2019, the Virtual Automation Lab at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences presented itself at the ‘Augmented & Virtual Reality’ theme day at VHS 4-Business

The Virtual Automation Lab presented how ‘Cloud-based mixed reality makes sensor and plant data tangible’ in a live demo to around 150 participants at the Economy 4.0 - The Factory of the Future symposium at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences on 22 March 2018

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sascha Röck in an interview on 20 February 2018 at the Industry 4.0 Day of the IHK Region Stuttgart