Research Facilities

In Bremen, the exploration hall offers the one-of-a-kind opportunity to experimentally rate various robotic systems ranging from space exploration to Search and Rescue Robotics (SAR) as well as security robotics. The hall provides several conditions to perform mobility tests in a horizontal position, on inclined plane, or in midair.

The robot test track located on the outside grounds of the DFKI offers a multitude of obstacles to test walking and climbing robotic systems. In addition to a tunnel, stairs and grassland, the test track includes canyons, random stepping fields, rails, cattle grids, rocks, and trunks, to mention only a few.

In the underwater testbed the DFKI tests and evaluates underwater systems. The testbed consists of a 25m³ tank which can be shaded to simulate lightless deep- sea environments and thus allows the construction of different set-ups to throughly test underwater equipment in a controlled environment. With a 3D-gantry-crane placed above the tank various equipment can be moved inside the tank.

The indoor space-testbed with an area of 40sqm enables realistic simulation of extraterrestial surface structures and light conditions. This allows extensive functionality tests of future space robots in a complex and realistic mission scenario. Besides mobility tests, operational tests of functions like navigation, as well as detection and manipulation of objects can be performed.

The LegLab is used for scientific evaluation of technical developments of walking and running legs. It provides different test installations (e.g. a treadmill) which are used for permanent load tests, peak load tests, and motion tests for qualification of components. In addition, the LegLab is used for testing and optimizing new design concepts for future walking, climbing, and running robots.

The electronic lab holds all equipment necessary to design and create electronic circuits. Due to excellent instrumentation and in-house storing it is possible to carry out ad hoc solutions for the unique requirements in the field of robotics.

The workshop offers proper facilities of basic equipment for mechanical processing and an extensive stock of norm parts and semi-finished products.  While the workshop is responsible for the production of prototypes, repair and minor tasks, series manufacture will be placed with competent partners in industry and trade.