KI als Transformator – DFKI auf der Hannover Messe

Space AI strengthens technological sovereignty and competitiveness in Europe. Intelligent systems open up new possibilities—whenever humans reach physical or cognitive limits. They enable autonomous robotics for planetary exploration, AI-supported data analysis for satellite missions, virtual training environments for astronauts, and innovative manufacturing and safety concepts for critical infrastructure. At the same time, this creates momentum for applications on Earth—ranging from industry and medicine to environmental monitoring, agriculture, and disaster response.

With the Coyote III rover, the RIC is demonstrating a system for extracting lunar regolith, a mixture of fine dust, small rock fragments, and broken lunar rock. Regolith can be used, for example, to produce oxygen and construction materials directly on site on the Moon. The goal is to ensure a sustainable and independent supply for astronauts in the future. The system falls under the category of in-situ resource utilization and, as part of the B.R.E.M.E.N. (Beneficiation of REgolith and Mobile Excavation) team, together with the DLR and supported by researchers from the University of Bremen, won the ESA Space Resources Challenge 2025.

The RIC team “Applied AI – Intelligent HealthCare Systems” is showcasing an intelligent exoskeleton that sets new standards in training, rehabilitation, and human-machine interaction.

With nearly 20 years of experience in exoskeleton research and in the analysis of multimodal biosignals such as EEG, EMG, or ECG data, the team develops adaptive systems that automatically adjust to dynamic requirements. The AI learns from movement and vital signs data, interprets complex patterns in real time, and provides users with situation-appropriate, optimal support—in healthcare, astronaut training, or everyday life.

The active exoskeleton developed at the RIC is used to study the effects of simulated and real microgravity on the movement kinematics of (un)trained individuals. It compensates for the weight of an arm, thereby realistically simulating weightlessness. The goal is to develop fast, cost-effective, and personalized training programs—potentially also for missions to the Moon or Mars. The exoskeleton is being developed as part of the “MikroBeM” project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. In this project, the RIC is collaborating with the University of Duisburg-Essen to investigate how astronauts can be specifically prepared for missions in weightlessness.

At the same time, the technology enables direct transfer to medicine and healthcare: AI-supported exoskeletons open up new avenues in the rehabilitation of neuromotor disorders and thus make a concrete contribution to the implementation of the German government’s AI strategy.

You can find information about DFKI’s activities at the trade show and all presentations here: dfki.de/web/news-media/events/hannover-messe-2026