"Fundamentally, it's about a machine understanding how a person has assembled a component and then reproducing the same steps independently" - that's how Professor André Stork from Fraunhofer IGD sums up the DUPLOcator project that is being unveiled at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. By combining identification algorithms with high-precision, self-learning robot controls, DUPLOcator can use a camera to identify a structure made of toy bricks and understand how it must have been built.

Visitors to HANNOVER MESSE 2016 can see for themselves how DUPLOcator then uses a state-of-the-art robotic arm and its own toy bricks to build a perfect copy. The only requirement for this outstanding achievement is that the DUPLOcator’s camera has a clear view of the structure and that all the same components are available to it. When it comes to Industry 4.0, DUPLOcator is an interesting prospect in particular for cost-effective special constructions and small production runs, as it can cope with constantly changing configurations. Professor Stork can see a wide range of potential applications for his team's latest development: "The DUPLOcator concept offers important support for assembly workers, particularly when it comes to complex small-series manufacture."

Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD (64283 Darmstadt, Germany), Hall 7, Stand E11, Topic: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft pavilion, Co-exhibitor with the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft

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