MoveBots unites Danish competencies in the field of material handling. The goal is to develop a new generation of flexible robots that is able to recognize, understand, grasp and manipulate objects. The project creates a platform for innovation and development.

In practice, MoveBots set up a demonstrator consisting of a robot with two arms. Each with a universal gripper. The demonstrator is used as a platform for joint innovation and skill development in robotic manipulation and topic management. The technical themes of the project includes object recognition, gripping process, course planning, information collection, mobility, materials, sensors and gripper construction.

Partners: BILA A/S • Danish Technological Institute • Grundfos A/S • Ideal‐line A/S • RoboCluster • RoboTool A/S • Scape Technologies A/S • Tender Trolleys ApS • The Maersk Mc‐Kinney Moller Institute, University of Southern Denmark • T&O Stelectric A/S • TriVision A/S • Unisensor A/S • Universal Robots A/S

Handyman is a high-tech platform for gripping robots and advanced object management in industrial production that meet the needs for flexible, automatic and profitable material handling in small series production.

Research and innovation in the project are organized in a number of technological and application fields. The technology fields expres the core competencies in the platform, while the application fields are industrial applications regarded as having great relevance and potential in the industry.

7 technology fields:

1. Sensors and processing of sensor data in robot-based gripping systems.
2. Mechanical design and motion mechanisms.
3. Objects being handled and interacted with by robots.
4. Processes performed by robots.
5. Course planning, collision free and safe movement.
6. Intelligent user - robot and robot – robot interaction.
7. Integrating a system of components that constitute the robot and the surroundings.

4 application fields:

1. Picking of objects from a pallet, box or conveyor belt.
2. Mounting of objects on or inside other objects.
3. Placing, packing and hanging of objects in boxes, on hooks and racks and on shelves or pallets.
4. Specific and promising application.

Partners: Bila A/S • Danish Technological Institute • Faculty of Engineering, University of Southern Denmark • Grundfos A/S • RoboCluster • Scape Technologies A/S • TriVision A/S • Unisensor A/S • Universal Robots A/S

RoboCluster Project Exchange is the trade and industry’s entry to RoboCluster. The exchange offers assistance to enterprises in terms of robotic innovation; and they gain access to research and growth oriented competencies acquired by the knowledge institutions.

Projects are evaluated by a panel of experts from the knowledge institutions, and by technology developers from the RoboCluster network. The panel helps to mature projects and find solutions, assembles project partners, and assess business opportunities. Quite often the Project Exchange also handles project management and helps apply for funding.

Apples and pears for consumers are currently being harvested by hand to achieve a high quality. Fruit farmers, however, has a desire to automate the picking - without damaging the fruit.

The Automatic Fruit Picker centers on developing a groundbreaking, innovative robot to automatically, efficiently and gently thinning, picking and sorting fruit on trees - initially apples and pears. The robot has the potential to provide a significant reduction in the operating costs of fruit harvesting, since it will eliminate tedious and labor-intensive work. The visionary goal of the project is to identify methods and techniques that can contribute to incremental improvements in fruit production.

Partners: BS Biosystems A/S • Dansk Landbrugsrådgivning, Landscentret, Frugt og grønt rådgivningen • Kærsbo Frugtplantage • Danish Technological Institute • RoboCluster

Staldtek focuses on development of new forms of pig stables where buildings, equipment and interaction between humans, animals and technology is based on integrated, advanced and cognitive sensor and robot technologies. The aim is to heighten productivity, reduce environmental impact and optimize psychological environment for humans and animals in the stables.

The project breaks with existing solutions and starts from scratch with the preparation of new stable designs and concepts, where advanced cognitive sensor and robotic technologies will be an integrated and included part of the buildings and their equipment.

The innovation and development focuses on three research projects:

• Automation of stressful working environment and care dependent tasks.
• Modeling of air currents and the emission of gases from surfaces with manure in pig stables.
• Biological control options for monitoring, stimulation and care of pigs in pig stables

Partners: Agro Products A/S • Danish Farm Design A/S • Dansk Svineproduktion • The Faculty of Engineering – University of Southern Denmark • Egatec A/S • Eurisco A/S • RoboCluster • Novotek Planning Systems A/S • Samson Agro A/S • Danish Technological Institute • DTU Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark • Aarhus University

The object of the Intelligent Sprayer Boom is to develop a new generation of sprayer booms that reduce the use of herbicides used in farming with more than 90 %.

The Intelligent Sprayer Boom will be a new generation of sprayer booms for the farming industry that will be able to detect where the weeds are, and spray in one and same procedure. This will eliminate the essential problems with pollution of herbicides to the environment, including leaching to the ground water.

The Intelligent Sprayer Boom consists of a sprayer boom with an integrated camera, a vision system and an image processing module.

The project is divided into six subtasks:

1. Pose and movements of the system relative to the plant rows
2. Optimisation of the spray generation, -transport and -targeting
3. Design and dynamic modelling of the sprayer boom
4. Weed sensing system, identifying and localising
5. Weed management model
6. Herbicide efficacy using The Intelligent Sprayer Boom

Partners: AgroCom Vision • University of Copenhagen, Department of Agriculture and Ecology • ‐ Aarhus University, Department of Integrated Pest Management • RoboCluster • T&O Stelectric A/S

The demographic in Denmark is changing. An aging population enhance the need for treatment and care while the number of nursing staff is stagnating. This creates new demands for supportive technological solutions that fully or partially take over on tasks normally performed by humans.

Growth and Welfare Technology meet this development. Rooted in partnerships between private companies and public institutions the projects centers on the development of technology products and services for healthcare. The projects consists of seven main activities.

RoboCluster manages the main activity: Medic Robotics. The purpose is to gather knowledge and build a knowledge sharing network within healthcare. The network generates innovation and growth - a new business area in healthcare robotics. The main activity also provides a closer interaction between companies, the health sector and knowledge institutions.

This objective is achieved by launching and operating a user-driven innovation circle. The innovation circle focuses on the involvement of users and industry on dissemination and development of automation technology and supporting technology treatment in the health field.

Partners in Medic Robots: • AVN Automation A/S • Danish Technological Institute • Hospital of Southern Jutland – Sønderborg • Hospital of Svendborg • Morsø Industri‐Teknik • RoboCluster • TriVision A/S • University Hospital Odense

Many pulls, pushs and twists caused by bed transportation on hospitals, leave service assistents at a high risk of getting injuries. The answer to this problem may lie in the development of an ergonomic hospital bed with built in robotic technology. The Ergonomic Bed Transportation is a functional prototype of an ergonomic hospital bed that reduces the degradation of service assistants.

The project is divided in 3 phases:

1. Specification of the project focus. Phase 1 specifies the requirements for the bed concerning the ability to meet the ergonomic needs and requirements from the staff. 2. Production of a functional model of an ergonomically hospital bed. 3. Evaluation of the functional model.

Partners: • Danish Technological Institute • MagicDrive ApS • RoboCluster • University Hospital Odense

The project is rooted in the desire to automate blood sampling and relieve the laboratory staff on the hospitals. Staff must avoid injuries such as tenosynovitis, and their resources can be better used elsewhere at the hospital. From the patient perspective, advanced robotics can help to minimize the pain of blood sampling, and reduce scar tissue. Finally, automation can help improve the capacity of blood collection, which for some diseases such as kidney disease, is vitally important.

The vision is on the long term to create a sort of drive‐in machine, where patients can undergo a blood sample without having long waits. This allows patients to customize the time and place, and blood collection is becoming more flexible.

RoBlood is a Ph.d. project at The Faculty of Engineering at The University of Southern Denmark. Partners: • Danish Technological Institute • Designskolen Kolding • Vejle Hospital University of Southern Denmark • RoboCluster

RoboDays was launched for the first time in autumn 2006. Already in the first year RoboDays arranged a Robot Festival that managed to attract more than 20,000 visitors. The success was repeated in 2007 and 2009, where researchers and artists from USA, Japan, Germany, Spain and Denmark once again presented their new, sensational robots and robotic installations.

The Robot Festival comprises exhibitions, competitions, scientific conferences and interesting events. The activities are fun, thought‐provoking and surprising and do in different ways provide the audience with an insight to the way robots and robotic technology can be used for play, games, learning, art, film, sport, health and much more - both at home and in the public space.

RoboCluster SupplyNet is a Danish network for suppliers and technology developers in the field of robotics and automation focusing on collaboration and mutual exploitation of peak competences. Business-oriented collaboration on robotic and automation solutions that technologically are abreast with developments and have an international perspective has been chosen as the centre of rotation of the activities. The aim is to strengthen the growth of optimal and innovative manufacturing designs capable of meeting future automation requirements.

The intention of the network is twofold: to secure practical application of research results by industry, and to secure research on future industrial needs by knowledge institutions. The effort optimises conditions for innovation initiatives and strengthens the competitiveness of the trade, nationally as well as internationally.

MedicNet is a Danish network with focus on the development, use and dissemination of robotic technology to the hospital sector. The network creates interaction and synergy between stakeholders in the area and increase the focus on technological options that can help meet the current and future challenges in the hospital sector.

MedicNet wishes to create a foundation to address the following future challenges in the hospital sector:

• Requirements for improving quality and patient safety
• Prevent work-related injuries and attrition among the personnel
• Requirements in use of new technologies for treatment and care
• Changing age demographics e.g. increased life expectancy (older citizens)
• More citizens with need for treatment and care
• More citizens with lifestyle diseases and chronic ailments
• Lack of resources (economic, personnel)
• Requirements for optimal use of resources

The driving force in the network is demand (identification of needs), matchmaking between stakeholders, research, development and testing of robotic and welfare technology at both existing and future hospitals.