An innovative AI-based project led the German company Schunk winning the HERMES AWARD at the ceremonial opening of HANNOVER MESSE on April 21, 2024. Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Germany’s Minister of Education and Research, presented the award in the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Hannover, Germany A high-caliber jury chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, selected Schunk’s 2D Grasping Kit project for this year’s award. This application kit comprises a camera with lens, an industrial PC, AI software and an application-specific gripper. The innovative nature of the project lies in the generic, AI-based modeling of component variants and the transfer to a smaller training data set, which cuts learning times for recognition. Even under changing light, color, or background conditions, the intuitive user interface enables reliable picking and handling of randomly arranged and non-positioned parts from an infeed conveyor belt, tray or preparation table. This allows repetitive sorting or logistics tasks to be automated with little outlay.

“Automation is the key to the future for supplying people and industry in our country. Only with sustainable innovations, especially in the spheres of production and logistics, can we successfully master the economic and social challenges of tomorrow,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka. “Besides ease of use, the robustness of the development for many of the upcoming automation solutions was a particularly decisive factor behind our decision to select the 2D Grasping Kit for this award. On behalf of the entire jury, I am delighted to congratulate Schunk on winning the HERMES AWARD 2024!”

HERMES AWARD

Deutsche Messe has honored a company with the HERMES AWARD at each edition of HANNOVER MESSE for over 20 years. This is the most important international industry prize, and acknowledges a product or solution that demonstrates a notably high level of technological innovation. Market maturity is a crucial criterion in the jury’s decision.

 HANNOVER MESSE

HANNOVER MESSE is the world’s leading trade fair for industry. Its lead theme of “Industrial Transformation” brings together exhibiting companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and digital industries as well as the energy sector to present solutions for future production methods and the energy supply. Key topics include Industry 4.0/Manufacturing-X, Energy for Industry, Digitization/Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Carbon-neutral Production, and Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. The exhibition program is complemented by a series of conferences and forums. The next edition of the event runs in Hannover, Germany, from 22 to 26 April 2024. Norway is the partner country.