Jahresbericht 2009 - Biba - Universität Bremen

The LogDynamics Lab at BIBA at the
University of Bremen is a competence
and service centre, which investigates
the possible applications of mobile
key technologies in production and logistic
scenarios. The lab’s aim is to ensure
the transition between research
and practice as well as the exchange
with industry. At the LogDynamics Lab,
new products and applications can
be tested in a practical setting without
disturbing the internal processes of the
potential users. Miss-investments can
be prevented and processes can be
adjusted and optimized by using the
new technology. Mobile technologies,
especially, are used for identification,
localization, communication, sensor,
handling (robotics) and process
control. Due to the integration into the
Bremen Research Cluster for Dynamics
in Logistics (LogDynamics), direct
access to new research results in the
field of logistics is ensured.
One of the current projects is devoted
to the development of an
applicator for automatic labeling of
wooden pallets, which was successfully
accomplished in cooperation with
Masur Energiesysteme GmbH. The
applicator enables wooden pallets
to be equipped with transponders at
minimal costs. This new development
was first presented to the public at
LIGNA 2009 – the world fair for forestry
and wood industries in May 2009 in
Hannover. Other successfully accomplished,
resp. ongoing projects are
(among others):
• Prototypic development of an RFID
tunnel reader with integrated
materials-handling technology
for identification of packed goods
in bunches
• Integration of RFID technology in
a Segway (see p. 41) for inventory
at large-scale industrial sites
• Programming and advancement
of an autarkic inventory
robot, developed by the Chinese
Academy of Sciences’ Institute of
Automation (CASIA)
To ensure state of the art, the following
new acquisitions were made
to the Lab´s infrastructure:
• automatic package sorting
system,
• robotic palletizing cell,
• automatic high-bay racking with
an integrated pick-by-light commission
system as well as already
existing materials-handling technology,
• warehouse management system
for materials-handling technology
and stock management
Due to investments in technological
innovations, the possibilities to simulate
real logistic scenarios among laboratory
conditions, like for instance
the prototypic implementation of
system control concepts via RFID,
have been additionally extended.
The LogDynamics Lab is very well
connected, locally as well as internationally.
In its role as link between
research and industry, the Lab is
integrated in a local corporate network,
the RFID service center bremen
(www.rfid-service-center.de), which
provides an extensive service spectrum
around RFID. On an international
level, the lab is a founding member
of the Global RF Lab Alliance (www.
grfla.org) and of the International
Journal of RF Technologies: Research
and Applications. Furthermore, it is
a member of the European network
RACE networkRFID (www.race-networkrfid.eu)
and involved in the EU
research project EURIDICE.
The Global RF Lab Alliance in
cludes eight labs at American,
European and Asian Universities in cooperation.
This Alliance supports the
communication between researchers
and students in joint research projects.
For instance, an all-automatic
RFID gate was im-plemented in the
LogDynamics Lab for testing purpose
in cooperation with the Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology
(HKUST). This innovative gate is able
to realize different antenna positions
and evaluate those autonomously
using actuators.
The RACE network RFID was foun
ded in March 2009 and aims
to bundle and expand the RFID
expertise of European actors. It is
focused on supporting the development
and practice implementation
of technological innovations. The
sustainable intention of the network
is to position RFID technology as
standard in information and communication
technologies. The role
of BIBA/the Lab in this network is
the work package “Dissemination”,
which contributes to the strengthening
of the European cooperation
with Asia and the USA.
Dieter Uckelmann, Harry Halfar, Dirk
Werthmann and Aleksandra Slaby
57