Walter Reis - Innovation Award for Robotics

During the past decades, robot technology has decisively contributed to the introduction of efficient and cost-effective production methods in industrial manufacturing processes, and thereby to the preservation of jobs even in the European countries with higher salary levels.

The use of robots today however, is no longer restricted to just fully automatic industrial production, but it is also possible in applications where the worker is supported by automated handling.

Based on the existing requirements in industrial robot use, there is a considerable demand for innovation not only in the industrial use of robots in the future, but also with completely new challenges for assisting robots. These innovations in the future will open many new opportunities for economic industrial production even in countries with high labour costs. In Germany, above all there is a great know-how in the development of robots and robot controllers. This excellent basis offers best conditions for bringing to fruition trend-setting innovations. Walter Reis, founder and owner of Reis Robotics in Obernburg, aims with the innovation prize for robotics to promote such fascinating new developments in robot technology and to show appreciation to outstanding works by awarding prizes to them. The "Walter Reis - Innovation Award for Robotics" is the first European award for developments in the field of robot technology and in the application of robots. Prizes totaling 24.000 Euro in value will be awarded. The prize concerns both innovations for the use of robots for fully automated operation and for the application of robots as assistants, mainly in the industrial environment. The innovation prize, however, also includes innovations contributing to improvement of characteristics and capacities of robotic systems in order to open up new possibilities of use.

The prize will be internationally awarded every two years for outstanding developments in the following subjects:

1. New applications for robots in industrial production processes
   For these subjects in the year 2008 the special prize for "regenerative energy" will include 4.000 €. This special prize is mainly determined for developers working on innovative concepts for the manufacture of components for production of regenerative energy.
2. Innovations in the field service robotics in an industrial environment
3. Innovations with kinematics, the control and the drive technique for robots

The "Walter Reis - Innovation Award for Robotics" addresses both development groups and individuals from companies, universities, and research institutes who have finished a publicly accessible, outstanding scientific thesis or technical development in the range of robot technology.

For each of the 3 subjects defined above an award in the amount of 8.000 Euro is offered. Sharing of this award amongst up to 3 prize winners per subject is at the discretion of the judges. If the quality and the level of innovation of a submission is in their opinion lacking, the judges have the right to exclude it from the assessment. The judges' decision is final.