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Panoramic view on the North Campus © Jürgen Huhn​/​TU Dortmund
Technologies for the Future of Work

Federal Minister of Labor Visits TU Dortmund University and Fraunhofer IML

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A man, Hubertus Heil, speaks through a microphone to a group of people. The group is standing in a large hall, something is projected on a screen in the background. © Fraunhofer IML
Hubertus Heil (l.) was a guest of Prof. Michael ten Hompel (r.), holder of the Chair of Materials Handling and Warehousing at TU Dortmund University and Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML.
Together with journalists Hubertus Heil, Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, visited the Chair of Materials Handling and Warehousing of Prof. Michael ten Hompel and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML on Tuesday, 11 July. The visit focused on technologies that will shape the collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in the working world of the future.

As part of his summer tour through North Rhine-Westphalia, which focused on topics such as occupational safety, shortage of skilled workers and cooperation between humans and AI, Dortmund was the stop where intelligent future technologies were in focus. Fraunhofer IML already proclaimed the Social Networked Industry several years ago, in which humans and machines responsibly shape the working world of the future together.

Focus on collaboration between people and AI

"Digital technologies, especially AI applications like ChatGPT, will change the work of many employees. The use of AI in the world of work therefore brings many opportunities to simplify the workflow in companies. Looking for solutions, like here at the Fraunhofer Institute, to further optimize this is, in my view as Minister of Labor, also an important contribution to countering the shortage of skilled workers. I am convinced that this technological development can make working life better. However, the prerequisite for this is that we actively shape this technology. Our goal is for AI to serve people, not the other way around," said Hubertus Heil, Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, during his visit.

"In the near future, humans and AI will work together in partnership, and AI will not only provide information, but increasingly take active action. The question is according to which maxims this will happen. We are heading for a turning point, the fundamental nature of which makes one think of a 'Categorical Imperative for Artificial Intelligence' - even if the comparison is still a bit lame. It is our task to secure a framework for cooperation between humans and AI according to our standards and benchmarks, but also to implement it technically. We are working on this at Fraunhofer IML together with our partners from science and industry at full speed," emphasized Michael ten Hompel, Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Managing Director of Fraunhofer IML.

A man, Hubertus Heil, stands with his hands raised and VR goggles on his head in a large room where many drones are flying around.
Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil piloted a swarm of drones.

Innovations for logistics and warehouse operations

During his visit, the minister had numerous opportunities to interact with machines: among other things, Heil himself was able to control a biointelligent drone flock consisting of 20 drones that imitates the behavior of a flock of birds. By testing AI algorithms in three-dimensional space and a highly dynamic system, for example, solutions for complex logistical tasks can be found and transferred into application.

The minister tested the assistance of an exoskeleton for various warehouse activities: The (electro-)mechanical support structures worn on the body are intended to reduce the overall physical strain when performing work activities and relieve certain body regions such as the back. In the long term, this would help to counteract the high levels of sick leave caused by overloading of the musculoskeletal system in logistics and thus also the shortage of skilled workers.

Another highlight was the evoBOT developed at Fraunhofer IML - an autonomous mobile robot that establishes a new generation of transport robots with its two arms. Due to its high agility and flexibility, the evoBOT is not limited to a logistical or industrial context, but can become a true colleague in a wide range of application areas. Fraunhofer IML researchers also presented the LoadRunner, a high-speed robot for sorting and distribution processes.

Text: Fraunhofer IML

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