From the 20th–25th May 2014 the International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition ILA was held in Berlin. More than 220,000 professionals and visitors saw, among other things a good presentation of space themes in the Space Pavilion and at the booth of DLR and the BMWi.
On the DLR stand the Moon Rover „LRU“ designated for the ROBEX space demonstration mission was presented. The Lightweight Rover Unit (LRU) of DLR is the prototype of a semi-autonomous robot for exploration of the Moon or Mars. It combines a variety of the latest technologies that have been developed at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, such as the propulsion and steering units. Their engines already demonstrate their suitability for space application during the  ROKVISS experiment for five years on the ISS. A stereo camera and the award-winning Semi-Global Matching stereo method gives the robot the ability to perceive its environment in 3D. From this the robot calculates the rover local maps and then controls autonomously in unknown and uneven terrain predefined targets. These autonomous navigation is important because signals from the earth need many seconds or minutes and make it difficult to direct remote control.

The special exhibition InwaterSolutions was hotspot of the national marine technology and – research and thus a key highlight of the HANNOVER MESSE. The Alfred-Wegener-Institute used the oppurtunity and represented from 07 to 11 April 2014 marine technologies and developments that have arisen among others in the context of ROBEX. More information can be found here.

On 19 February 2014 the first ROBEX Foresight workshop was held in Bremen at MARUM. The workshop was aimed at discussing together with international experts on technological challenges to the central themes of „autonomy“, „mobility“ and „support systems“. Objectives of the workshop were the presentation and networking of ROBEX within a european/international context as well as the identification of new approaches to technological questions of ROBEX. (Agenda ROBEX Foresight Workshop)

On 14 December 2013, China’s lunar probe Chang’e-3 is successfully landed on the lunar surface. The landing site is located in Mare Imbrium in the northwest of the Moon side which is visible from the Earth. In the next few days the rover „Yutu“ (eng. „Jade Rabbit“) will explore the surface.

ROBEX joined Facebook, click here to visit our new Facebook-Site.

Deep-sea ecologists Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius and Dr. Frank Wenzhöfer analysed the communities living in the vicinity of cold seeps: deep sea areas where cold, methane-rich fluids emerge from subsurface reservoirs to the sea floor. Theses cold seeps are some of the richest ecosystems on the sea bed, being home to microbes and animal–microbe symbioses that use methane as an energy source. The study „Seafloor oxygen consumption fuelled by methane from cold seeps“ is published in the current issue of Nature Geoscience (DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1926) by the two scientists from the HGF-MPG Research Group on Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology at the Alfred Wegener Institute. Further information and images can be found in this press release of the Max-Planck-Institute for Microbioloby in Bremen (only in German).

With a 4000 cubic meter, nationwide unique underwater pool for robots tests and modern office space on four floors, DFKI is continuing its success story. Thus, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence emphasizes on time for the 25-year company anniversary its claim as one of the leading international research institutions in the field of innovative software technology and robotics systems.