The 2020 Innovation Award goes to TGW Logistics Group GmbH for its robotic logistics solution "Rovolution" and its digital twin. With "Rovolution", TGW has developed a highly innovative system for single-item picking by robot that combines artificial intelligence, cognitive robotics, data science and computer vision. It is self-learning and flexible, reacting fully automatically to various error patterns. Unexpected events (e.g. an item falls to the floor on the way from the source to the target container) are corrected autonomously and without any human intervention. This enables uninterrupted work. The "reach into the box" can take place 24 hours a day, around the clock.

TGW has also developed a digital twin of the system: A complete, growing digital image that is connected to the physical plant in real time. It makes the robot's behavior visible, comprehensible and predictable. The generated data is analysed, can be learned from and visualized in 3D models. This makes it possible to pick individual items by robot - so-called "single orders".

Image recognition, artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics form the basis for the system's intelligence and self-learning ability. The robot orients its subsequent processes based on unforeseen events, the algorithm develops a form of scene understanding based on the data, allowing it to estimate and classify the status and make independent decisions on how to deal with a new situation. The robot learns with each gripping process, gains experience with the various items, is able to recognize patterns and thus becomes continuously faster and more efficient.

The system is suitable for the food, textile and retail sectors and can handle a huge variety of article types. Both rigid and soft packaging can be reliably gripped, whether sealed in film or in cardboard, wrapped in plastic or sheet metal.

Comment Gregor Blauermel, Managing Director of B416 Unternehmensberatung and Chairman of the jury: "The so-called "reach into the box" has been a goal pursued by logisticians and engineers for many years. TGW has not only solved the mechanical and optical challenges excellently with this solution. By using a digital twin, the possibilities of Industry 4.0 are also impressively utilized. The combination of all elements into a successful overall system with high practical benefits was the decisive factor for the jury to award the 2020 Innovation Prize to TGW."

Background

The "Logistics Innovation Prize" is awarded annually by the VDI Society for Production and Logistics (VDI-GPL). The prize is awarded to the company that has made an outstanding contribution to innovation in logistics. The winner is selected by an independent jury of competent and recognized experts. The 2020 jury consisted of:

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Fottner Chair of Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics, TU Munich
• Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Gregor Blauermel, Managing Partner B416 Unternehmensberatung GmbH & Co. KG
• Rolf Müller Wondorf, Chief Editor Logistics for Companies
• Martin Schrüfer, Editor-in-Chief of materialfluss und Baugewerbe, WEKA BUSINESS MEDIEN
• Dipl.-Ing. Jean Haeffs, Managing Director, VDI Society for Production and Logistics
• Thilo Jörgl, Managing Director impact media projects
• Matthias Pieringer, Deputy Editor-in-Chief LOGISTIK HEUTE
• Winfried Bauer, Editor-in-Chief of Fördern und Heben

The call for entries for the VDI Logistics Innovation Award 2023 will begin in fall 2022.