The automation experts from STW in Kaufbeuren are donating the SymonE demonstrator vehicle to the Institute for Driver Assistance and Networked Mobility at the Kempten University of Applied Sciences. In doing this, STW is supporting research in the Allgäu region and demonstrating the ongoing cooperation with academic institutions.
Sonja Wiedemann, principal shareholder and Managing Director, and Stefan A. Lang, Director Advance Development, handed over the keys to the vehicle in September, at a ceremony at the Institute's headquarters in Benningen. With this vehicle, the Institute intends to conduct practical research into solutions for the mobility of the future. The focus of the institute's research is automated driving, the interaction of people with future technologies, virtual development methods, and digitization and networking. As an expert in the automation of mobile machines, STW develops and supplies innovative intelligent control and sensor solutions for smart, and increasingly autonomous, machinery in agriculture, construction and forestry. During the handover ceremony, Sonja Wiedemann emphasized the importance of cooperation with academic organizations for the company's own innovative progress: "We are involved in numerous joint research projects and cooperate with leading institutes. The research that takes place there is of essential importance for mastering the challenges of the future. We actively participate in the research discourse and apply the results to the development of leading automation and digitization solutions."
For many years, STW used the futuristic looking SymonE mobile working machine as a test and demonstration vehicle to highlight solutions in networking, electrification and, above all, automation. At industry trade fairs, the Kaufbeuren based company used SymonE to present the practical integration of the latest developments in control and sensor technology, communication and networking, and, electric drive technology. In recent times, STW has built up various other demonstration platforms, such as the STWiesel or the ROVO AI (in association with HAWE and Robot Makers) which will replace SymonE as a demonstrator. These focus on technologies such as those for mobile robotics, where STW plans to lead the way in the future.
SymonE provides the Institute for Driver Assistance and Networked Mobility with a test bed for transferring research projects into practice. In particular, the potential of 5G technology will be investigated with the help of the vehicle's cloud connection. Machine-to-X communication and georeferencing will be another focus area for future research work. Testing and extending the control architecture will provide students with an opportunity to put their research into practice.
With the handover of SymonE, STW and the Institute are strengthening their ties. They will work closely together in the future on joint R&D projects, providing guest lectures and scientific and engineering publications.