Collaborative Research Centre 614

The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 614 “Self-Optimizing Concepts and Structures in Mechanical Engineering” is in the last year of its funding period. It combines the greatest strengths of the University of Paderborn and the Heinz Nixdorf Institute, the symbiosis of computer science, engineering and mathematics. This is evident in the strong expertise in the field of mechatronics in conjunction with optimisation. This combination forms the basis of the CRC 614.

Machines are omnipresent. They produce, they transport. Machines facilitate and aid work. The increasing fusion of mechanical engineering with information technology has brought about considerable benefits. This situation is expressed by the term Mechatronics, meaning the close interaction of mechanics, electronics, control engineering and software engineering to improve the behaviour of a technical system. The integration of cognitive functions into mechatronic systems enables systems to have inherent partial intelligence. Future mechanical engineering systems will comprise configurations of system elements with inherent partial intelligence. The behaviour of these systems will be shaped by the communication and cooperation between the elements of the intelligent system. From an information processing point of view, we consider these distributed systems to be multi-agent systems. These capabilities open up fascinating prospects for the design of future mechanical systems. The term selfoptimisation characterises this perspective: the endogenous adaptation of system objectives in response to changing operational conditions and the resulting autonomous adjustment of system parameters or system structure and consequently of the overall behaviour of the system.

Since July 2002, the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) has been pursuing the long-term aim of opening up the active paradigm of self-optimisation for mechanical engineering, as well as enabling others to develop self-optimising systems. After 11 years of funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Collaborative Research Centre 614 will finish its research in June 2013, so the results have been put together in a compendium so that practitioners may now benefit from self-optimisation.

1. Aspects of a self-optimizing system
2. Aspects of Solution Pattern for the Conceptual Design of Self-Optimizing systems

Compendium of the CRC 614
Our goal is to promote research in the area of intelligent technical systems and to implement their everyday use. For this purpose, a new transfer project “FPGA-based self-optimising drive control” was launched this year. Furthermore, the leading- edge cluster “it`s OWL” is based on the results of the CRC 614.

The technology transfer will be performed with the aid of a set of tools for developing self-optimising systems. These consist of a development process, methodologies and software tools, which will assist developers in the design of autonomous self-optimising products or production systems.The tools and methodologies used to increase the reliability of self-optimising systems will be published by the Springer publishing house in mid-2013.

The results will be presented on the attractive new CRC website for the general public at www.sfb614.de. In January 2013, the website will be upgraded to a virtual exhibition. This exhibition will be available in English language in March 2013. Visitors to this website will be provided with interactive information about the Collaborative Research Centre. The use of nonlinear video technology will project a clear and accurate picture of the activities of the CRC 614, with the aid of different background knowledge. The results are presented on the three CRC 614 demonstrators, the X-by-Wire Test Vehicle Chameleon, the miniature robot BeBot and the RailCab. The visitor will be able to examine a 3D-model of the three systems and to get an insight look, with additional information about the systems.

The CRC 614 demonstrators
Our exhibitions show the potential created by our research on self-optimising systems. They cover the entire scope of modern mechanical engineering and vehicle construction:

1. X-by-Wire Test Vehicle Chameleon: this is a fully active mechatronic test vehicle that is actuated entirely electronically. It is steered completely ‘by wire’ i.e. there are no mechanical couplings between the operating elements and the actuating elements. The aim of the CRC is selfoptimising vehicle control with regard to vertical and longitudinal dynamics, energy management and the reconfiguration of the chassis actuating system.
2. Miniature Robot BeBot: this robot serves as a technology platform for research in the domains of dynamic reconfigurable systems, multi-agent systems and swarm intelligence. The combination of reconfigurable logic blocks (FPGA) and high-performance micro-controllers forms the basis for the platform. In addition, it serves as a test bed for the technology “Moulded Interconnect Devices” (MID).
3. RailCab: this is an innovative railway system realised on a comprehensive test track at a scale of 1:2.5 (http://nbp-www.upb.de). Autonomous vehicles (Rail- Cabs) for the transportation of passengers and cargo constitute the core of the system. They drive on-demand and not by schedule. The RailCabs act proactively e.g. form convoys in order to reduce the energy consumption. The drive and braking system, spring and tilt system, energy management and cooperation of the RailCab modules are based on self-optimisation and validated on corresponding test benches.

1. Miniature Robot „BeBot“
2. X-by-Wire Test Vehicle „Chameleon“
3. Railway Vehicle „RailCab“