Mobility, Flexibility, Productivity - Mobile Robots in Production
Showcase with live demo: Mesh-Up 2025
Mobile robots are revolutionizing both logistics applications and production. However, the step towards (partial) automation poses a major challenge for many companies in terms of IT architecture - especially if robots from different manufacturers are to be used in a shared fleet and on the same transport routes. A practical solution: VDA 5050. Experience the open communication interface live at Mesh-Up 2025.
Mobile robots on the rise
According to the annual report "World Robotics - Service Robots" by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), almost 113,000 robots were sold for transportation and logistics tasks in 2023. Almost 80,300 of these are mobile robots that transport material indoors or outdoors, are used in production supply or warehousing and for loading and unloading trucks and pallets.
More interoperability, please
With the increasing automation of production and logistics processes, IT complexity is also growing. Every mobile robot and every new solution has its own software control system that needs to be integrated into the existing IT infrastructure. In addition, users want to be able to decide individually and flexibly between different hardware manufacturers. The automotive industry was one of the first sectors to advocate the development of an open source communication interface and to participate in the development of VDA 5050. As a result, different mobile robots can now be operated in a mixed fleet with just one master controller. Mission completed.
Experience mesh-up - and implement it for yourself
How does the open communication interface between the master controller and various mobile robots work in practice? Which use cases is VDA 5050 suitable for and what needs to be considered when initiating and implementing a project? In addition to the large live demo, Mesh-Up 2025 offers direct contact with experts on site to discuss specific application options and gain a practical insight into the topic of feasibility and implementation.
Focus on production logistics
From practice for practice. The Mesh-Up 2025 focuses on the interaction between logistics and production, or more precisely: the supply and transfer of materials and the interlinking of systems and workstations. Why is the scenario shown again based on real processes? To show that the master control of heterogeneous fleets via VDA 5050 has long since arrived in practice.
Mobile Robots in Production – the spectrum
- Automated guided vehicles and mobile robots of different manufacturers, dimensions and technology on a common driving surface using the same routes
- Mapping of numerous different transport processes
- Connection of mobile robots to production systems and workstations
- Transfer of workpieces to production systems and process interlinking with mobile robots
- The VDA 5050 communication interface in a live test
- Demonstration of interface suitability in the interaction between master control and vehicles
- Exchange with developers, manufacturers and experts
Participants 2025
- Bosch Rexroth AG
- dpm Daum + Partner Maschinenbau GmbH
- ek robotics GmbH
- Flexus AG
- Fraunhofer IML
- KUKA AG
- MHP Management- und IT-Beratung GmbH
- Omron Electronics GmbH
- ProLog Automation GmbH & Co. KG
- SAFELOG GmbH
Review: the 2023 mesh-up premiere
With the connection of various mobile robots via the VDA 5050 communication interface, the first automatica Mesh-Up demonstrated a market-proven solution for integrating devices into the production supply right up to the production systems. While Hahn Automation provided various production stations and workstations for battery production at the special show, SYNAOS GmbH took on the task of orchestration with its control system. Ten different mobile robots from Continental Mobile Robots, EngRoTec, Fraunhofer IML, Neura Robotics, OMRON, SAFELOG, SEW-EURODRIVE and STILL were on the move in the area via the SYNAOS fleet manager.
Here are a few impressions:
VDA 5050 - the most important background information
Coordination between mobile robots is becoming increasingly important in warehouses and production. This is because the number of material transports is growing, but not the available space. The number of manufacturers and systems is also increasing, which makes it difficult to design a uniformly operating fleet. These framework conditions led to a special cooperation in 2017: between the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.
The partners put together a project team consisting of manufacturers of mobile robots, providers of master control software and users from industry to develop an interface. The aim and result: vehicles and control systems should be able to communicate with each other regardless of the manufacturer. The first version of VDA 5050 was published in 2019 and has been continuously adapted to current market requirements ever since. The current version 2.1.0 is accessible via a public GitHub repository and can be commented on.