Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Detlef Gerhard - Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Product innovation remains essential for companies to ensure prosperity in Europe. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in design software tools (e.g. CAD) for Generative Design / Generative Engineering, Design Automation and Design Optimisation opens up completely new possibilities for the development of innovative products and systems and fundamentally changes the design process. As this technology is brand new in CAD tools, engineering professionals need to be educated to take advantage of the potential impact on future product development and innovation activities in companies.

In practice, the integration of heterogeneous IoT components is often a complex and confusing process. The different ways of representing information about individual assets create the desire for a standardized representation. The asset administration shell creates a digital exchange format for this purpose with the potential to significantly increase the degree of automation in the integration of IoT components.

Im Rahmen des DFG Schwerpunktprogramms "Adaptive Modulbauweisen mit Fließfertigungsmethoden" bearbeitet der LDE das Teilprojekt "Der digitale Zwilling für die schnelle und präzise Fertigung von Betonmodulen".

Working with PLCs is becoming an even more important skill for shop-floor workers in the context of digitalization and Industry 4.0. In this projected an international consortium consisting of Ruhr-University Bochum, Łukasiewicz Institute for Sustainable Technologies, and LINPRA, the engineering and technology industries association of Lithuania, builds a workshop format for up-skilling of these workers on virtual PLC techno-educational stands to make them and their companies ready for the digital transformation.

One of the major roadblocks for a widespread usage of Augmented Reality is content creation. To help the spread of AR, an Augmented Reality Content Management System is at use at Ruhr-University Bochum.

In 2021, a team consisting of Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Vienna, Contact Software and the Institute for Training and Careers developed and delivered comprehensive and industry-centric workshops to bring AR to manufacturing.