igus wins DLG Innovation Award for ReBeL cobot

Cost-effective automation as the key to the future of agriculture

Plastic specialist igus receives the prestigious Systems & Components Trophy - Engineers' Choice Award from the German Agricultural Society (DLG). The ReBeL cobot - a compact, cost-efficient robot arm that sets new standards for automation in agriculture - won the award. In future, the robot will fulfil protection class IP67 so as to function reliably even under challenging environmental conditions.

Agriculture is facing major challenges: the shortage of skilled labour, rising costs and the pressure to operate more sustainably are making automated solutions increasingly indispensable. Seasonal workers in particular are hard to find for physically demanding and repetitive tasks such as harvesting, sorting or plant care. With the ReBeL cobot, igus offers a practical solution. It weighs only around 8kg, consists of maintenance-free components made of high-performance plastics and features an intuitive control system, which means it is particularly easy to integrate into existing processes. Equipped with sensors and grippers, it is ideal for tasks such as fruit harvesting, sowing or indoor farming. Depending on the application, operators can attach various sensors, cameras or work tools to the robot arm. At a price of €4,970*, it costs just a fifth of standard and often oversized robot solutions on the market. Free, user-friendly software helps with quick and easy programming and integration. The ReBeL cobot also impressed the jury of the "Systems & Components Trophy - Engineers' Choice". With this award, the DLG recognises components and systems that make a significant contribution to further developing agricultural machinery and off-highway technology thanks to innovative or significantly improved concepts. From a total of 41 submissions, an expert jury directed by Prof. Dr. Till Meinel (TH Köln) selected the ReBeL as one of three winning projects.

Modern robotics with low investment

"With the ReBeL, farmers can increase productivity, maximise crop yields and minimise losses that can occur due to a lack of labour, for example," says André Schönhaar, Sector Manager Agricultural Engineering at igus. "The fact that the DLG awarded us with the Systems & Components Trophy confirms our approach of making automation accessible to everyone." igus is currently further developing the ReBeL for protection class IP67 to make it function reliably even under demanding environmental conditions. At the same time, developers are working on conformal coatings for the printed circuit boards to make the electronics even more robust. "It is our aim to develop even simpler, more cost-effective and lightweight systems that make automation accessible to everyone, especially in agriculture," explains Alexander Mühlens, Head of Low Cost Automation at igus.

Configure ready-to-connect robotics solution on RBTX

However, igus goes one step further because operators always need the right tools, sensors and other accessories for the ReBeL. Farmers and machine manufacturers can use the RBTX.com marketplace to individually configure the ReBeL as a complete automation solution, including suitable grippers, cameras, control system and software. The platform also offers a free-of-charge, licence-free test environment in which planned applications can be simulated in advance.  This way, modern robotics are not only efficient, but also economical and easy to plan. 

For more information, contact igus Australia on 1300 726 244 or email cburchell@igus.net