Winning the RoboCup world championship with igus in 2025

The Carologistics team from Aachen sets a new world record in a logistics competition with drylin linear modules

Design engineers can considerably increase the efficiency of autonomous logistics robots with linear modules from igus. The RoboCup World Championship in Brazil in 2025 will prove this as robots from all over the world will handle products in a simulated factory. Here, the Carologistics team from Aachen has succeeded in implementing a fast, precise and reliable gripper system using igus linear axes from the drylin ZLW series. With this solution, the team won the world championship title and set a new world record.

Every year, engineers from all over the world compete in the RoboCup. At the world's largest robotics event, autonomous robots compete in disciplines such as football, rescue services, household and industry. This is where things get exciting for Carologistics, a team of researchers and students from the University of Applied Sciences and RWTH Aachen University. Since 2012, the team has been participating in the Logistics League, in which robots work autonomously in simulated factories. The robot developed in Aachen looks like R2D2 from the epic space opera Star Wars. It consists of an omnidirectional base and a multi-axis linear system assembled on top of it, over which a gripper is positioned. "During the last competitions we noticed that other teams were superior to us in terms of gripping speed," says Co-Team Leader Daniel Swoboda from RWTH Aachen University. "For the RoboCup 2025 in Brazil we have therefore decided to redesign the gripping system to remain competitive."

Gripping speed tripled with igus

To enable the robots to grip objects more quickly, the linear modules with lead screw drives had to be replaced. According to Swoboda, they were precise and reliable, but not fast enough. For the world championship, the team therefore switched to igus drylin toothed belt axes from the drylin ZLW-1040-S series with EC motors. These modules allow the gripper to move up and down on the Z-axis and back and forth on the Y-axis. Says Swoboda: "Thanks to the toothed belt drive, we can now achieve an acceleration of 2m/s2." A rotary axis with a robolink D series stepper motor is also used, which permits the gripper to swivel without the robot having to rotate. "Thanks to this combination, we have managed to reduce the duration of a gripping process from 30 to 10 seconds." The team also relied on igus for cable guides. E-chains from the easy chain series, which are easy to fill, protect the electrical cables during linear movements. They are complemented by a triflex R energy chain, which was specifically developed for complex 3D movements. They ensure safe and durable cable guidance, even during fast and dynamic movements.

Team Carologistics sets the world record and wins the title

Taking the optimised robots with them, the team travelled to Salvador in Brazil from 15th to 21st July 2025. According to Swoboda, a positive side effect of the linear system was that it required no lubrication, which meant that transport was hygienic. The competitions began on site. The robot's task: manufacturing cylinders in various sizes on production machines in a simulated factory environment according to random customer orders from an online shop. For this, the robot has to plan work steps and continuously transport components from one machine to the other. Around 40 gripping actions are required per competition. "The linear system from igus not only impressed with its speed and precision, but also with its high reliability," says Swoboda. The system would thus have made an important contribution to setting a new world record. "We managed to manufacture eight out of ten products ordered from the online shop in the competition." That amounts to two more products than the previous record set by Graz University of Technology. "We would like to express our sincere thanks to igus, who have supported us during every step of the way as a sponsor with state-of-the-art technology and valuable expertise."