|

HERMES AWARD 2024 Goes to Schunk

April 22, 2024

HERMES AWARD 2024 goes to Schunk

This year saw the German company Schunk honored with the HERMES AWARD at the ceremonial opening of HANNOVER MESSE on April 21, 2024, in recognition of an innovative AI-based project. Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Germany’s Minister of Education and Research, presented the award in the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

A high-caliber jury chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, selected Schunk’s 2D Grasping Kit project for this year’s award. This application kit comprises a camera with lens, an industrial PC, AI software and an application-specific gripper. The innovative nature of the project lies in the generic, AI-based modeling of component variants and the transfer to a smaller training data set, which cuts learning times for recognition. Even under changing light, color, or background conditions, the intuitive user interface enables reliable picking and handling of randomly arranged and non-positioned parts from an infeed conveyor belt, tray or preparation table. This allows repetitive sorting or logistics tasks to be automated with little outlay.

“Automation is the key to the future for supplying people and industry in our country. Only with sustainable innovations, especially in the spheres of production and logistics, can we successfully master the economic and social challenges of tomorrow,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka. “Besides ease of use, the robustness of the development for many of the upcoming automation solutions was a particularly decisive factor behind our decision to select the 2D Grasping Kit for this award. On behalf of the entire jury, I am delighted to congratulate Schunk on winning the HERMES AWARD 2024!”

HERMES AWARD

Deutsche Messe has honored a company with the HERMES AWARD at each edition of HANNOVER MESSE for over 20 years. This is the most important international industry prize, and acknowledges a product or solution that demonstrates a notably high level of technological innovation. Market maturity is a crucial criterion in the jury’s decision.

HANNOVER MESSE

HANNOVER MESSE is the world’s leading trade fair for industry. Its lead theme of “Industrial Transformation” brings together exhibiting companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and digital industries as well as the energy sector to present solutions for future production methods and the energy supply. Key topics include Industry 4.0/Manufacturing-X, Energy for Industry, Digitization/Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Carbon-neutral Production, and Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. The exhibition program is complemented by a series of conferences and forums. The next edition of the event runs in Hannover, Germany, from 22 to 26 April 2024. Norway is the partner country.

Source

Related Story

SCHUNK is Among the Top 3 Nominees

SCHUNK has secured one of the top 3 places in the nomination for the HERMES AWARD 2024 with the innovative 2D Grasping Kit. The AI-supported application kit provides a quick introduction to the autonomous handling of non-position-oriented objects. Expert knowledge in programming or image processing is not necessary.

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • ABB Contactor Selection Guide Canada

    October 1, 2025 ABB contactors are among the most reliable electrical switching devices in industrial automation. As Canada’s leading ABB authorized distributor, Proax has helped thousands of engineers and technicians select the right ABB contactor for their applications. Whether you’re designing a new motor control panel or replacing existing equipment, choosing the right ABB contactor can… Read More…

  • 25 Advanced Motion Control Questions Answered

    October 1, 2025 Electromate has compiled a list of 25 advanced mechatronic engineering FAQs covering inertia, vibration, servo safety, control tuning, encoder resolution, and motion system design, and provided answers from their team of experts across the country. How do I model moment loading in real-world applications with offset payloads? Moment loading should be calculated… Read More…


Featured Article

Revolutionizing Material Movement with Autonomous Mobile Robots

Revolutionizing Material Movement with Autonomous Mobile Robots

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing and logistics industries, the need for efficient and flexible material movement solutions has never been greater. Traditional methods like conveyor systems, forklifts, and manual pushcarts have served us well, but they come with limitations.

That’s why Omron is thrilled to announce the launch of their game-changing MD Series of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Read more


Products

  • Festo AI-Powered Pneumatic Cylinder Monitoring Cuts Machine Downtime, Transforming Maintenance from Reactive to Predictive

    October 3, 2025 Festo introduces its AI-enabled monitoring and predictive maintenance system Festo AX Motion Insights Pneumatic. AX Motion Insights Pneumatic is a cost-effective, easy-to-use solution for preventing costly unscheduled machine downtime through its monitoring of pneumatic cylinders for wear and anomalies. This AI-based industrial app ensures operations are more reliable, efficient, and ultimately more profitable. The… Read More…

  • Integrated Power and Energy Measurement Technology

    October 1, 2025 Precise energy monitoring for maximum efficiency Beckhoff offers an integrated solution for real-time energy monitoring that records electrical parameters such as voltage, current, and power directly within the EtherCAT I/O system. This transparency reduces machine downtime, prevents component oversizing, and enables a rapid response to grid faults such as phase failures. Deviations… Read More…