Founded in 1988, the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) is one of the largest non-profit research institutes in the field of innovative software technology and applications based on artificial intelligence. The DFKI has research facilities in Kaiserslautern, Saarbrücken, Bremen and a project office in Berlin.
DFKI Robotics Innovation Center (RIC), headed by Prof. Dr. Frank Kirchner and based in Bremen, is dedicated to the development of cognitive and adaptive robotic systems for various application areas. These include robots for deep-sea, offshore, and space exploration, but also adaptive automation for industrial production and logistics. The RIC has been involved in a number of ongoing and successfully completed projects related to automated manipulation and tele-operation of robotic manipulators in harsh environments.