Autor: Bernd Kuhlenkötter

Foundation models are increasingly changing the way robots are used in industry. Instead of writing complex programs line by line, programmers will soon be able to collaborate more closely with AI systems, describe tasks, and review generated solutions. This shifts their role from purely generating code to conceptual, supervisory, and validation activities. This article highlights the new possibilities that large AI models create for robot programming and the changes they entail for work and required skills in industrial practice.

The governance of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) usage is often described as a formalized reporting system. This neglects the early-stage mechanisms of coping with ethical challenges during the GenAI implementation period. Exploratory empirical findings from the Ruhr area reveal that managerial communicative practices serve as a substitute for missing institutional structures, particularly at an early stage of GenAI implementation in SMEs.

Designing adaptations in AI-based work systems poses a central challenge for achieving human-centered AI (HCAI). This paper presents a methodical approach that enables transdisciplinary teams to systematically explore and structure the design space of adaptable work systems. Building on an extended work system model and operationalized through a matrix-based framework, the method supports the identification of interdependencies, stakeholder perspectives, and context-specific goals. Its practical applicability is demonstrated through a real-world case study in radiographic non-destructive testing.

Despite its potential, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in industry is often delayed, primarily due to perceived complexity, high costs, and a lack of expertise. This article presents a modular demonstrator reference architecture that provides practical, low-cost access to industrial AI applications. Developed within a design science research approach, it specifically supports experimentation, learning, and gradual integration into existing production processes. The focus is on machine vision, implemented using cost-effective hardware and open-source software. Its applicability is demonstrated in three scenarios: quality control, chip classification, and in-company training. Initial evaluations confirm the technical feasibility, didactic relevance, and transferability to a variety of industrial contexts.

Although the concept of double transformation is being intensely discussed in companies, the practical implementation in operational structures often remains unclear. This article sheds light on how digital technologies and environmental sustainability strategies can be developed either synergistically, antagonistically or independently of each other. In addition, it discusses the different experiences of employees in different industries and the varying progress in the introduction of digital and ecological measures. To this end, it will discuss existing research findings and practical examples that pave the way for the successful integration of both transformation processes in companies.

A key element of the energy transition in Germany lies in green hydrogen. The current production of electrolyzers is mostly done in a manufactory-like manner. By digital planning and preparing an assembly with automated, manual and collaborative elements, the manufacturing of water electrolyzers can be scaled economically. In this paper, a reference process from electrolyzer assembly is selected and analyzed for the complete mapping of a data structure. The determined data structure can be used as a basis for a digital twin.

Industrial robots are being used increasingly in machining processes. Here, the robots exhibit a significantly higher displacement of the end effector than conventional CNC machines due to their comparable low stiffness. This paper presents an approach to minimize such displacements of the tool by exploiting the rotational degrees of freedom at the milling spindle. For this purpose, the displacement of the end effector at different orientations of the milling spindle was investigated by means of a structural model.