Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE

When robotics experts gathered for the first European Land Robot Trial (ELROB) in 2006, no one could have predicted that it would become such a success story. Two decades later, the demanding performance comparison of military robotics, organised by a team from Fraunhofer FKIE, is now a fixed date in the calendars of researchers, clients and users. The venue for 2026 is Thun in Switzerland.

How can police security forces successfully detect and defend against drones? The research project "IDAS-PRO" provides an answer: During the major final demonstration in Mosbach, Baden-Württemberg, the drone defense system developed over 2,5 years was successfully showcased in realistic test scenarios. The attending users particularly noted the system's flexible deployment options.

The Fraunhofer FKIE mourns the loss of an outstanding scientist, great colleague and impressive person: At the age of 90, Dr. Wulf-Dieter Wirth passed away on 14 February 2025. With his passing, research has lost a pioneer in the field of radar technology, a creative mastermind and a personality who has shaped generations of scientists.

Fraunhofer FKIE is one of the strongest partners of the NATO Science & Technology Organization (STO). The institute is significantly involved in the organization's current 350 research activities. One of them is NATO Research Task Group “Edge Computing at the Tactical Edge” (IST-193). The group is working on an important prerequisite for uninterrupted communication and cooperation in joint operations: the federation of various national clouds.

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