With the defnition of Industry 4.0 as a combined research and innovation effort in the German industry, ideas have been focused on the future of manufacturing in Germany.

The producers of equipment as well as their customers face major challenges with regard how to make use of the opportunities which new technologies in mechatronics and IT have created.

This article presents recent developments in research on material handling systems. They have been started before the term “Industry 4.0” has been defined. However, with the goal to enable easily reconfigurable systems in a Plug&Play (or Plug&Work) manner, research has started around 2008, supplying prototypes and ideas for cyber-physical systems for Industry 4.0.

Kai Furmans
Professor 
KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany
Institute for Material Handling and Logistics

Andreas Trenkle, Zäzilia Seibold and Maximilian Hochstein
Research Associate
KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany
Institute for Material Handling and Logistics

Thomas Stoll
Group leader control systems
KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany
Institute for Material Handling and Logistics