The "Walter Reis - Innovation Award for Robotics" was presented for the first time in the year 2006 and with more than 20 short-listed applications was a great success. Every two years, next time in the year 2008, there is an international submission for this innovation prize unique in Europe for the three subjects mentioned below:

1. New applications for robots in industrial production processes.
   For these subjects in the year 2008 the special prize for "regenerative energy" will include 4.000 €. This special prize is mainly determined for developers working on innovative concepts for the manufacture of components for production of regenerative energy.
2. Innovations in the field service robotics in an industrial environment
3. Innovations with kinematics, the control and the drive technique for robots

The deadline to register applications and proposals will be 15th February 2008.

The submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges according to the criteria mentioned below. Presentation of prizes will be made in June 2008 during the Automatica exhibition in Munich.

The panel of judges is composed from professors who have been working in research institutions on the subject of robotics for many years and from leading personalities from commerce who are closely involved with the application of robotics in industrial production processes. The members of the judging panel will decide on the prize winners. The works awarded with a prize and the prize winners will receive wide publicity through the public relations department of Reis Robotics. The participants agree to a publication of their projects free of charge.

The members of the panel of judges are probably the following:

1. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rolf Dieter Schraft, formerly director of the Fraunhofer institute for production technology and automation (IPA) in Stuttgart
2. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Friedrich Behr, LIZA, Thyssen Krupp Steel AG/Thyssen Automotive, Bochum
3. Mr. Hubert Waltl, head of toolmaking department, Audi AG, Ingolstadt. inter alia responsible for realization of automation projects in the value of approx. 150 M€/year
4. Mr. Heinz-Dieter Schunk, owner of the company Schunk GmbH, Lauffen, producer of peripheral components for the automation technology
5. Dr. Eberhard Kroth, general manager Reis Robotics, Obernburg

The submissions will be evaluated for improvements compared with the current state-of-the-art, the scientific quality, the technical creativity and the possibility of realization. The evaluation process will place special emphasis on the use and the advantages of the proposals presented in terms of practical use. The judgment of the applications will give comprehensive consideration to all steps, from recognition of the requirement via the innovative idea with the necessary bases, up to ideas for / beginnings of product development. Suggested innovations need not be exclusively technical products, but may also represent methods and technologies in the a.m. subject area.

The entries have to be submitted by normal mail in German or English language. There is no restriction of the authorization for submission. In the event that you will be awarded a prize, then participation in the award presentation during the Automatica show in Munich will be expected. The prize winners will be invited to Munich by Reis Robotics. With the application you give your approval for publication of the theses awarded with a prize. Employees of Reis Robotics and related enterprises, as well as members of the judging panel are excluded from this competition.

The following documents have to be submitted:

• Applications form (available as a form in the internet)
• Written documentation on the work of max. ten DIN A4 pages
• Information about the applicant or the members of the project group with their curriculum vitae on max. one DINA4 page each

The written documentation should be structured as follows:

1. Summary of max. half a page
2. State-of-the-art and fundamentals of the work
3. Description of the innovation
4. Solution with the necessary professional documents and explaining illustrations
5. Comparison of the innovation with the state-of-the-art
6. Presentation of the advantages when used in practical application

Prize money
Sharing of this award with to up to 3 prize winners per subject is at the discretion of the judges. The judges will decide in non-public meetings independently on the award and the division of the prize monies with up to 3 prize winners per subject. If the quality and the level of innovation of a submission is in their opinion lacking the judges have the right to exclude it from the assessment. The judges' decision is final.

Please send the registration documents by mail to:
Reis Robotics
Mr. Walter Reis
Walter-Reis-Str. 1
63785 Obernburg