Automation & Robotics Testbed

SHORT SUMMARY 

Automation & Robotics Testbed is an advanced industrial TestBed designed for the research and development of automated manufacturing and logistics processes. The system architecture features a multi-vendor industrial cell cointaining three industrial arms integrated within a securely enclosed zone. These robotic units are synchronized via a dedicated track conveyor to facilitate complex material handling workflows. Centralized control and process supervision are provide through a robust PLC controller and HMI interface ecosystem, providing a realistic industrial environment for testing multi-vendor interoperability.

The TestBed serves as a bridge for DeepTech innovations, focusing on AI-driven autonomous material handling, Industrial IoT and advanced Human-Machine Interface. It enables The TestBed supports high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 5-8), making it and ideal environment for talent secondments and student theses.

In aligning with Industry 5.0 principles, Automation & Robotics Testbed emphasizes human-centric automation and high manufacturing flexibility, enabling intuitive collaboration through advanced visualization solutions and reducing programming complexity. Within the CITADELS framework, the TestBed offers accessible infrastructure for research organizations, SMEs, and industry stakeholders to develop and validate intelligent, sustainable automation solutions.

HOSTING INSTITUTION AND PI INFO

Name of Host Organization Industrial Automation d.o.o Tuzla
Department or Lab Industrial Hub
Name of Building Sports-Cultural-Economic Center (SKPC) Mejdan
Physical Address Bosne Srebrene bb, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Website Links https://www.dkr.ba/

https://industrialhub.ba/

https://industrialhub.ba/testbeds/automation-robotics-testbed/

Institutional contact name Ahmed Korlatović
Institutional contact email a.korlatovic@dkr.ba

APPLICATION CASES 

Application case: Short description:
Industrial autonomous palletizing & material handling Engineers and students can develop autonomous palletizing solutions with using the robots synhcronized via the conveyor and PLC. This solutions are focused on automated pick-and-place, adaptive stacking patterns and interoperability between multi-vendor robots. 3D vision and rule-based logic are used to optimize pallet layouts for varying box sizes.

This case has already been used in SME demonstrations and student theses, with typical cell reconfiguration times of ~30 minutes and more than 100 users trained on the testbed.

Virtual Commissioning & Offline Robot Programming Seconded staff and MSc/PhD students employ ABB RobotStudio and KUKA.Sim together with Siemens TIA Portal to design, simulate and validate robotic workflows before deployment on real hardware. Typical experiments include trajectory optimization, collision checking, PLC-robot handshake testing and HMI flow validation.
PLC/SCADA integration Participants develop PLC logic, HMI screens and PROFINET-based communication to collect real-time data from robots, conveyors and sensors. Experiments include production monitoring dashboards, fault diagnostics and basic predictive maintenance indicators.
Education, Workforce upskilling & SME demonstrators Used for undergraduate and MSc student projects, professional workshops and SME demonstrations. Activities include robot programming fundamentals, safety training, multi-vendor integration exercises, and rapid prototyping of automation concepts for small manufacturing companies.

POTENTIAL STAKEHOLDERS

Non-academic stakeholders
Industrial Partners
Startups
Professional Associations
SMEs
Government Bodies
Community
Other Production managers, plant directors
Academic stakeholders
Undergraduate students
PhD students
MSc students
Researchers
Other Industrial engineering students, Early-Stage Researches, Research organizations
Other types of stakeholders
Other Workforce Development Agencies, Funding Agencies

LINKS TO MORE INFO

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