Automation & Robotics Testbed
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
| 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 Addres | Bosne Srebrene bb, 75000 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Website Links | |
| Institutional contact name | Ahmed Korlatović |
| Institutional contact email | a.korlatovic@dkr.ba |
Potential Stakeholders and Exploitation Scenarios
| Non-academic stakeholders | |
| Industrial Partners | Manufacturing companies, automation system integrators, robotics vendors, logistics companies |
| SMEs | SMEs in manufacturing automation, machine builders, robotics integration companies |
| Startups | Robotics startups, AI for manufacturing startups, Industrial IoT startups |
| Government Bodies | Ministries of industry and technology, regional innovation agencies, digitalization agencies |
| Professional Associations | Robotics and automation associations, industry clusters, chambers of commerce |
| Community | Maker communities, robotics clubs, open innovation communities |
| Others 1 | Production managers, plant directors |
| Academic stakeholders | |
| Undergraduate students | Electrical engineering students, mechatronics students, industrial engineering students |
| MSc students | Robotics and automation MSc students, AI and mechatronics MSc students |
| PhD students | PhD researchers in robotics, AI, manufacturing systems |
| Researchers | Academic researchers in robotics, AI, industrial automation, human-robot collaboration |
| Others 2 | Industrial engineering students, Early-Stage Researches, Research organizations |
| Other types of stakeholders | |
| Others 3 | Workforce Development Agencies, Funding Agencies |
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. |