Oct 29, 2026
BMFTR RUBIN – The Feldschwarm® Ecosystem Alliance Takes Stock of Its Success and Presents Research Findings
Invitation to the Closing Event on November 9, 2026, at TUD
The RUBIN consortium project “Feldschwarm® Ecosystem,” funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), will conclude with a festive closing ceremony at the TUD Dresden University of Technology. After three years of intensive research and development, the project partners—including the Chairs of Agricultural Systems Technology and Industrial Design Engineering—will present the results of one of Germany’s most significant innovation projects for autonomous agriculture. The goal of the project is to develop a cross-manufacturer technology platform for the coordinated deployment of semi-autonomous agricultural machinery and agricultural robots in swarm formations.
As part of the project, a comprehensive system architecture was developed for the first time that enables the planning, control, and monitoring of autonomous work processes in the field. The focus is always on the human element: farmers retain control over the work process at all times and can intervene immediately if necessary. The developed platform connects modern agricultural machinery, agricultural robots, and digital applications via standardized interfaces into a single, intelligent integrated system.
The solutions developed in the project include, among other things, innovative methods for swarm coordination, human-machine interaction, process and remote monitoring, as well as approaches from the fields of artificial intelligence, functional safety, and data security. In addition, significant contributions were made toward the interoperability of future agricultural machinery systems and the further development of standardized communication interfaces. The practical feasibility of the developed technologies was successfully demonstrated in field trials involving both autonomous and conventional agricultural machinery.
During the closing event on November 9, the alliance partners will present the results of their research and development work. In addition to technical presentations on the findings and innovations achieved, the program will feature practical field demonstrations in real-world operating environments. The event also offers an opportunity for professional exchange and networking during a get-together.
For more information about the event, registration, and the research project, visit: www.feldschwarm.de
About the RUBIN Feldschwarm® Ecosystem Alliance
The Feldschwarm® Ecosystem Alliance brings together the research partners Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, TUD Dresden University of Technology with its Chairs of Agricultural Systems Technology and Industrial Design Engineering, and the University of Leipzig, Institute for Business Information Systems.
Industry partners include BITSz electronics GmbH, Eidam Landtechnik GmbH, Hydrive Engineering GmbH, Indikar Individual Karosseriebau GmbH, LACOS GmbH, and LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG.
Through the RUBIN (Regional Entrepreneurial Alliances for Innovation) funding program, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research supports strategic collaboration between companies, universities, and research institutions to transform regional innovation potential into marketable solutions.
For more information on the research project, visit: feldschwarm.de
Press Contact:
Thomas Damme
Managing Director, LACOS GmbH
info@feldschwarm-oekosystem.de
Technical contact at TUD:
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Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter
NameMr Dipl.-Ing. Martin Hengst
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