Institute of Automotive Engineering (ika)

The Institute of Automotive Engineering (ika) of RWTH Aachen University, under the management of Professor Lutz Eckstein, has been conducting intensive research in the relevant fields of automotive engineering for over 100 years. It is one of Europe's leading institutions in vehicle technology research and teaching with an increasing focus on overarching questions of mobility and human-technology interaction. In addition to its role as consortium leader, ika is responsible for the vehicle concept and prototype manufacturing of the driving platforms and the parcel station. Together with the in-house transportation designers, the exterior design of all three hut structures and platforms as well as the human-machine interfaces (HMI) are created at the ika. In iterative user studies, the current development status of the vehicle concepts and HMI are assessed by the research department Traffic Psychology & Acceptance and reincorporated directly into further development.

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Chair Individual and Technology (iTec)

The Chair Individual and Technology (iTec) researches topics of human-technology interaction and social robotics under the direction of Professor Astrid Rosenthal-von der Pütten. In the project, iTec investigates the (social) interaction between the micromobile and passers-by. In observational field studies and laboratory experiments, iTec will look at the people’s behavior in spontaneous encounters with the micromobile in a public space. Based on these findings, iTec will develop concepts for effective and comfortable passing situations and to avoid obstructive and aggressive behavior towards the micromobile, so-called "robot abuse".

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Innovationsmanufaktur GmbH

Innovationsmanufaktur GmbH is a creative innovation consultancy with profound expertise in its core topics of mobility, sports, and preventive health promotion. In the UrbANT project, Innovationsmanufaktur is responsible for analysing the market environment and innovation context system to increase the likelihood of future success. It also contributes to the design of use cases, analyses the technology rollout’s potential societal consequences, and develops recommendations how society can fully benefit from it. In all of this, Innovationsmanufaktur can rely on the know-how of the members of the micromobility innovation network MILE, which it had founded and is now managing.

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Institute for Management Cybernetics e.V. (IfU)

The Institute for Management Cybernetics e.V. (IfU) is a non-profit, independent, cross-industry and interdisciplinary research and development institute at RWTH Aachen University in the field of economic and social cybernetics and mobile robotics. The subfield of mobile robotics deals in particular with the autonomy and navigation of mobile robot systems and mobile manipulators in semi- and unstructured environments. These systems are applied and evaluated in application areas such as intralogistics, production, on construction sites, in the service sector (e.g. in geriatric care) and on streets and sidewalks. One area of research is adaptive and intelligent robot systems that are enabled to perform complex tasks (e.g. in assembly) using machine learning methods.

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Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt)

The Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) is a technical and scientific research institute responsible to the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). With its research results, BASt provides scientifically based decision-making support in technical and transport policy issues relating to roads. BASt accompanies the project from a legal, psychological and technical point of view: Together with the partners, BASt will develop traffic safety-related requirements for the micromobile and carry out functional and vehicle testing of the hardware in driving dynamics trials.

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German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research (DITF)

The German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf are Europe's largest textile research center and conduct basic and application-oriented research along the entire textile production chain. The fundamental task is always to find an optimum between reliable processing of high-quality fiber-based products and the highest possible productivity. Within the scope of the project, the DITF are responsible for the conception, development and production of a flexible and adaptable vehicle body structure. In addition, the DITF, in close cooperation with the Institute for Textile and Fiber Technologies (ITFT) of the University of Stuttgart, support the conception of the driving platform and the other superstructures with their extensive know-how regarding lightweight construction and production-related boundary conditions.

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easy2cool GmbH

Easy2cool GmbH is a company from Munich, specialising on individual and passive cooling solutions and offering entire cooling concepts for the protection of temperature-sensitive goods. The product range includes solutions for end consumers as well as cooling systems for transport and logistics. In line with the project, easy2cool GmbH concentrates on development, conception, production and validation of an automotive installation for food transportation. Easy2cool GmbH is involved in the research project by its expertise regarding construction and development of insulation boxes and corresponding selection and determination of appropriate cooling media.

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BE-Power GmbH

Equipped with know-how of battery cells made in Germany, BE-Power GmbH has been developing cutting-edge mobile power supplies based on lithium-ion technology at its facility site in Fernwald / Gießen for meanwhile 17 years.
To be at the top of the battery industry, the company frequently has to break new ground in the conception and manufacture of energy supply systems. In the field of e-mobility, BE-Power has already implemented power supply systems with large performance ranges and extremely demanding requirement profiles, which safely and reliably provide the specified performance in driving, swimming or even flying applications.
As part of the project, BE-Power is responsible for the design, construction and manufacture of the UrbANT power supply system.

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neomesh GmbH

Neomesh GmbH, based in Aachen, Germany, develops and operates web-based communication and coordination tools in its business unit CLAC Citylogistik. These tools are used to visualize and process urban logistics processes in a digital way from end to end. Here, the complete business process from placing a logistics operation to invoicing is already being visualized and completely automated. The digital back-end logistics system is provided by neomesh within the UrbANT project. This system is being further developed with regard to a free-floating rental system for micro-transportation vehicles and autonomous goods delivery by micromobility devices. Furthermore, neomesh contributes to the development of the front-ends (human-machine interfaces) for business and private users.

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Ford-Werke GmbH

Ford is working mainly on business models, which are developed on the basis of market analyses and prioritized application scenarios. These will be rated during the project with customers and users. Additionally Ford supports package development, HMI development, automation feature development, field test and technology transfer.

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