Driving globalization: the rise of logistics in Europe 1950 - 2000

The rise of logistics is explained by three factors. The first factor is an economic one: The development of a mass consumption society. In European countries, one can observe mass motorization and a gradual expansion of the motorway networks between 1960 and 1990. These networks facilitated truck transport, leading to the development of cheap transport, warehousing and distribution of consumer goods. This development is part of a mass consumption society, i.e. logistics enable the development of mass consumption societies. Another driver towards transportation and logistics was the European traffic policy. In the 1950s, it enabled trucks to cross borders with full loads and to transit certain countries. Prior to 1980, the quotas for international truck traffic were regulated by bilateral agreements. But these quotas remained small. In the 1980s and 1990s, the European Union pursued a policy toward attaining a uniform market in the European Union. This pertained to the exchange of goods and for truck transportation services. The third factor refers to innovations in the parcel industry. In the 1990s, logistics and transportation changed fundamentally. We can almost speak of a logistics revolution caused by a cooccurrence of various developments, much like the liberalization of the transport and telecommunications industries, the proliferation of internet technologies, the unification of Europe and the dissipation of communism, leading to a new orientation of logistics in the European market

Simox: A Simulation and Motion Planning Toolbox for C++. Version 1.1

Simox is a lightweight platform independent C++ toolbox, containing three libraries for 3D simulation of robot systems, sampling based motion planning and grasp planning

Diffractive optical elements in glass

Diffractive optical elements (DOE) in glass are achieved by the means of the thermal ion exchange in a substrate glass. We report about the technical advantages and limitations for the design of DOEs in respect of this new technology. Α first application has been worked out for a Nd:YAG laser cutting Station. The DOE in glass Is a 1%-beam-splitter for the power monitoring of the laser. Together with a CCD camera an on-line beam analysis has been realized

Bewegungsplanung und sensorgestützte Ausführung für das Greifen auf humanoiden Robotern

Zielsetzung dieser Arbeit ist die Untersuchung, Entwicklung und Realisierung von Algorithmen zur Planung und Ausführung von Greif- und Manipulationsaufgaben auf humanoiden Robotern. Die hierzu entwickelten Methoden ermöglichen die Planung kollisionsfreier Bewegungen für ein- und zweiarmige Aufgabenstellungen sowie deren sensorgestützte Ausführung