The integration of indoor flying robots as part of a smart factory grid poses numerous challenges, mainly of a technical but also social nature. Safety is crucial, as the autonomous systems interact closely with humans and hazards such as collisions must be prevented at all costs. Employee acceptance is also important in order to seamlessly integrate the new technologies into everyday working life. The systems must also be robust enough to react flexibly to changing production conditions and unpredictable human behavior. The flying robots must therefore be resilient and able to assess their environment in real time to ensure safe operation. However, aspects such as efficiency (limited battery life), collaboration between drones and transportation mechanisms also play a role.

Innovative research approaches are being pursued to overcome these challenges. Path planning plays a central role in safety, but also in the general use of indoor flying robots to make material flows more flexible. This is based on Marcel Huptych's curve-shortening flow method (https://doi.org/10.1177/1729881420968687), which was also developed at VAL. For the interaction between humans and flying robots, approaches based on the use of augmented reality (AR) are being developed. This technology enables employees to visually display which actions the flying robots will perform next and makes it possible to mark “no-fly” and “no-go zones” in order to ensure safety and acceptance. As a further approach, concepts are being investigated that enable the simultaneous exchange of battery and transport charge or tool.