The Fieldlab SAM|XL focusses on smartly automating and robotizing processes for and with the manufacturing industry. More specifically the lab focusses on highly specialized and custom manufacturing process for large-size aerospace components that are produced in low-volumes with many variations. The lab is uniquely equipped with robots with open data interfaces. The ability to send and receive data with their environment opens up the possibility to augment these robots with Ai.
Developing Ai is not a goal in itself but a means to an end namely having smarter manufacturing processes. SAM|XL supports the research activities of the various faculties (e.g. aimed at developing Ai) and onsite innovation projects with industry partners (e.g. aimed at implementing Ai). Projects demonstrate what is possible by combining state-of-the-art knowledge in Ai, material science, mechatronics, robotics and engineering. The lab aims to inspire and educate the next generation of multidisciplinary manufacturing and robotic engineers. 

In order to directly respond to the external input from an Ai, manufacturing robots need to operate more autonomously: the human robot programmer has to be taken out of the loop. SAM|XL is developing prototype software that enables manufacturing robot the make, join and inspect products with increasingly less manual input. Each advancement is demonstrated ‘live’ at the Fieldlab. Currently SAM|XL is working on automated assembly of the aircraft fuselage of the future and a repair process for aircraft parts in which a 3D camera scans the part surface, areas that need repair are highlighted and the robot autonomously plans it path to grind or polish the identified areas. SAM|XL is open for welcoming more use cases from both science and industry.