ICM at Hannover Messe 2025: Future Technologies for Circular Economy and Sustainable Mobility
- Presse
The InnovationCampus Future Mobility (ICM) is a research platform of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Stuttgart. The vision is sustainable and emission-free mobility for the future – from product development to recycling. At Hannover Messe, the ICM will present strategies for the circular economy of electronic components and a miniature vehicle for validating new mobility concepts.
AI-Based Inspection Strategies for Sustainable Electronics Production
Technological advancements are increasingly digitizing and simplifying our daily lives, enhancing prosperity but also leading to a drastic rise in electronic waste. Each year, around 50 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide, a significant portion of this could be avoided through targeted repair and reuse strategies. However, the reuse of electronic devices often fails due to inefficient and costly inspection processes.
The ICM junior research group "Sustainable Electronics", led by Dr. Florian Stamer at the wbk Institute of Production Science at KIT, has developed an AI-based inspection strategy to optimize the reuse of printed circuit boards (PCB). In collaboration with the startup Desoltik and supported by the ICM, a process was developed that combines optical, electrical, thermographic, and X-ray based technologies. The artificial intelligence collects and analyzes inspection data in real time and adaptively determines the required inspection depth as well as the optimal test procedures for specific assemblies. After each inspection sequence, a data-driven evaluation of the measured values is performed, after which the inspection strategy is dynamically adjusted. Once a sufficient data basis is available, the system derives the optimal "R-strategy" – based on the principles of the circular economy such as repair (Repair), reuse (Reuse), or recycling (Recycle).
A key aspect is the transfer from research to practice: The inspection method is a scalable solution for the circular economy and can be applied in both single-unit and series production. Recycling and remanufacturing companies in the electronics sector, as well as electronics manufacturers, benefit from this technology as it enables the efficient repair of used products and production scrap.
To industrialize the process, the team is collaborating with Schneider Electric, a globally operating company with extensive experience in sustainable manufacturing. The French corporation has received multiple "Sustainability Lighthouse" awards from the World Economic Forum for its factories. The robotics and automation solutions developed and used by Schneider Electric in its own production are now also being applied in this system.
Mini-eVee: A Test Platform for Future Vehicle Concepts
ICM presents an vivid highlight with the "Mini-eVee" – a 1:4 scale miniature vehicle serving as a test platform for new mobility concepts. Thanks to the extensive use of 3D printing technologies, new ideas can be tested in early development stages.
Mini-eVee incorporates a range of advanced technologies:
Carbon fiber-reinforced structure using Towpreg technology
All-wheel drive with four in-wheel motors and torque vectoring
Independent all-wheel steering for maximum agility
Integrated push-rod mechanism for optimized stability
Next-generation E/E architecture with a web-based interface for intelligent vehicle control and connected communication (V2X)
This versatile prototype enables the testing of new control and propulsion concepts in a realistic environment before scaling them to full-size vehicle models.
Key Data
Hannover Messe (March 31 to April 3, 2025)
InnovationCampus Future Mobility at the joint Baden-Württemberg stand “"THE LÄND"
