Urban robotics test field: Set-up phase starts in Karlsruhe, FZI invites you to help shape it

Delivery robots on the sidewalk, cleaning robots in the park, autonomous systems that inspect urban infrastructure: what sounded like science fiction just a few years ago is now being specifically developed as a field of innovation in Baden-Württemberg. Work has begun on the Urban Robotics Test Field in Karlsruhe, initially on a conceptual level. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism is funding the development phase at the FZI Research Center for Information Technology with around one million euros until mid-2027. The aim is to create a practical test environment for robotics in urban areas, including infrastructure and exemplary applications, which will accelerate the transfer from research to marketable solutions.

Networking starts now!

No finished test area has yet been created in the city. Funding is initially being provided to set up a company-based transfer platform. A conceptually prepared, open test area in an inner-city space will then enable robotic systems to be tested and further developed under realistic conditions. The aim is to offer SMEs in particular a low-threshold entry into urban robotics applications and to shorten innovation cycles.

Work on the conception of the test field also marks the start of the essential part: networking. The FZI Research Center for Information Technology expressly invites companies, municipalities and research institutions to contribute their needs and suggestions. A first public exchange will take place on February 26, 2026 as part of the FZI Open House in Karlsruhe. Stakeholders throughout Germany will then be invited to come together for a workshop in the second quarter.

Why Karlsruhe, why now?

Urban robotics is considered a future field with high potential for innovation and value creation. Service robots can provide transportation and assistance services, support micro-logistics, maintain green spaces or carry out inspections in sensitive areas. In the future, such applications should close gaps in supply and enable new business models.

In Karlsruhe, several factors come together that are crucial for urban robotics: a strong research landscape, an active innovation ecosystem and the willingness to test new technologies not only in the laboratory but also in real space. This is precisely where the test field comes in. The state government has formulated the aim of bringing excellent research into practice more quickly and thus strengthening Baden-Württemberg as a business location. The official announcement states that the test field is intended to accelerate the “transfer of excellent research into marketable solutions”.

A look at the state’s robotics strategy shows why this topic is picking up speed right now. The position paper “Intelligent robotics of the future” describes Baden-Württemberg as a leading region for robotics with a high proportion of robotics manufacturers in Germany and a growing service robotics landscape. The vision is for Baden-Württemberg to become the leading innovation region for intelligent human-robotic systems by 2035. The test field is being developed as a company-oriented transfer platform in the “AI-based robotics Baden-Württemberg” innovation ecosystem.

Which robotics applications are in focus?

The types of robots currently available to the public deliberately remain at the level of fields of application. These include, among others:

• Transportation and assistance services in public spaces, for example to make everyday tasks easier.
• (Micro-)logistics, i.e. new forms of “last meters” in urban supply.
• Maintenance and cleaning robots that look after urban green spaces and support maintenance.
• Autonomous monitoring systems for inspections and security, for example in underpasses and parks.

However, no specific robot models or manufacturers are mentioned.

It is worth taking a look at existing municipal pilot projects in Baden-Württemberg, even if they are not part of the Karlsruhe test field. Mannheim, for example, tested an autonomous cleaning robot for public green spaces in 2025, including AI-supported detection of small items of waste, sensor technology for obstacle detection and integration of the data into an urban data platform for hotspot analysis. Such examples show how urban robotics in practice can often be understood as a mixture of robotics, data evaluation and municipal processes.

Testing under real conditions – with clear framework conditions

The use of robotic systems in urban areas places high demands on flexibility, autonomy and robustness. At the same time, regulatory issues, safety requirements and social acceptance must be considered from the outset.

Robots in urban spaces are not just technology, they are public infrastructure on wheels or legs. Accordingly, the state clearly states that urban robotics raises questions about regulatory frameworks and social acceptance that have not been sufficiently addressed to date.

Several facets are legally relevant here:

• Data protection: When systems record environments, for example via cameras, personal data processing can occur. The European Data Protection Board provides guidelines on video processing within the meaning of the GDPR. Systematic surveillance of publicly accessible areas may require a data protection impact assessment.
• Product safety and machinery law: Robotics typically fall into product and machinery conformity logics. The EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 will be binding from 20.01.2027, which will be relevant for manufacturers and operators when systems are placed on the market or put into operation.
• Cybersecurity: networked robotics is also an IT product. The BSI classifies the Cyber Resilience Act as an EU-wide minimum framework for the cybersecurity of networked products.

What advantages could urban robots bring in the medium term?

Robots could support everyday activities, make new service offerings possible and help where staff are in short supply. The state’s position paper explicitly links service robotics with demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers.

The potential leverage is particularly visible for urban logistics: micro-logistics can make supply chains more fragmented, more local and possibly lower in emissions, but also shifts conflicts into the public space – for example regarding the use of sidewalks, accessibility and priorities between pedestrian traffic, bicycle traffic and robotics. It is precisely these conflicting goals that can be systematically investigated with an inner-city test field.

How can Karlsruhe companies and citizens dock on?

The FZI expressly invites you to contribute your needs and suggestions. At the same time, networking will visibly start with a first publicly announced specialist format: On February 26, 2026, the “Urban Robotics Forum” will take place as part of the FZI Open House in Karlsruhe.

Cover photo: FZI Research Center for Information Technology