{"id":37257,"date":"2026-05-28T07:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T07:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kit-gruenderschmiede.de\/?post_type=case-study&#038;p=37257"},"modified":"2026-05-28T12:00:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T12:00:56","slug":"formic-transportsysteme","status":"publish","type":"case-study","link":"https:\/\/kit-gruenderschmiede.de\/en\/case-study\/formic-transportsysteme\/","title":{"rendered":"FORMIC Transportsysteme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><section class=\"o-two-column-text\">\n  <div class=\"container-lg\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n      <div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1\">\n        \n<div class=\"m-text-w-label \">\n      <p class=\"p-label p-label--md m-text-w-label__label js-animate a-animate--fade-in a-animate--delay-03\">FORMIC Transportsysteme GmbH<\/p>\n  \n            <h2 class=\"m-text-w-label__heading js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-05\">The idea<\/h2>\n      \n  \n  <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n                      <div class=\"col-lg-6 col-xl-5 offset-xl-1 js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-1-6\">\n              <p>FORMIC develops modular transport systems that safely lift and move loads weighing several tonnes and of bulky dimensions. The system, inspired by ants, operates as a swarm and is controlled by a single person via remote control.<br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\nIn industry, moving machinery and heavy loads often involves a great deal of physical effort and improvisation. FORMIC solves this problem through swarm intelligence: several small, flat transport modules are remotely guided to the load and lift it together. The vehicles determine their exact position and orientation relative to one another and move the machine with millimetre precision.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n                                <div class=\"col-lg-5 offset-lg-1 col-xl-4 offset-xl-1 js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-2\">\n              <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kit-gruenderschmiede.de\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260316-AB-01-029_lite-700x700.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"o-two-column-text__image\" \/>\n            <\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"o-challenges\">\n  <div class=\"container-lg\">\n    <div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n      <div class=\"col-lg-4\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kit-gruenderschmiede.de\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20250805-AB-01-002_light-700x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"o-challenges__image js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-03\" \/>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"col-lg-7 col-xxl-6 col-xxxl-5 offset-lg-1\">\n        <div class=\"o-challenges__list\">\n          <div class=\"o-challenges__label\">\n            <p class=\"p-label\">Facts<\/p>\n          <\/div>\n          <div class=\"o-challenges__items\">\n                          <div class=\"o-challenges__item js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-04\">\n                <h3><span>01<\/span> FUNDING: exist, Junge Innovatoren and Helmholtz Spin-off<\/h3>\n              <\/div>\n                          <div class=\"o-challenges__item js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-05\">\n                <h3><span>02<\/span> SYSTEM PAYLOAD: Up to 75 tonnes maximum system payload thanks to the high-performance FORMIC B50 vehicles<\/h3>\n              <\/div>\n                          <div class=\"o-challenges__item js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-06\">\n                <h3><span>03<\/span> EFFICIENCY: Just one person is needed to control the entire transport system for the heaviest loads<\/h3>\n              <\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"o-two-column-text\">\n  <div class=\"container-lg\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n      <div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1\">\n        \n<div class=\"m-text-w-label \">\n      <p class=\"p-label p-label--md m-text-w-label__label js-animate a-animate--fade-in a-animate--delay-03\">USP<\/p>\n  \n            <h2 class=\"m-text-w-label__heading js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-05\">WHAT MAKES FORMIC SO UNIQUE?<\/h2>\n      \n  \n  <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n                      <div class=\"col-lg-6 col-xl-5 offset-xl-1 js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-1-6\">\n              <p>The system can manoeuvre in the tightest of spaces, is highly flexible and scalable. The individual vehicles can be arranged freely to handle different loads and can move up to 75 tonnes (FORMIC B50). Another key USP is the company\u2019s proprietary sensors, which detect critical situations and trigger an immediate emergency stop.<br \/>\r\n<br \/>\r\nThe product portfolio has been successfully expanded to cover various weight classes, including the current FORMIC C35 and FORMIC B50 models, which are in continuous use by customers.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n                                <div class=\"col-lg-5 offset-lg-1 col-xl-4 offset-xl-1 js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-2\">\n              <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kit-gruenderschmiede.de\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260316-AB-01-020_lite-700x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"o-two-column-text__image\" \/>\n            <\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section id=\"\" class=\"o-text-w-side-image o-text-w-side-image--w-bg o-text-w-side-image--reverse o-text-w-side-image__overflow-top\">\n  <div class=\"container-lg\">\n    <div class=\"row o-text-w-side-image__row\">\n      <div class=\"col-sm-6 col-lg-5 offset-lg-1\">\n        \n<div class=\"m-text-w-label \">\n      <p class=\"p-label p-label--md m-text-w-label__label js-animate a-animate--fade-in a-animate--delay-03\">The story of how it all began<\/p>\n  \n            <h2 class=\"m-text-w-label__heading js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-05\">The foundations were laid at KIT.<\/h2>\n      \n      <div class=\"m-text-w-label__text js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-07\"><p>The foundations were laid at KIT, where Dr. Benedikt Klee and Dr. Maximilian Hochstein conducted research at the wbk Institute for Production Engineering and the IFL Institute for Conveyor Technology and Logistics Systems. The idea behind <a href=\"https:\/\/formic-transportsystem.com\/\">FORMIC<\/a> quickly met with a great response and was awarded Helmholtz funding for the 14-month spin-off phase. The spin-off was also supported by the EXIST start-up grant and the Young Innovators Programme, and received strategic guidance from the KIT Start-up Incubator. Furthermore, the team was recognised as a Helmholtz spin-off.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This close and successful collaboration is still evident today in joint public appearances: FORMIC\u2019s impressive transport robots have already been in live use twice at the <a href=\"https:\/\/innovators-homecoming.de\/\">KIT Innovators Homecoming<\/a> and proved to be an absolute hit with the audience on both occasions. In a joint ZIM research project, FORMIC is currently working with the IFL Institute for Conveyor Technology and Logistics Systems on automated formation driving.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The people of Karlsruhe have also had the chance to experience first-hand how the swarm behaves in reality: the FORMIC system has already been deployed several times to transport the spectacular wooden pavilion \u201cKomorebi\u201d on Kronenplatz. There, the vehicles impressively demonstrated how loads weighing several tonnes can be moved even in urban areas and on uneven ground.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n  \n  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"col-sm-6 col-lg-6 a-animate--fade-in-left js-animate a-animate--delay-1\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"o-text-w-side-image__image\" src=\"https:\/\/kit-gruenderschmiede.de\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260316-AB-01-029_lite-1400x1700.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section id=\"\" class=\"o-service o-service--oveflow-top \">\n  <div class=\"container-lg\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n      <div class=\"col-lg-5\">\n        <div class=\"o-service__overview\">\n          <span class=\"o-service__number js-animate a-animate--fade-in a-animate--delay-03\">0<\/span>\n          <h2 class=\"o-service__heading js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-06\">The biggest challenges in the startup process<\/h2>\n          <div class=\"o-service__text js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-09\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"col-lg-6 offset-lg-1\">\n        <div class=\"row\">\n                      <div class=\"col-md-6\">\n              <div class=\"m-card-w-cta js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-06\">\n  <div>\n          <span class=\"m-card-w-cta__label p-label\">01<\/span>\n              <h4 class=\"m-card-w-cta__heading\">Supply chain crises<\/h4>\n              <p class=\"m-card-w-cta__text\">In part, long delivery times and rising component prices due to global events such as the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                      <div class=\"col-md-6\">\n              <div class=\"m-card-w-cta js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-07\">\n  <div>\n          <span class=\"m-card-w-cta__label p-label\">02<\/span>\n              <h4 class=\"m-card-w-cta__heading\">Complex Hardware<\/h4>\n              <p class=\"m-card-w-cta__text\">\u2018Fail fast\u2019 is difficult when developing complex physical machines; mistakes are costly.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                      <div class=\"col-md-6\">\n              <div class=\"m-card-w-cta js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-08\">\n  <div>\n          <span class=\"m-card-w-cta__label p-label\">03<\/span>\n              <h4 class=\"m-card-w-cta__heading\">Product safety<\/h4>\n              <p class=\"m-card-w-cta__text\">Ensuring high safety standards when transporting loads weighing several tonnes.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"o-hero-text\">\n  <div class=\"container-lg\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n      <div class=\"col-md-10 offset-md-1\">\n        \n<div class=\"m-text-w-label m-text-w-label--center m-text-w-label--large \">\n      <p class=\"p-label p-label--md m-text-w-label__label js-animate a-animate--fade-in a-animate--delay-03\">Dr.-Ing. Maximilian Hochstein<\/p>\n  \n            <h1 class=\"m-text-w-label__heading js-animate a-animate--fade-in-up a-animate--delay-05\">\u2018One challenge follows another. And even though it can be difficult and exhausting at times, setting up our own start-up has never been boring.\u2019<\/h1>\n      \n  \n  <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-37257","case-study","type-case-study","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>FORMIC Transportsysteme<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"FORMIC Transportsysteme\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kit-gruenderschmiede.de\/en\/case-study\/formic-transportsysteme\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FORMIC Transportsysteme\" \/>\n<meta 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