Hannover Messe 2025: Robotics Award Winner Redefines Robotic Autonomy

May 19, 2025

The robotics competition featured three cutting-edge projects that redefine intelligent automation and intuitive design.

Rehana Begg

Related To:

MARI

This year’s Hannover Messe Robotics Award was awarded to Maple Advanced Robotics Inc. (MARI).

The winning entry, MARI AARS, is an AI-driven robotics platform for fast and code-free programming. The project focused on robot-assisted automation and logistics and tackles one of the biggest challenges in high-mix production: the need for constant reprogramming and setup.

Autonomous Adaptable Robotics System

Based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, MARI is changing the way industry can leverage advanced software platforms for robotics and machine vision in the manufacturing environment. MARI AARS (autonomous adaptable robotics system) allows robots to operate autonomously, performing tasks like polishing, spraying, inspection and sorting—all without the need for programming. The winning solution focuses on flexible production and freeform surface processing and is able to offer tailored solutions for High-Mix, Low-Volume (HMLV) manufacturing.

At the core of the technology is an AI-driven robotics platform that facilitates rapid, no-code programming. This is supported by cutting-edge 3D scanning, automatic robot path generation and an intuitive graphical flowchart user interface—all of which remove the reliance on coding and CAD files in robot programming.

The MARI AARS platform incorporates functions that correct any deviations, thus helping to ensure a consistent level of quality. The robotics platform is touted for enabling productivity and reduces labor and quality costs.

The AARS project was backed by strategic investment of nearly $1.3 million and mentorship provided by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen).

Three Finalists Make the Cut

Three standout companies were selected from a pool of global entries. The runners up were Leverage Robotics GmbH (Munich, Germany) and Mantis Robotics BV (Leuven, Belgium).

The Leverage Robotics’s entry, RoboHive, is a robot programming system that combines an AI-driven user interface in natural language and a time-based visual drag-and-drop workflow for multi-robot applications. The user can describe tasks in general terms without specifying each individual step. The RoboHive system translates these tasks into detailed robot programs, speeding up the development of complex tasks. Additionally, RoboHive is designed with a time-based drag-and-drop interface that enables clear visualization of complex workflows. This result is a solution that increases agility and efficiency in production while reducing labor costs.

Mantis Robotics developed the world’s first high-speed industrial robot with intrinsic 3D spatial perception. The Mantis robot has physical intelligence and is able to plan its path seamlessly around people. It combines the advantages of fixed robot arms and collaborative robots. A code-free and digital twin setup means the industrial robot can be deployed within a few hours, comes in cheaper than comparable devices and is more productive than cobots.

Competition Returns After a Break

Hannover Messe brought back the robotics competition after a hiatus of several years. The three finalists’ projects were presented to an audience of about 100 international journalists on Feb. 19.

The competition is open to companies and institutions from around the world, regardless of whether they exhibit at the show. Solutions were judged according to their degree of technical innovation, as well as their readiness for market release and their economic viability, according to the organizers.

This year’s winner received a comprehensive package consisting of exhibition space in the Hannover Messe Application Park, a speaking slot in the Robotics Forum and an interview in the Robotics Podcast.

The lead theme at Hannover Messe this year is “Industrial Transformation.” More than 4,000 exhibiting companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical and digital industry as well as the energy sector will gather at the fairgrounds in Hannover, Germany.

The main exhibition areas in 2025 are Smart Manufacturing, Digital Ecosystems, Energy for Industry, Compressed Air & Vacuum Technology, Engineered Parts & Solutions, Future Hub, and International Trade & Investment. The show ran from March 31 to April 4. Canada was this year’s partner country.

About the Author

Rehana Begg | Editor-in-Chief, Machine Design

As Machine Design’s content lead, Rehana Begg is tasked with elevating the voice of the design and multi-disciplinary engineer in the face of digital transformation and engineering innovation. Begg has more than 24 years of editorial experience and has spent the past decade in the trenches of industrial manufacturing, focusing on new technologies, manufacturing innovation and business. Her B2B career has taken her from corporate boardrooms to plant floors and underground mining stopes, covering everything from automation & IIoT, robotics, mechanical design and additive manufacturing to plant operations, maintenance, reliability and continuous improvement. Begg holds an MBA, a Master of Journalism degree, and a BA (Hons.) in Political Science. She is committed to lifelong learning and feeds her passion for innovation in publishing, transparent science and clear communication by attending relevant conferences and seminars/workshops.

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