On occasion of the Schwörmontag the mayor of Ulm Ivo Gönner (on the left) presented Professor Dr. Christian Schlegel, dean of the Department of Computer Science at Ulm University of Applied Sciences and spokesman of the Center for Applied Research on Service Robotics, with the Science Award donated by the city of Ulm. Schlegel received the award for his research in the area of service robotics.

The performance of a service robot does not only depend on the available algorithms, but mainly on the assimilation of all the components required. Therefore there is a greater focus on the development of highly complex software that allows reactions in real time and reactions under certain restrictions. For quite a long time Christian Schlegel has been working intensively in the area of model-driven software and system development. With the help of an abstraction-based model it is possible to define and verify units with very different characteristics. This method is leading the way, it is for example possible to create new applications - even for software intense systems - from ready-made components with guaranteed characteristics, instead of having to develop a system from scratch each time. According to Schlegel, who had been a driving force behind this area of research on an international basis, this is a very important step, if service robotics is supposed to become commonplace and marketable.

Since 1971 the city of Ulm has presented the science award every second year, and currently it is endowed with 15,000 euros. The sum has been divided equally between Professor Dr. Christian Schlegel, Ulm University of Applied Sciences, and two scientists of the University of Ulm.