About Me

Hey, my name is Sven.

I work at the intersection of mobile robotics, warehousing, and standardization. My work spans from theoretical foundations with clear definitions and systematic taxonomies to practical interoperability through the Machine2X interfaces. By bringing scientific rigor and real-world industrial challenges together, I develop solutions that make mobile robot systems easier to understand, integrate, and operate. Currently, I am a research associate and PhD student at TU Dortmund University in Germany.

Education

• Master of Science (M.Sc.) - Industrial Engineering, TU Dortmund University , 2020-2021
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Industrial Engineering, TU Dortmund University , 2014-2020

Professional Experience

Research Associate - Chair of Material Handling and Warehousing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, TU Dortmund University
April 2022 - Present

• Research in material handling systems and warehouse automation
• Mobile robotics and AGV standardization (M2X)
• Web

Student Assistant - Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, Department of Intralogistics and IT Planning
December 2019 - March 2022

• Supported research projects in warehouse planning

Intern - HELLA (now FORVIA HELLA), SMD Production
September 2019 - November 2019

• Gained experience in surface-mount device manufacturing

Student Assistant - Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, Department of Intralogistics and IT Planning
March 2018 - August 2019

• Early research experience in warehouse and logistics systems

Intern SCHWING-Stetter March 2016 - April 2016

• Internship in assembly/disassembly, production of electrical components and construction/assembly/maintenance of electronic systems

Intern Bochumer Eisenhütte GmbH & Co KG September 2015 - October 2015

• Internship in maintenance and workshop (manual-machine production processes)

Awards & Recognition

• Best Speaker Award (2nd Place) - Mobile Robotics Summit 2025
  For presentation on “M2X Further standardization in the field of AGVs alongside VDA 5050”

• Top Cited Article in Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 2024 for The Self-Perception and Political Biases of ChatGPT, Certificate

• Deutschlandstipendium (German Scholarship) - TU Dortmund University, 2020/2021
  Funded by LANXESS AG

Publications

Links to publications and academic contributions:

• Google Scholar Profile
• ORCID Profile
• ResearchGate Profile

Datasets

• Sven Franke, Dennis Lünsch, & Constantin Enke. (2025). M2X-Project/m2x: M2X v0.2.1 (v0.2.1). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15805443

• Franke, S. (2024). Test Results: Can ChatGPT Solve Undergraduate Exams from Logistics Studies? An Investigation. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14412298

• Franke, S., Bommert, A., Brandt, M. J., Kuhlmann, J. L., Olivier, M.-C., Schorning, K., Roidl, M., Reining, C., & Kirchheim, A. (2024). Sensor-based Pallet Activity Recognition in Logistics (SPARL Version 2) - A multi-modal Dataset (Version 2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13318882

• Franke, S., Bommert, A., Brandt, M. J., Kuhlmann, J. L., Olivier, M.-C., Schorning, K., Roidl, M., Reining, C., & Kirchheim, A. (2024). Sensor-based Pallet Activity Recognition in Logistics (SPARL Version 1) - A multi-modal Dataset (Version 1) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11280959

• Jérôme Rutinowski, Sven Franke, & Jan Endendyk. (2023). ChatGPT chats for “The Self-Perception and Political Biases of ChatGPT”. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7849138

• Jérôme Rutinowski, Hazem Youssef, Sven Franke, Irfan Fachrudin Priyanta, Frederik Polachowski, Moritz Roidl, & Christopher Reining. (2023). TOMIE (Tracking Of Multiple Industrial Entities) Dataset [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7849183

Professional Magazine Articles

• Buchstabensuppe: FTF, AGV, AMR, MR … Zwischen Wissenschaft, Technik und Marketing: Was die einzelnen Abkürzungen unterscheidet (German Article) in Technische Logistik Special FTS / Mobile Robotik 2026 Page 28/29 German Summary from Jan Kaulfuhs-Berger, Full Article Paywall Sven Franke

• M2X – standardisierte Schnittstellen für mobile Roboter — FTS-/AMR-Facts: 39. Ausgabe, Page 36-37, Dezember 2025 (German) Sven Franke and Dennis Lünsch Article

• Standardisierte Schnittstellen für fahrerlose Transportsysteme in der Intralogistik in Ergänzung der VDA 5050 Richtlinie (German Article) in Werkstoffe in der Fertigung, Ausgabe 1, February 2025 Sven Franke and Christoph Pott

Projects

• M2X - Interface for communication between mobile robots and peripherals in industrial environments, 2024-03 - 2026-08 GitHub Repository Documentation

• Sensor-based logistical activity detection of (Euro) pallets - Pal2Rec, 2024-02 - 2024-10, partner Fraunhofer IML Further information

Invited Talks & Presentations

• Logistikwerkstatt Graz 2026, Graz Austria, Invited Poster: Forschung wird zum Standard M2X – Eine einheitliche Kommunikation in der mobilen Robotik

• Mobile Robotics Summit 2025, Düsseldorf: M2X Weiterführende Standardisierungen im Umfeld von FTS neben der VDA 5050

  • Watch the Keynote

• North Carolina State University Computer Vision in Warehousing – An Introduction. Operations Research Graduate Seminar & Cyber Physical Systems Workshop, with Jérôme Rutinowski, September 2025, Raleigh, USA

• VDI-Flurförderzeugtagung (23.) 2025, Mainz: M2X Schnittstelle für die Kommunikation zwischen mobilen Robotern und Industrieumgebungen – Zusammenspiel zwischen Industrie und Wissenschaft

  • Program

• Materialflusskongress (32.) 2025, München: M2X Eine Open Source Schnittstelle für die mobile Robotik

• First German Robotics Conference 2025, Robotics Institue Germany, Nürnberg: Shaping the Future of Mobile Robotics Together with Industry An Approach of Standardizing Interfaces (accepted Poster)

• Graduate School of Logistics, Invited Presentation at PhD Winter School, December 2024, Trustworthiness of ChatGPT with Ina Dormuth

• ERASMUS+ Visiting Scholar, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary, October 2022

Other Activities

• Projectlead of Machine2X (M2X)

• Member of VDA 5050 Core Group

• Member of VDMA Intralogistics2X (I2X) Group

• Invited Reviewer at 31st IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA) 2026 for Special Session 2 Cyber-Physical Integration and Orchestration of Autonomous Transport and Intralogistics Systems in Factory Automation and Special Session 8 Emerging Intelligent Technologies for Automated Logistics Systems: Agents, Perception, and Planning in Practice

• Member of the Doctoral Committee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, 10/2023 - 10/2026

• Member of Appeals Commission for Professorships, TU Dortmund University, 2026

• Certified First Aid Responder

• Laser Safety Advisor

• Operator for Lifting Platforms

Supervised Theses (Bachelor’s, Master’s or Project Theses)

• Evaluation of Humanoid Robots in Warehousing: A Criteria-Based Comparison with Human Labor and Existing Automation Technologies, 2026, Bachelor

• Systematic Evaluation of the Use of Driverless Transport Systems in Hybrid Production and Warehouse Environments - Development and Validation of an Application-Oriented Decision-Making Framework, 2026, Master

• Development and Validation of a Decision-Support Tool for Evaluating and Selecting Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in Warehouse Logistics – A Case Study at LFP Logistics for Filling and Packaging GmbH, 2026, Master

• Development of a Handling Concept for the Automated Unloading of Containers in the CEP Industry, 2026, Master

• Feasibility Study of Driverless Transport Systems – Development of an Evaluation Model for Warehousing Material Flows, 2026, Master

• Analysis and Evaluation of Changes in Logistics Systems Resulting from the Use of Mobile Robots, 2026, Master

• Logistics Chatbot (LLM), 2025, Master

• Development and Simulation of a Scalable OpenTCS Environment in Unity, 2025, Bachelor

• Game Studies Culture, 2025, Project

• Educational Game Development in Logistics: A Board Game for Teaching Logistics Concepts and Effects, 2025, Master

• Terminology and Definitions for Driverless Transport Vehicles and Systems - A Systematic Literature Review, 2025, Master

• Mobile Robots - Where Are We Now? A National and International Market and Product Analysis, 2025, Bachelor

• Evaluation of the Use of AI Tools to Improve the Efficiency of Logistics Planning in a Medium-Sized Company, 2025, Master

• Game-Based Learning: Design and Development of a Video Game for Higher Education to Teach Logistical Principles, 2024, Master

• Adapting Traditional Teaching Methods to Modern University Requirements: Using the Lecture Material Flow Systems II as an Example, 2024, Master

• Map of University Serious Gaming Programs in Germany, 2024, Project

• Terminology and Definitions for Driverless Transport Vehicles and Systems, 2024, Bachelor

• Concept for Motion Classification of the Smart Pallet, 2024, Bachelor

• VDA 5050 - An Analysis and Classification (1), 2023, Bachelor

• VDA 5050 - An Analysis and Classification (2), 2023, Bachelor

• Business Process Modeling in the Context of Management Consulting: A Literature-Based Comparison of Existing Standards and Derivation of Recommendations for Implementation at MotionMiners GmbH, 2023, Bachelor

• Systematic Literature Review on Activity Detection in the Context of Logistics Objects, 2023, Bachelor

• Representation of Logistics Principles and Supply Chains in Video Games, 2023, Bachelor

• Market Research on Inertial Sensors for a Smart Pallet, 2023, Project

• Gamification of Logistics Principles – Development of a Digital Logistics Game for Use in University Teaching, 2023, Master

• Optimizing Storage Space Allocation – Applications of ABC Zoning Using the Example of a Multi-Story Shelving System, 2022, Master

• Comparison of Time-Management Methods for Process Analysis of Material Provision in Electronics Manufacturing as a Success Factor in Balancing the Logistical Workload, 2022, Bachelor

• Assessment and Analysis of Potential Markets for Cyber-Physical Production Systems and Presentation of a Possible Integration Strategy, 2022, Bachelor

• Analysis of the Human Perspective in Time Management Methods, 2022, Bachelor

Contact

Feel free to reach out through LinkedIn or via the links above or contact me via mail at sven.franke@tu-dortmund.de.