Smart Mechatronics and Robotics
Saxion Smart Mechatronics and Robotics focuses on the development of robotic and mechatronic technologies meanwhile examining the effectiveness of the associated systems engineering design methodology.
Our group focuses on mission-driven (SDGs 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 16) and application-oriented collaborative research in the fields of Mechatronics, Robotics and Artificial intelligence. We use the latest scientific insights and state-of-the-art technologies to develop innovative solutions for urgent societal challenges using systems engineering approaches. We valorise our new practical knowledge via education (talent development) and entrepreneurship (new product or service via existing partner or new spin-off or spinouts).
Our expertise
Unmanned Robotic Systems
This integration research line focuses on the development of new generation of intelligent unmanned (aerial, ground, surface and underwater) robots that can autonomously or collaboratively explore unstructured environments for data collection or target manipulation.
Smart Industrial Systems
In this research line we develop and integrate real-time robotics, vision and automated mechatronic systems to create innovative automated and collaborative solutions for Smart Industry.
Sensing & Perception
This research line is engaged in getting measurements from various sensors and extracting required robotic information (state and physical properties of robot, surrounding environment or target) from the acquired data.
Our focus
In order to maximize the societal impact of our activities, we conduct mission-driven research. The missions are coupled with the application areas that our research activities primarily focus on and they directly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations.
Sensing & Perception
Sensing and perception are very dominant technologies to enable autonomous applications. We mainly focus on developing skills in different industrial domains such as navigation, inspection, controlling, detection and decision making. The strategic goal is to enrich knowledge on the latest and most sophisticated sensors with relevant integration processes such as calibration, synchronization and interfacing to create practical and scientific experiences to interpret and analyze the sensory data using computer vision, signal processing and machine learning technologies. We aim then to robustify the automation and execution processes by fusing different interpretation outcomes to maintain redundancy and modality of autonomous systems.
Cognition & AI
We focus on the implementation of available AI algorithms in dynamic simulation, 3d vision, and data-driven reinforcement learning to do cognitive tasks in robotics. We use the state-of-the-art machine learning, deep learning, and reinforcement learning methods to optimize, improve and robustify the perceptions, manipulation, and physical interaction abilities in our robotic technologies.
Control & Manipulation
We focus on developing intrinsically safe interaction controllers, constrained path planning, and target manipulation for interactive tasks in dynamic and unstructured environments. We develop energy efficient, fault tolerant and high performance controllers that exploit the dynamic properties of the robotic systems and their working environments to provide a safe interaction between robots and humans in real-world scenarios.
Unmanned Robotic Systems
We focus in this stream on the full autonomous navigation and interaction of robots including localization, mapping, path planning, self-awareness and reinforcement learning. We ultimately aim to master and utilize these techniques for implementing reliable platforms and frameworks for enabling collaboration between robots to achieve different tasks regardless of environmental, weather and operational conditions. Strategically, we achieve this demand by accumulating knowledge to build various modules that smoothly and gradually developed through aligning projects with the regional companies using different robotics platforms, drones, wheeled robots, robodogs and autonomous vehicles.
Smart Industrial Robots
We study how robotization and flexible production systems together with robots can increase human efficiency in the machine building and smart manufacturing industry. We focus on cobots, collaborative robots, communication and IoT to integrate different robot hardware and software technologies to achieve flexibility in the manufacturing process.
To stay ahead with innovative control solutions, we work together with the research group Smart Mechatronics and Robotics. RIWO employees enjoy working together with inspiring researchers and it is very satisfying to share knowledge.
News on the lectorate
Want to collaborate?
Do you want to initiate new (or improve existing) products, services or processes using robotic, mechatronics and artificial intelligence technologies with the latest scientific insights? Are you interested in the co-development and sharing of new practical knowledge? Do you want to generate new concepts and conduct feasibility studies? Or do you want to equip your professionals with the latest practical knowledge through on-the-job trainings? If your answer is yes, you have come to the right place! Please contact one of our team members.
We can formulate complementary and aligned roadmaps for long-term collaboration with our public and private partners. We conduct multiple joint projects based on the shared roadmap. The research projects will be financed by public and private funds.
Based on practical challenges from our partners, we conduct demand-driven applied research, ranging from small feasibility studies to large full-fledged research (TRL7). The projects have to be aligned with our own roadmap and must offer challenging learning environments that stimulate research and development of innovative solutions, using state-of-the-art technologies. The form of collaboration ranges between contractual research (fully funded by partners) to open collaboration (partly financed by partners in the form of in-kind and in-cash and partly financed by third parties).
We offer specialized training to professionals to help update their practical knowledge and skills on the job. We also equip future professionals with state-of-the-art practical knowledge and skills to meet the demands of our industrial partners, by involving students in practical use-cases of our partners. As such, they can seamlessly integrate and be productive when they join the professional fields after successful completion of their studies.
We are your reliable partner in sustainable innovation enabled by smart mechatronics and robotics. Don't hesitate to contact us.
Our partners
Staff
dr. ir. Abeje Mersha
Professor Smart Mechatronics and Robotics
dr. ir. Mohammad Aldibaja
Associate Professor SMART Mechatronics and Robotics
dr. Esmaeil Najafi
Associate Professor SMART Mechatronics and Robotics
dr. ir. Gerdine Meijer
Teamleader
Dennis Borger
Senior Researcher
dr. ir. Henk Kortier
Senior Researcher
ir. Joris Kampman
Senior System Engineer and Researcher
Mark Reiling
Senior Researcher
Aleksandrs Izmailovs
Researcher
dr. ir. Ard Westerveld
Researcher
Amin Zaami
Project manager
Ayham Alharbat, MSc
Researcher/lecturer
ir. Benjamin van Manen
Researcher/lecturer
Chandan Kumar Rajendra, MSc
Researcher
Clint Scholten
Project manager
Dion Zwakenberg
Researcher
Finn Harmsen
Junior Researcher
Gerjen ter Maat, MSc
Researcher
ing. Geertjan Middelkamp
Researcher
Hanieh Esmaeeli, MSc
Researcher
Henri Huisman
Project Manager
Seyed Hojat Mirtajadini
Researcher
ir. Joris Spikker
Researcher
ir. Kees van Teeffelen
Researcher
Kousheek Chakraborty
Researcher
Lex Mulder, MSc
Researcher
Lorena Mejia Rodriguez
Project Manager
Maaike Hillerström, MSc
Project manager
Marharyta Balabaieva
Project support
ir. Matthijs van der Meulen
Researcher
Mera Grutterink
Project Support
Mihnea Bastea
Researcher
Nils Rublein, MSc
Researcher
Peter Ebben, MSc
Researcher/lecturer
Rahul MR
Researcher
René Meijering
Researcher
Roy Smit
Lab Technician
Stephan Jaspar
Researcher
Theo Syriopoulos
Researcher
dr. ir. Theo de Vries
Researcher
Thijs Hof
Researcher
Verena van Oosten
Management Assistant
ing. Victor Sluiter
Researcher
Willem van Rossum
Researcher
Collaboration lectorate, work field and education
Our goal is to form a bridge between real industry cases and the learning environment of Saxion. Students work in actual projects from the professional field, are coached by our experts and use our state-of-the-art lab facilities to become the research engineers of today and the future.
Related programmes
The research group is involved with the following education programmes:
Find out more about your opportunities as a student
Read moreSmart Mechatronics and Robotics in the media
- 28 May 2024 - Infrasite: Netbeheerder maakt robothond die gaslekken kan opsporen
- 22 May 2024 - NOS Journaal: Robothond om gaslekken op te sporen (vanaf 7:22).
- 22 May 2024 - RTV Oost: Robothond gaat helpen bij het opsporen van gaslekken: "Lass-E heeft een gevoelige neus
- 22 May 2024 - Telegraaf: Uniek: robothond checkt alle gasleidingen op lekkage, straks ook bij u in de voortuin
- 21 May 2024 - Nu.nl: Netbeheerder Alliander maakt robothond die gaslekken opspoort
- 24 January 2024 - Science Guide: “We moeten niet tevreden zijn met huidige omvang van hbo-onderzoek”
- 14 May 2023 - NL Times: New Dutch drone can find hidden graves and buried bodies
- 19 July 2023 - RTV Oost: Sciencefiction? Saxion ontwikkelt blusdrones: "Dit kan het verschil zijn tussen leven en dood"
- 4 August 2023 - De Stentor: Deze onderzoekers werken aan een robothart, met Twents tintje: ‘Dit wordt echt heel revolutionair’
- 10 May 2023 - RTV Oost:
Deze Twentse drones moeten in de toekomst vermiste personen gaan opsporen
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9 May 2023 - Algemeen Dagblad: CSI-drone ‘leert’ in Bentelo stoffelijke overschotten zoeken: speuren naar dertien biggen onder groene zoden
- 23 June 2021 - RTV Oost: Drones speuren in Enschede naar gevreesde eikenprocessierups
- 12 March 2021 - RTV Oost: Robotdrone 'The beast' van Saxion genomineerd voor Prins Friso ingenieursprijs
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18 February 2021 - RTV Oost: Drie genomineerden Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs werken allemaal in Overijssel
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17 February 2021 - Tubantia: Twee Twentse ingenieurs strijden om prestigieuze Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs 2021
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17 February 2021 - KIVI: Finalist Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs 2021- dr. ir. Abeje Mersha
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20 January 2021 - De Ingenieur: Drie genomineerden Prins Friso Ingenieursprijs