Robot icons
Eindhoven University of Technology has as many as 20 research groups and 8 students teams working on robotics technologies. Our research is often times expresses in robot demonstrators systems that show our novelties to a wider audience and increase industrial and societal uptake. Accelerated by the university’s active student team societies, these technologies are taken to higher technical readiness levels (TRL) and sometimes taken to international competitions like RoboCup and Formula Student.
Some of these demonstrators have become university icons that perfectly demonstrate our expertise in the different robotics field.
Autonomous Driving | House-as-a-Robot | Social Robotics |
Autonomous Racing | Impact Aware Manipulation | Spherical Actuator |
Collaborative Robotics | Robots moved by Light | Surgery Robots |
Construction Robotics | Service Robots |
Automated Driving
Dr. Gijs Dubbelman, is founder and principal investigator of TU/e’s Mobile Perception Systems (MPS) lab, which advances perception technology such that mobile systems become able to understand – and not merely sense – the environment that they operate in. Improving environmental understanding is required to take future steps in automation in which mobile systems need to operate autonomously in open, dynamic, and unconditioned environments. To this end, the MPS lab, researches Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically deep learning and computer vision, while taking into consideration requirements related to sensors and compute platforms.
The next challenge of the MPS lab is integrating automated reasoning deeply into perception technology and thereby make mobile autonomous systems understand their world. Understanding is the basis for hypothesizing and anticipating on possible future events and thus the basis for planning safe and effective actions. This is a crucial step to unlock the socio-economic benefits of next-generation automation using mobile systems.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Dr. Gijs Dubbelman
- Mobile Perception Systems (MPS) lab
- Innovation Origins article 'The brain of a self-driving car learns just like a child’
Autonomous Racing
The student team University Racing Eindhoven (URE) presents their latest car, the Transformer. This electric racing car is capable of driving with or without a driver. The student team competes at the top in the international Formula Student competition.
This technology demonstrates the possibilities of autonomous driving at high speeds. The front and rear wings of the car can be replaced by a number of sensors. An extra computer allows the car to be able to make all calculations needed to autonomously drive in the most optimal way. The goal of the team is to make the car autonomously faster than a human driver is capable of.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Website University Racing Eindhoven
- Innovation Origins article 'Autonomous car sees the best racing line better than a human driver'
Collaborative Robotics
The student team Tech United Soccer Robots is working on autonomous soccer robots. The team is guided by René van de Molengraft, who is an associate professor in the Control System Technology group. This group is part of the Mechanical Engineering department. The robots are completely autonomous and learn from their opponents to adjust their strategy.
They demonstrated this technology during the RoboCup where they managed to get first place multiple times. The cone-shaped robots stand on three wheels allowing them to drive in all directions at all times. On top of the robot is a camera that can look at its surroundings through a spherical mirror. This enables it to recognize the lines on the field, the opponents, the teammates, and the ball. The robot can measure depth using a camera at the front of the robot. It uses an electromagnet to kick the ball. The robot has an onboard computer to control all of these components.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Associate professor René van de Molengraft
- Research group Control Systems Technology
- Website Tech United
- Innovation Origins article ‘Soccer robots must defeat human world champions by 2050’
Construction Robotics
Rob Wolfs, who is an assistant professor within the Concrete Structures Group, is working on a 3D printer that prints concrete. This group, part of the Built Environment department, is led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Theo Salet. 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) provides the potential to increase the productivity and reduce the environmental impact of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.
The 3DCP research group addresses the scientific challenges to develop the technology towards structural applications of 3D printed concrete. The group operates and develops its own large-scale 3D Concrete Printer at the Department of the Built Environment of TU/e.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Prof. Dr. Ir. Theo Salet
- Dr. Ir. Rob Wolfs
- Research group Concrete Structures
- Innovation Origins article 'Robots accelerate the construction of your future home'
House-as-a-Robot
Prof. Dr. Ir. Masi Mohammadi, who is a full professor of the chair Smart Architectural Technologies, is working on inviting artificial intelligence into homes. AI enables a house to learn from the occupant’s behaviour and even to adapt itself to their needs and (in)capabilities.
This chair is working on demonstrating this technology by building the first emphatic house. This house will be a robot to live in. A responsive modular system which adjusts itself physically to occupants’ active daily lives as well as to outside events from nature; for example, via a temporary larger living room or a slightly larger balcony in sunny days. Also, when multiple empathic houses are built, they should be able to communicate with each other.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Prof. Dr. Ir. Masi Mohammadi
- Research group Smart Architectural Technologies
- Innovation Origins article 'Living in a robot: ‘a house literally has to adapt to its occupants’'
Impact Aware Manipulation
Dr. Alessandro Saccon, assistant professor within the Dynamics and Control section, focuses on robot control in physical interaction and, in particular, on impact-aware manipulation. The section, part of the Mechanical Engineering department, is led by Prof. Dr. Henk Nijmeijer. Impact-aware robots get closer to our manipulation skills, improving robot perception and prediction capabilities.
The researchers are now focusing the development of this technology by modifying the brain (software) of an order picking robot to be able to safely and accurately toss parcels instead of placing them on a conveyor belt. Based on object geometry, mass, and surface roughness, the robotic arm decided autonomously how to toss the parcel in order for it to land where expected. Impact-aware manipulation allows to extend traditional Pick-and-Place to a new Grab-and-Toss paradigm.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Prof. Dr. Henk Nijmeijer
- Dr. Alessandro Saccon
- Research group Dynamics & Control
- Innovation Origins article: Smart robot learns how to process orders even faster
Robots moved by Light
At the Stimuli-responsive Functional Research Group Marina Pilz da Cunha worked on polymers that move under the influence of light. This group is part of the Chemical engineering and chemistry department and is led by Prof. Dr. Albert Schenning. Light-driven actuation is possible due to the presence of photosensitive molecules embedded in the liquid crystal polymer. Upon absorption of specific wavelength of light, the photoswitches undergo a molecular motion which is amplified by the organized polymer into macroscopic deformation.
The potential of these materials is demonstrated in soft robotics. The researches have developed a fully light-driven soft robot that can pick up, transport and release cargo in dry environments. Inspired by marine coral polyps, they have also shown a magnetically- and light-driven aquatic device which can generate fluid flow to attract suspended targets and subsequently capture them. Such untethered devices can find future applications in water purification, microfluidics or in biomedical devices.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Prof. Dr. Albert Schenning
- PhD candidate Marina Pilz da Cunha
- Research group Stimuli-responsive Functional Materials & Devices
- Innovation Origins article 'Light replaces electricity as an energy source for robot'
Service Robots
The student team, Tech United @Home, is working on autonomous care robots that can help with everyday household tasks. The robot should be able to act safely in a robust environment.
They demonstrate this technology during the RoboCup where they placed first. Their robot uses sensors to perceive its environment and uses elaborate design to interact with people.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Website Tech United
- Innovation Origins article 'Service robots have to think like people, but they’ll never become human'
Social Robotics
Dr. Ir. Emilia Barakova and Dr. Ir. Raymond Cuijpers, an assistant professor in the Future Everyday group and an associate professor at Human Technology Interaction group, work together to teach social skills to robots. The Future Everyday Group is part of the Industrial Design department and The Human Technology Interaction Group is part of the Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences department. Within the TU/e Center for Humans and Technology, they are working on implementing social skills to robots from psychology to body language. Their research mission: towards humans understanding robots that understand humans.
They are implementing this technology step-by-step. Robots learn to recognize and understand facial expressions and learn how to behave as humans themselves.
Interested in learning more? Check out these link: or check out the groups involved:
- Dr. Ir. Emilia Barakova
- Dr. Ir. Raymond Cuijpers
- Research group Future Everyday
- Research group Human Technology Interaction.
- Center for Humans and Technology
- Innovations Origins article 'Isn’t that a bit creepy? Robots with ‘human’ brains'
Spherical Actuator
Dr. Ir. Dave Krop, who is an assistant professor within the Electromechanics and Power Electronics group, is working on propulsion system based on electromagnetic fields. This group, part of the Electrical Engineering department, is led by Prof. Dr. Elena Lomonova. The spherical actuation system will allow the joints of robots to move more freely and accurately.
This system operates without contact between the moving parts. Instead, the entire system is connected using invisible magnetic fields. It can be controlled using the current to affect the magnetic fields.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Prof. Dr. Elena Lomonova
- Dr. Ir. Dave Krop
- Research group Electromechanics and Power Electronics
- Innovation Origins article 'Invisible force makes robots faster and more accurate'
Surgery Robots
Prof. Dr. Ir. Maarten Steinbuch, who is an university professor within the Control System Technology Group, is working on three different kinds of surgical Robots. The Control Systems Technology Group, part of the Mechanical Engineering department, is led by Maarten Steinbuch himself. These robots are more precise and efficient than human surgeons.
They demonstrated this technology in three different surgical fields: eye surgery, lymphatic vessel surgery, and hearing implants. The use of these robots could shorten waiting lists, since the amount of surgeons who can perform these surgeries are scarce. The robots already work in the lab but more development is needed before they can be unleashed in the medical sector.
Interested in learning more? Check out these links:
- Prof.dr.ir. Maarten Steinbuch
- Research group Control System Technology
- Innovation Origins article 'How surgical robots can shorten waiting lists'