Speakers:

dr. Ali Sadeghi

Talk: ​Soft Robotics: Enabling Function Through Geometry, Materials, and Fabrication

I am an assistant professor at the Department of Biomechanical Engineering at the University of Twente. I lead the Soft Robotics Lab, where we focus on developing new methods and robotic machines for the additive manufacturing of soft robots. Among the notable achievements of my lab are the development of a soft rubber pellet extruder printer, 3D weaving/printing machines, and a multi-material polymer printer, all contributing to advancing additive manufacturing technologies. My research mainly involves 3D printing of multilateral, hyperelastic, and fiber-reinforced smart polymers. These efforts aim to create advanced soft sensors and proprioceptive soft actuators, suitable for various applications including wearable robotics, healthcare, and environmental monitoring.

Nathalie Geerlings

Talk: Modular ground robot navigation

Nathalie Geerlings is a Lead Robotics Engineer at Riwo Engineering B.V. in Oldenzaal. After a bachelor Advanced Technology at the UT and master Biorobotics at the TU Delft, she started working at Riwo and got the chance to set up her own robotics team. Together with her team, she focusses on building generic software modules that can be used in various robotic projects. These projects are very different from the traditional factory robots, here you have unknown, noisy and dynamic environments. The team makes use of cutting-edge open source technology to quickly move from concept to working proof-of-concept, without having to reinvent the wheel. The projects range from apple picking robots in an orchard, to waste sorting systems for recycling firms, to feeding systems that drive around in cattle stables.

Martijn van der Linden

Case: Sensing Tomorrow: Innovative Sustainability through Orientation-Driven Robotics

Martijn van der Linden is a Field Application Engineer at Xsens in the Automation & Mobility business line. As a former UT student with a bachelor's in Advanced Technology and a master’s in Embedded Systems, he supports customers on technical aspects with their integration and development of Xsens' motion sensors in robotics, which require these sensors for control, stabilization and navigation. 

dr. Islam Khalil

Talk: Exploring Ex Vivo Challenges and Applications of Microrobots

Islam S. M. Khalil received his master's and doctoral degrees in Mechatronics Engineering. He is currently an Associate Professor in the RAM—Robotics and Mechatronics research group at the University of Twente. For two years, he was a post-doctoral fellow in the Robotics and Mechatronics research group and MIRA–Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente. After serving as the Director of the Medical Micro and Nanorobotics Laboratory at the German University in Cairo, Egypt, he held a position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomechanical Engineering. 

dr. ir. Edwin Dertien

Talk: The Robotics Theatre Lab

I’m a passionate maker and tinkerer. I graduated from University of Twente in 2005 with an MSc in Mechatronics, continuing research at the Robotics and Mechatronics group on the design of a pipe inspection robot, obtaining my PhD in 2014. I have a fascination for robotics and have worked on several projects involving (autonomous) robots, both from an engineering and artistic interest. Since 2006 I have started my company ‘Kunst- en Techniekwerk’ (making art work) for providing the technical backbone in art-projects, ranging from dancing animatronic humanoids, robot-arms for sci-fi movies to autonomous GPS track drawing robots, and also realising various autonomous artworks, big moving sculptures and weird installations for festivals and exhibitions. Together with ARE holland I am co-host/curator for exhibition space XPO in Enschede.

Klaas Kole

Study case: Active propulsion system for water pipeline inspection robot in harsh environments

Klaas Kole is working as branch office representative of the Rosenxt Creation Center in Enschede and acts as team lead for technology feasibility studies. As a former University of Twente student Mechanical Engineering his interests are in robotics and general sensing techniques especially for water pipeline inspection applications. In the past he worked as mechanical engineer for cooling fans, client contact for in line inspections and project manager for R&D projects.