IRTG students and PIs from both the University of Auckland and the University of Stuttgart meet at the University of Stuttgart in Germany for the first IRTG Soft Tissue Robotics summer school. The summer school was mainly comprised of four sections;
1) Demonstrator week
There were two groups of students working on an industrial and a biomechanical robotic projects. The students of each group were working together for a week to control their corresponding robots to perform their desired tasks. The students presented the results of these projects at the end of the summer school.
Biomechanical robot IRTG students
Industrial robot Presenting the demonstrator week results
2) Social Programs
The social programs started with a City Tour, in which the participants had a chance to enjoy visiting the Stuttgart city along with trying local pastries, foods, and drinks. Welcome BBQ, visiting Heidelberg, visiting Augsburg and KUKA industrial robot manufacturer company, Dinner party, and Bauigelolympics were other interesting, delicious, enjoyable, and informative social activities during the 2018 summer school.
3) Student centered conference
All the IRTG students presented their research progress and their research roadmap followed by question and answer sessions. This conference helped the students to get familiar with the other students’ expertise and field of research, which allows for better collaboration between the students.
4) PIs centered conference
The IRTG PIs presented their research background and expertise. The students got the chance to use PIs’s advice regarding their research. Moreover, keynote speakers from different parts of the worlds were invited to the conference to present their recent findings related to various research aspects of robotics. This conference provides a platform for networking and finding more about the state of the art in robotics.
