From left to right: Andrea Lauridsen, Reem El-Moussa og Sarah Nyrup. Photo: Mikal Schlosser

DTU boosts its research in automation and robots

Robot technology and automation Electrotechnology
The appointment of three researchers and the addition of a brand new Master of Science (MSc) programme significantly strengthens DTU’s work in automation and robot technology.

DTU Electrical Engineering has just hired three new researchers: Lazaros Nalpantidis, Evangelos Boukas, and Matteo Fumagalli, who are all established researchers within automation.

Matteo Fumagalli’s research has focused on drones, and especially on how to get a drone to attach itself to a surface in order to perform a repair, such as mending a crack in a wind turbine blade.

Lazaros Nalpantidis and Evangelos Boukas conduct research into how robots understand the outside world and have previously worked in close collaboration with DTU in connection with research projects in autonomous shipping. Among other things, they’ve researched how robots can learn to tell the difference between the objects they register on the water in front of the ship—for example, whether it’s a surfer or a navigation mark.

“The new appointments mean that the range of competences within robot technology is now complete at DTU. It also reflects the developments in the automation area. Previously, we had a large focus on the control of robots, but today there’s also a need for other types of expertise,” says Professor Ole Ravn.

New programme and collaboration with companies
Concurrently with the appointment of the three new researchers, DTU has taken over the MSc programme ‘Autonomous Systems' from Aalborg University. A programme which Lazaros Nalpantidis originally took initiative to establish, and which is now included as part of DTU’s study programmes.

“With the new expansion of the staff, I also hope that we’ll be able to expand our collaboration with companies. This applies both to collaborations on student assignments and actual research projects. In addition, we will to a greater extent be able to say yes to companies who approach us with requests for assistance with specific tasks, something we have to reject too often at the moment,” says Ole Ravn.

The appointment of the three new researchers means that there is now more than 45 employees in the Automation and Control unit at DTU Electrical Engineering.

“It’s great to be a part of the strong research environment within automation that exists at DTU. We’ve collaborated successfully on specific projects and now look forward to being a part of the major initiatives at the University, such as ShippingLab and the invitation to participate in one of the world’s largest competitions for collaborative robots, MBZIRC, in Abu Dhabi,” says Associate Professor Lazaros Nalpantidis.

The new appointments have been made as of 1 April 2019.