Robotics

Central Scientific Faciliity

The Robotics Central Scientific Facility supports the institute's research objectives via the design, rapid prototyping, and validation of novel robotic and mechatronic systems.

Contact

Jonathan Fiene

ZWE Robotics Leader

Facilities

The Robotics ZWE offices and labs are located in the 3N corridor of the MPI-IS Stuttgart campus, including:

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING - The field of additive manufacturing (“3D Printing”) continues to evolve and grow at an astonishing rate. The fundamental principle is the layered deposition of material to fabricate given three-dimensional geometry. In an effort to support the diverse prototyping needs of the institute, the Robotics ZWE offers full-service 3D printing using a wide variety of techniques and processes, including fused-deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography (SLA), multi-jet modeling (MJM), multi-material printing, and more.
CIRCUIT FABRICATION - Recognizing that the majority of embedded electronic systems require the integration of compact, surface-mounted components on either rigid or flexible substrates, we have assembled the equipment and expertise to rapidly design, fabricate, and test advanced circuitry.

Expertise & Capabilities

Mechatronics is the synergistic fusion of mechanical design, electrical engineering, embedded programming, and systems integration. The melding together of these complementary disciplines has made possible the vast majority of the technology that pervades our lives, from modern automobiles to smartphones and surgical robots. Such systems are, by their very nature, rather complex. With over 20 years combined experience in mechatronic design and prototyping, the engineers of the Robotics ZWE are well equipped to assist with the design and realization of a wide range of mechatronic systems.

Mechanical Component Design & Prototyping

SolidWorks 3D CAD
FEA simulation
additive manufacturing
subtractive prototyping
composite-part design and fabrication
custom polymer casting fabrication

Electrical Circuit Layout & Prototyping

high-density surface mount design
rigid and flexible printed circuit prototyping and fabrication
multi-layer circuits

Embedded Software Development

familiarity with all major microcontroller architectures (AVR, ARM, TI, Freescale, Microchip, etc.)
proficient in a variety of programming languages (C/C++, Java, Python, Matlab, etc.)
extensive experience with various communication protocols (I2C, SPI, USB, CAN, etc.)