Nov 25, 2025
(k)eine Spielerei - Mechatronics introductory project for first semester students on the Mechatronics degree program
In the week of the Day of Prayer and Repentance, it was time for the first semester students on the Mechatronics degree program to get out of the lecture hall and into practice! After intensive weeks of learning the theoretical basics, the traditional introductory project was on the agenda - a first step into the world of engineering practice.
Within a week, the students designed and programmed a robot on their own. The basis for this was always a Lego Mindstorms EV3 , and the tasks were varied:
- Who can develop the fastest barcode reader?
- Which robot navigates most safely through the labyrinth?
- Whose construction will climb the "mountains" most skillfully?
In addition to technical creativity, teamwork was also required. Between the individual tasks, there was an autonomous handover between the robots before the teams of two competed against each other in the big relay competition at the end of the week and presented their solutions.
Typical moments such as "It still worked yesterday!", "I forgot to comment out a line!" or "Everything will be fine on the next boat!" were also part of the competition and perhaps already gave a realistic impression of what everyday working life will be like later on.
Under the organization of the Chair of Dynamics and Mechanism Design, our Research Associates Anton Seeger and Robert Fechert supported the students with help and advice. A big thank you also goes to the student tutors for their support.
During a tour of the Chair of Vehicle Mechatronics, the students were also able to get to know our highly automated e-Crafter and some test benches, giving them even more motivation for their further studies.
We congratulate all students on their development achievements and the creative results in the relay competition - and look forward to seeing you again soon!
