Themes

Four strong themes have been chosen to organize collaborative interfaculty research. These cross-disciplinary themes are based on ongoing activities with significant momentum and are linked to regional strengths. Underpinning these research themes is TU Delft's formidable expertise, comprising outstanding problem- and curiosity-driven research by individuals and teams.

The first theme, Human-Robot-Interaction, focuses on robots that can collaborate and interact with humans on physical, social, or cognitive levels. As robotics becomes more prevalent in public spaces, we need to investigate how humans can interact with robots optimally. The second theme, Field Robotics, involves robots that can perform tasks for or with humans in various environments, including human production settings. This includes advancing navigation in unknown environments to make robots more deployable. The third theme, Swarm Robots, involves relatively simple robots that can work together to perform complex tasks, such as detecting gas leaks with swarms of drones or mapping the interior of buildings. Finally, the fourth theme, Developing Robotic Hardware, centres on the development and enhancement of the physical components and systems that enable robotic functionality and performance. This includes the development of soft robots capable of performing delicate manipulation tasks, smart mechanisms, and advanced materials.