A group of students of the first year of dual studies in the field of Automation and Robotics of the Carpathian State University in Krosno visited the Industrial Institute of Automation and Measurements PIAP in Warsaw (15th June).

The student delegation had the opportunity to learn about the tasks that an automation engineer performs in his professional work. The photo below shows a commercial product of Łukasiewicz-PIAP - Robot IBIS® with a group of students.

Łukasiewicz-PIAP, as a company and research unit, has been involved in the construction of mobile robots and the development and implementation of modern technologies since the 1990s. One of the first models - SR-10 INSPECTOR® can be admired in a display case right at the entrance to the Institute. Mr. Marcin Pawelec, a PIAP employee and group supervisor, showed us the systems developed by teams of engineers, where concepts are first created and then prototypes are built. At Łukasiewicz-PIAP, mechanical, electrical and electronic parts are built, as well as software. Łukasiewicz-PIAP, as a research unit of the Łukasiewicz Network, is able to produce many components itself, and only a small part is purchased from external suppliers.

During their stay, students could ask questions and observe what work in project teams is like in a practical aspect. In addition to mobile robots, autonomous systems built by PIAP employees were presented. Hardware solutions were presented - systems that can be seen, touched and one may see their operation based on the use of LIDAR systems. Students were intrigued by projects based on commercially available components, e.g. converting a civilian car into an autonomous one. A very interesting part was the visit to the team of programmers, who presented in an interesting way what it is like to bring mechanical systems to life and write software for them. A very important aspect was the emphasis on the fact that projects are run by a group of people. A methodology tailored to the team was presented, related to the distribution of work, sharing its results and dealing with situations when something goes wrong. It was also important that the client is involved in the process and may track the project's progress and react dynamically to the final result.

After very interesting presentations and discussion of the most important elements of PIAP's tasks, interested people had the opportunity to operate the IBIS® robot using the operator station developed by Łukasiewicz-PIAP and experience themselves what uniformed services have to deal with when using this type of means to pick up dangerous loads. These tests were performed in the hall and, taking precautions, it was possible to learn the capabilities of the robot built by Łukasiewicz-PIAP, which was not just a prototype, but a real working device.

After seeing Łukasiewicz-PIAP, the group was surprised that such things are created, produced and sold by a Polish company, often outside the country. The level of advancement and the opportunity to see the works from the inside allowed us to obtain a picture of the complexity of the structures created at Łukasiewicz-PIAP. The trip made a huge impression on the students, pointing out what interesting things they could do in their future careers. For some students, this trip is a contribution to writing engineering theses in the fields discussed during the study visit to Łukasiewicz-PIAP.

The study visit was carried out as part of the project "Organization of dual studies in the field of automation and robotics".

The project „We create+ We develop+ We activate+ We motivate+ We determine+ We change= KROSNO” implemented as a part of the Local Development Programme, co-financed in 85 % from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and in 15 % from the State Budget.

„Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe”

The amount of funding received is 15,328,498.86 PLN. The beneficiary/lead partner is the Municipality of Krosno. The aim of the project is to comprehensively improve the quality of life in Krosno and better adapt Krosno's administration to the needs of its residents.

www.norwaygrants.pl

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