text: Joanna Maszybrocka
photos: Karolina Gurdziel
On 31 March, the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Silesia in Katowice held the official opening of the Human-Cobot Lab – a state-of-the-art educational and research facility specialising in human-robot collaboration (collaborative robot, cobot). The ceremony was attended by representatives of the university and faculty authorities, representatives of Timken Polska Sp. z o.o., directors of institutes and degree programmes, staff, students and representatives of the region’s socio-economic community.
The symbolic ribbon was cut by Prof. Michał Daszykowski, PhD — Vice-Rector for Finance of the University of Silesia, Michał Stępień — Director of Timken Polska Sp. z o.o., Seweryn Kowalski, PhD, DLitt, Assoc. Prof. — Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, Joanna Maszybrocka, PhD, Assoc. Prof. — Deputy Dean for Student Affairs and Education, Aleksandra Pieniążek — Vice-Chancellor, and Wojciech Gurdziel, PhD — laboratory supervisor.
The laboratory was equipped in cooperation with Timken Polska Sp. z o.o. as part of a programme to support education in the STEM field. The infrastructure comprises the advanced educational and research platform Dobot X-Trainer and MG400 robotic arms with accessories, including grippers and vision systems.
The Human-Cobot Lab is a space accessible to a wide range of users — from students at the Faculty developing practical skills in collaborative robotics and Industry 5.0 technologies, primary and secondary school pupils from the region, and STEM teachers, to researchers developing projects on the integration of artificial intelligence with robotic systems.
