We facilitate innovation by analysing, understanding and improving design methodologies. This includes practical product construction and experimentation. A big part of this is by demonstrating innovation in design with a focus on lightweight prosthetics, biomedical test-beds and humanoid robots that incorporate aspects of bio-inspired design. We introduce and create new design principles by conducting workshops, hackathons and lab courses to help students learn the essential tools towards entrepreneurial innovation.
Think.Make.Start. (TMS) is a two-week intense education format that enables students from all departments of TUM to develop innovative solutions for real problems in interdisciplinary teams on a 400€ budget. All students follow the agile design framework TAF in order to find team mates, identify and validate real problems, ideate and test possible solutions and build physical prototypes.
Human-centred lightweight robotics combines the decades old expertise in lightweight design methodology within the department to that of cutting-edge robotics design to create robotic solutions. Some of the current application areas currently being addressed are in Prosthesis, Bio-medical Test Beds and Humanoid Robotics focusing on Human-Robot interaction.
In Bio-inspired Design, we develop methods to address challenges of bio-inspired design. Moreover, we practically apply bio-inspired design on engineering problems, for example to design for additive manufacturing, like a microtiter plate that is robust against warpage (inspired by the Venus Flower Basket, a deep-sea sponge).