What is a BIP?

A Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) is an Erasmus+ mobility format that combines a short physical mobility period with a structured virtual component. It brings together students from at least three European universities for an intensive, collaborative learning experience — funded through the Erasmus+ grant.

About This Programme

Robot Control Systems: From Theory to Real-World Practice is a one-week intensive programme hosted by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (UTCN), in partnership with KU Leuven (Belgium) and the Technical University of Cyprus.

Unlike most robotics courses, this BIP is built around hardware first. Students work on real robot manipulators from day two, with instructors present throughout. Simulation tools are deliberately saved for the post-physical virtual phase, where students use them to generalise and extend what they experienced on real hardware. This is an inversion of the traditional approach that maximises the value of your time in Cluj-Napoca.

Over five intensive days, students progress from the mathematical foundations of robot kinematics to implementing control algorithms on physical platforms, working in international, multidisciplinary teams throughout.

Programme Structure

The programme unfolds in three phases, each with a distinct purpose.

Phase 1 — Virtual Preparation (July – September 2026) Two online sessions prepare students before they arrive in Cluj-Napoca. The first introduces the programme structure, forms the international teams, and distributes prerequisite reading material on robot kinematics. A discussion on the societal role of robotics — in manufacturing, healthcare, and beyond — frames the week ahead. The second session, two weeks before arrival, is a live Q&A on the reading material and covers practical logistics.

Phase 2 — Physical Week (13–18 September 2026, Cluj-Napoca) Five intensive days at the UTCN Robotics Lab. Students work on real robot hardware from Day 2, with all five instructors present throughout. The physical week is deliberately designed without simulation: students experience real robot behaviour — joint limits, calibration offsets, torque saturation — in a supported environment where instructors can intervene and explain. Teams are international and multidisciplinary, mixing students from Romania, Belgium, and Cyprus.

Phase 3 — Virtual Follow-Up (October 2026) Two online sessions after the physical week. Teams complete a simulation-based assignment that extends and generalises what they experienced on real hardware. Simulation is placed here deliberately: students now have the physical intuition to interpret what the simulator is telling them, rather than using it as a substitute for hardware contact. Teams present their solutions in the final session, which constitutes the assessment for the 3 ECTS credits.

Learning Objectives

Technical objectives

By the end of the programme, students will be able to:

• Compute and apply the Jacobian matrix to analyse robot motion and detect singular configurations
• Solve inverse kinematics problems using both analytical and numerical methods
• Plan collision-free trajectories using sampling-based algorithms (RRT, RRT*) and the MoveIt2 framework
• Derive and interpret a robot’s dynamic model (inertia, Coriolis, gravity terms)
• Implement and tune control strategies on physical robots using the ROS2 control framework
• Use the Robotics Toolbox for Python to model, simulate, and analyse manipulators

Transversal objectives

Beyond the technical content, this BIP develops competencies that matter across any engineering career:

• Intercultural collaboration: working effectively in teams where members come from different countries, study backgrounds, and engineering cultures
• Digital literacy: using online collaboration platforms, simulation tools, and version-controlled codebases as part of a distributed team workflow
• Critical thinking: reasoning about the gap between theoretical models and physical reality — why a perfect kinematic solution may behave unexpectedly on real hardware
• Societal awareness: understanding where robotics sits in the broader landscape of industrial automation, healthcare technology, and sustainable manufacturing

Lecture Series

The lead instructor has recorded a full lecture series on Robot Control Systems, freely available on YouTube. Watching these before the physical week is the best preparation you can do — the BIP’s self-study material is drawn directly from this series, and arriving familiar with the content will make the hands-on sessions significantly more rewarding.

Who Should Apply?

• Bachelor students in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering field
• Basic understanding of linear algebra required (vectors, matrices, transformations)
• All sessions delivered in English
• Open to students from partner institutions (KU Leuven, TU Cyprus) and UTCN

Hardware

Students will work with two robotic platforms:

• Lynxmotion AL5D — a 5-DoF educational robot arm, ideal for learning kinematics and trajectory execution
• Custom torque-controlled 3-DoF manipulator — a research-grade platform for experiencing the difference between position and torque control in practice

Practical Information

How to Apply

Applications are handled through your home institution’s Erasmus+ or International Relations office. Contact them to express your interest and request a nomination to this BIP. No direct application to UTCN is required.

For questions about the programme content, contact: tassos.natsakis@aut.utcluj.ro