Programme Introduction & Get-to-Know
The opening virtual session introduces the full programme structure, team composition, and expectations for the BIP. Participants will meet their fellow students from KU Leuven and TU Cyprus, form their international teams, and get a first look at the robot hardware they will encounter in September.
Self-study material will be distributed — centred on the lead instructor’s Robot Control Systems lecture series , which covers the linear algebra prerequisites (homogeneous transformations, rotation matrices) and introductory robot kinematics. Students are expected to watch the relevant episodes before the physical week. A discussion on the role of robotics in addressing societal challenges — from healthcare to manufacturing — will frame the week ahead.
- Orientation
Instructors
Tassos Natsakis
Associate Professor on Robotics · Automation Department, TUCN
Tassos Natsakis is an Associate Professor in the Automation Department at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (TUCN), where he leads research and teaching in robotics. His work spans robot modelling, kinematics, motion planning, and real-time control of robot manipulators. He is the lead organiser of this BIP and will coordinate the overall programme, deliver lectures on kinematics and path planning, and supervise the hands-on laboratory sessions throughout the physical week. He has recor... read more
Emmanuel Vander Poorten
Professor on Surgical Robotics · Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven
Emmanuel Vander Poorten is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KU Leuven (Belgium), where he heads research on surgical robotics, haptics, and medical mechatronics. His group develops robotic systems that operate at the boundary between precision mechanics, control theory, and clinical application. ... read more
Savvas Loizou
Associate Professor · Director of Robotics, Control & Decision Systems Lab, Cyprus University of Technology
Savvas Loizou is an Associate Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology and Director of the Robotics, Control, and Decision Systems (RCDS) Laboratory. Dr Loizou's research interests span a wide range of control theoretic issues of robotic and autonomous dynamic systems, particularly autonomous navigation and control, multi-agent coordination, task planning, human-robot interaction, and others. Dr Loizou's research application domains include underwater and surface vehicles, ground vehicl... read more