2021: European network for 3D printing of biomimetic mechatronic systems (EMERALD) (*)
Project Promoter: Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj-Napoca
Project Code: 21-COP-0019
Partners: Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie POLITENICA București – Universitatea din Agder (Grimstad, Norvegia) – Universitatea Tehnica din Poznan (Polonia) – BIZZCOM s.r.o. (Bucany, Slovacia)
The EMERALD project’s primary focus was oriented on the creating of advanced educational resources & research tools for those who are keen on getting the right knowledge & experience in developing robotic arms, personalized medical prostheses & orthotics, using 3D printing technologies, for people with special needs (amputated arms). Within the project, 8 comprehensive course modules, 1 laboratory toolkit manual & 1 e-learning platform which is incorporating modern learning methods like VR/AR/Mixed Reality were developed for designing & conceiving of personalized biomimetic mechatronic systems. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the EMERALD project’s resources, several case studies have been conducted on real patients with amputated arms. Robotic arms, prostheses & orthoses were have been successfully produced for these patients by the EMERALD consortium partners using 3D printing methods. Regarding EMERALD’s achievements, it’s worth mentioning 2 summer schools that were organized at University of Agder (Norway) in 2022 & 2023, gathering more than 70 atendees from different EU countries, 1 training event on VR/AR/Mixed Reality programming that was organized for 15 professors of the EMERALD consortium in 2023, as well as 3 multiplier events that were organized in 2022 & 2023, gathering more than 200 experts coming from Higher Educational & industrial companies that are activating in 3D printing / biomechatronics sector. 10 co-supervised diploma projects & conceiving of 4 ISI articles with impact factor have also been realized. Over 10 partnerships agreements with EU-based industrial companies have been signed, constituting the European Network for 3D Printing of Biomimetic Mechatronic Systems in the EMERALD project & boosting in this way the cooperation between higher educational institutions & companies that are interested in conceiving & realizing of personalized biomimetic mechatronic systems for people with special needs (amputated arms) on a larger scale.
