ROBOTICS & MECHATRONICS GROUP

Robotics and Mechatronics pursues the application of engineering systems and control methods to practical applications and commercial products. At the UMA Robotics & Mechatronics Group we are actively engaged in research for the advance of technological innovation in this field.  

The major goals of the UMA Robotics & Mechatronics Group are:

• promoting cross-disciplinarity in the fields of robotics and mechatronics by leading research initiatives that can solve practical problems for society;
• pursuing the commercialization of technology through appropriate technology transfer mechanisms and industrial collaborations; 
• cultivating research skills for robotics and mechatronics in graduate and undergraduate engineering students.

These are some of our research activites:

	Field robotics In unstructured and natural environments, robots must deal with many challenges, such as building maps of their environment, determining their absolute and relative location, path planning, and obstacle avoidance. Moreover, to successfully fulfill these missions in natural and difficult terrains, robots require a significant increase in their cognitive abilities for detection, modeling, or classification of objects  …read more
	Search & Rescue In the aftermath of natural and manmade disasters, robotic systems can contribute not only to reduce reaction time but also to make difficult operations feasible by reaching unexplored areas that could be extremely hazardous for human search & rescue teams. The UMA Robotics & Mechatronics Group cooperates with the UMA Chair for Security, Emergency and Catastrophes (Cátedra de Seguridad, Emergencias y Catástrofes) to introduce robotic technology in first response teams to reduce the risks for workers as well as to improve their efficiency …read more
	Space Robotics Exploring the surface of other planets is one of the main interests of space agencies. The use of rovers in several missions has contributed to solve the problem of carrying scientific tools to extract data without being necessary to send humans into remote space or have an operator online. This team is collaboratin with the European Space Agency and other institutions to research new algorithms that provide autonomy to rovers to perform planetary exploration ... read more
	Sensor Systems Our group has developed sensor systems and sensor networks for multiple applications, including 3D Lidar, environmental monitoring, crack identification in pipes and collectors, tactile sensors, and goniophotometry.
	Mechatronics for Mobility and Smart Cities Our goal is to develop innovative technologies and infrastructures for efficient, effective and safe urban transport, with a focus on electric vehicles. The UMA Robotics & Mechatronics Group is involved in the design, development and implementation of a wireless smart sensors to acquire information about traffic and the environment resulting in real time traffic reports for efficient decision making ...read more
	Surgical Robotics We cooperate with the UMA Medical Robotics Research group in the development of haptic systems for surgical robotics and surgeon assistance.
	Autonomous Astronomy The research group, through the joint research unit between CSIC and UMA, collaborates with the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalucia to develop new algorithms and methods that allow to increase autonomy un astronomical observatories, ...read more