July 8, 2024
The students from six universities in Germany, France and Switzerland formed five bi- and tri-national teams and presented their entries to the jury of representatives from industry and academia at the final of the Trinatronics competition at the Manufacture des tabacs in Strasbourg in June. For the competition the teams independently develop mechatronic systems. As in previous years, the competition was organized by TriRhenaTech - the alliance of universities of applied sciences in the Upper Rhine region for the promotion of cross-border cooperation in teaching, research, knowledge and technology transfer, innovation and further education. Prof. Dr. Franz Quint, Vice-President for Research, Cooperation and Quality Management at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, has been the spokesperson for the university alliance since 2020.
This year's competition entries were impressive in every respect. One team had developed a drive and directional control via cell phone for self-built paper airplanes, another a wind-powered unmanned sailing ship for participation in the MicroTransat Challenge 2024. A third, a functioning eye-catcher to advertise the Mechatronics trinational course at trade fairs. The fourth team developed a system to monitor the correct intake of medication for people who are unable to manage their own medication. And finally, the fifth team developed a low-cost and practical physiobot that guides patients through physiotherapy exercises, promotes exercise consistency and enables physiotherapists to check progress.
In the end, the physio robot and the sailing ship won over the jury. In addition to cash prizes for the winners, which were sponsored by the German-French Business Club Upper Rhine (Club d'Affaires Franco-Allemand du Rhin Supérieur - Oberrhein/CAFA-RSO), the participants also received tickets for Europa Park in Rust.
The Trinatronics competition is part of the INTERREG MINT-Ing project and is co-financed by the TriRhenaTech universities and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
