The Ústí Region together with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem and the Innovation Center of the Ústí Region opened a shared digital workshop, DigiLab, on Tuesday, January 9. An open workplace consisting of an electronic laboratory, a workshop with technologies for 3D printing and virtual reality and a polytechnic workshop will serve to popularize technical education and implement innovative or business ideas of students, companies and the wider public.
The ceremonial opening of the DigiLab took place in the building of the Center for Materials, Mechanics and Technologies (CEMMTECH) at the FSI UJEP in the presence of representatives of the project's main partners, Councilor of the Ústí Region Ivy Dvořáková, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering UJEP Jaromír Cais and Director of the Innovation Center of the Ústí Region (ICUK) Martin Mata.
"With DigiLab, we want to offer the public, students and companies a professional open workplace where, with the help of experts from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, they can use modern technologies of 3D printing, virtual reality, design software, as well as basic mechanical and electronic equipment, which will help them visualize and materialize their innovative ideas . Our goal is to both encourage creativity and popularize technology, and help with the business side of their ideas," Martin Mata, director of ICUK, who initiated the DigiLab project, explains the meaning of the shared digital workshop.
"Modern technologies available to the public, their popularization and increasing interest in technical education are key aspects in the transformation of the region. A similar open workshop with modern technologies has not yet been found in the region. But we want to go further. At DigiLab, we will try out the concept of shared infrastructure for the larger Robotics and Testing Laboratory, which we are preparing as part of the project of the Transformation Center of the Ústí Region," adds Iva Dvořáková, councilor of the Ústí Region for the area of project preparation and implementation.
"Engineering, technology, mechanical engineering are great things. We very much welcome any initiative that leads to the popularization of our field. I believe that DigiLab will stimulate interest in technical education among young people, but not only among them. It is also great that it will be another opportunity to meet creative students and companies," added Jaromír Cais, dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
The shared digital workshop DigiLab consists of three workplaces in the CEMMTECH building at FSI UJEP. The electronic laboratory will offer space for research activities and the acquisition of new skills in the areas of connecting electronic circuits controlled by a microcomputer, soldering electronic circuits, construction and programming of robotic models on the Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms, with an extension to the so-called Internet of Things and sensors of various variants.
The 3D and VR workshop mediates the connection of the technological process: from 3D modeling and 3D scanning to subsequent 3D printing using various filaments, including resin 3D printing and printing on a plotter, and with the final conversion of the obtained model into virtual reality.
And the third workplace, a polytechnic workshop, equipped with, among other things, a CNC milling machine and a laser station for precise cutting, drilling and perforating, will then enable the acquisition of working activities with hand tools and habits in compliance with safety regulations, as in the real conditions of the company.
DigiLab will operate in pilot mode for individuals from the public and companies on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For school, student or company groups, then on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Also on Saturdays by individual agreement. The premises are already being used by the student team of the RobUL project, which, with the support of ICUK, is preparing a robot for the First competition in the USA.
The premises of the DigiLab, as well as individual workplaces separately, must be booked in advance through the reservation system on the ICUK website: DigiLab – Shared digital workshop (icuk.cz). The use of the workshop is subject to initial training and technical supervision, which will be provided by students and employees of FSI UJEP.
The shared digital workshop DigiLab was created thanks to the support of the Smart Accelerator project for the Ústí Region III, registration number CZ.02.01.02/00/22_009/0004316.
