MCI wins Austrian mechatronics award

Once again there is reason to celebrate at the MCI: At the recent annual conference of the Mechatronics Platform, no less than three graduates of MCI mechatronics degree programmes received awards for their outstanding final theses. Karl Kuprian won the category "Best Bachelor's Thesis", Alejandro Secades won the category "Best Master's Thesis". An excellent third place also went to Florian Hollaus in the category "Best Master's Thesis".

The MCI award winners are among the best in their year and had to undergo a demanding selection process. The award-winning theses stand out in particular for their exceptional degree of innovation and high practical relevance.

Karl Kuprian, BSc, graduate of the bachelor's programme in mechatronics, won first place in the category "Best Bachelor's Thesis. In the context of his thesis "Development of a portable, robotic training system to supplement the rehabilitation of hand impairments", he developed the prototype of a portable training system that is intended to support stroke patients in particular in regaining the functionality of their hands.
Alejandro Secades, MSc , graduate of the English-language master's programme Mechatronics & Smart Technologies, was awarded 1st place in the category "Best Master's Thesis". In his thesis "Simulation of Active Vibration Damping of a Wind Turbine", he describes how the service life of turbines in wind power plants can be significantly extended. The key to this lies in a control system that helps to reduce the vibrations of the turbine tower in a controlled manner.
Florian Hollaus, MSc, graduate of the Master's programme Mechatronics & Smart Technologies, was awarded 3rd place in the category "Best Master's Thesis". His thesis "Development of a test scenario for monitoring technical systems using a digital twin" uses the example of a wind generator to describe how the digital image of a complex mechatronic system can facilitate the planning and execution of maintenance work.

Andreas Mehrle, Head of the Mechatronics Department at MCI, is delighted with his graduates: "I congratulate Karl Kuprian, Alejandro Secades and Florian Hollaus on their awards, which not only document their achievements on a personal level, but ultimately also stand for the quality of the mechatronics studies at MCI."

The Mechatronics Platform was founded in 2005 and networks mechatronics study programmes in Austria. In addition to promoting scientific cooperation and the networking of students, teachers and graduates, the platform works continuously on the further development of the study programs. The aim is to contribute to securing Austria as a production location through innovative mechatronic products. Within the framework of the annual awards in the categories "Best Bachelor's Thesis", "Best Master's Thesis" and "Best Graduate Career", particularly outstanding young mechatronics engineers are specifically promoted.

This year's conference of the Mechatronics Platform was hosted by the University of Applied Sciences Campus 02 and took place on 22 November at the Graz Chamber of Commerce.