Hertog Lan: Students take on the robot challenge

Every year, Lan proudly collaborates with Avans University of Applied Sciences on the minor Hertog Lan, a unique assignment for Mechanical Engineering (WTB) and Electrical Engineering/Mechatronics (ET/Ti) students.

This partnership gives students the chance to apply their skills in a real-world industrial setting and challenges them to think creatively, technically, and collaboratively.

The challenge

The students were tasked with designing and building a robot tool and software capable of turning a straight stack of crates into a pyramid. Lan provided a partly finished robot program and an ABB robot with a baseplate and valve. The students completed the software, developed their own robot head, and prepared everything for a live test at Lan.

Bringing theory to practice

Over several weeks, about 50 students worked from concept to prototype, designing, building, and programming their robot tools. They experienced the full design process, from mechanical construction to fine-tuning the software, all within a short and dynamic timeframe.

The big day

The finals took place at Lan ach team connected their custom-built robot head to our ABB robot and demonstrated their concept in action. It was an afternoon full of smart ideas, teamwork, and creative problem-solving.

One group stood out and took home the win with a smooth-running robot program and a playful extra: their team name was cut into the tool!

A big thank-you to all participating students and our colleagues for making this day a success. The Hertog Lan Minor once again showed how education, innovation, and engineering come together to create something truly inspiring.