Summer schools at TFCC

At the Teaching Factory Competence Center (TFCC), the Summer School focused on high school student participation with a strong emphasis on automation and robotics. The GEMS Project served as the educational backbone of the program, introducing students to the fundamentals of mechatronics through an applied, industry-aligned approach.

Participants worked in a large laboratory environment equipped with extensive industrial automation systems. Using dedicated GEMS educational hardware, students explored the integration of mechanical, electrical, and software components, directly reinforcing concepts from the Communication Protocols and Hardware MOOC. This setup allowed learners to interact with real automation equipment and observe how data, control signals, and hardware components communicate within mechatronic systems.

Hands-on activities included programming Universal Robots (UR) collaborative robots, experimenting with sensors and controllers, and understanding safe human–robot collaboration. By combining structured instruction with practical lab work, the GEMS Project successfully bridged theory and real-world automation practice, equipping students with foundational skills in robotics, system integration, and industrial communication.