aau/MüllerAt the intersection of proximity sensing and tactile perception, Serkan Ergun at the University of Klagenfurt is researching novel near-field sensing technologies for robotics. The aim is to equip machines with precise awareness of their immediate surroundings — a key prerequisite for safe, adaptive interaction between humans and robots in dynamic environments.
The laboratories of the University of Klagenfurt’s Sensors, Actuators & Modular Robotics research group, headed by Hubert Zangl, are located in Building B07 at Lakeside Park. Ergun is a doctoral researcher in the group. In one large room, rows of workstations are equipped with PCs and robotic grippers for laboratory classes in robotics. The adjoining room houses larger experimental set-ups, including the robot arm on which Ergun is currently working most intensively. Recently, he and his colleagues succeeded in designing robot fingers capable of delicate tactile perception. Their sensors allow the fingers to determine how an object should be grasped, whether it is a stone, a silk scarf or an egg. The new sensors measure both normal and shear forces at the gripping surface. This enables a robot to detect whether an object is slipping or being squeezed too tightly, and to compensate automatically. The system relies on the capacitive sensing principle, with one plate built into the circuit board and the other made of textile electrodes.
Ergun studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Leoben before moving from Styria to Carinthia, where he worked on his master’s dissertation at Infineon. There, his supervisor drew his attention to the interesting robotics research being carried out at the University of Klagenfurt. He applied immediately and was appointed to his first project post at the beginning of 2020. Since then, Ergun has combined his enthusiasm for hardware and software. Near-field sensing lies at the heart of his dissertation: “We are working within a range of 0 to 20 centimetres. This opens up a range of applications. For example, we want a robot arm in an industrial setting to recognise in good time when it is approaching a person — and to stop. At the same time, we want robots to remain safe when interacting with people and to slow down before contact occurs.”
During his doctoral studies, Ergun has already published five conference papers and three articles in national and international journals. To complete his dissertation, he now needs to bring his previous work together in a single, coherent text. He has now spent six years working on projects within the research group. His path into engineering was marked out early: his father studied in Leoben, as did one of his three brothers. At school, he was always more drawn to mathematics than to languages. In recent years, his work has also enabled him to develop increasing expertise in artificial intelligence and programming: “I enjoy robotics enormously, and it is easier to invest a great deal of energy in something that genuinely gives you pleasure. Mechanics, physics and design are one side of it; at the same time, working on the software has become increasingly important to me over the past few years. An environment like this helps you grow as a person, and part of that is learning to cope when things do not work straight away.”
He also finds teaching on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence particularly rewarding. There are now around 200 students attending his lectures, many of whom come to Klagenfurt from all over the world. That kind of international outlook is something Ergun knows well from his own family: “My whole family is international. I was born in Turkey and grew up in Styria. My eldest brother married a woman from Uruguay, my second brother a Hungarian woman, and my third brother a Turkish woman. I am married to a woman from Carinthia. At family gatherings we speak English so that everyone can understand one another.” As he points out, this arrangement has many advantages: “We do a bit of cherry-picking and take the best from every culture. All told, we have far more celebrations than most families.”
Asked whether he believes that, more than fifty years from now, robots will one day care for him in old age, Ergun replies: “Yes, I am optimistic about that. Much of what we currently see on the market is still rather immature and is often programmed specifically for demonstration purposes. Pre-programmed standard applications already work today. A robot can, for example, fetch the newspaper or make coffee. But what happens if it is raining outside and the robot has to go outdoors in conditions unlike those it normally encounters? If robots are to respond flexibly to different situations, artificial intelligence will need to be used much more effectively.”
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A few words with … Serkan Ergun
When did you last speak to someone outside academia about your research?
I speak almost every day with my wife, who works as a freelance midwife, about our everyday work.
What is the first thing you do in the office in the morning?
First, I get myself a large mug of coffee, and then I have a brief chat with colleagues, our technicians or the administrative staff.
Who, in your view, is the greatest scientist in history, and why?
That is a very difficult question. As a scientist, I always feel I ought to justify that sort of judgement empirically or factually; that would probably be enough material for a master’s dissertation in itself. I would rather pass.
What makes you angry?
Watching football is my outlet; through my beloved club, Galatasaray, it also keeps a door open to the city where I was born. When you are fully focussed on a match, that’s a good way of building up frustration and then releasing it again straight away.
And what calms you down?
A long bath or a pleasant evening with friends and family.
Do you ever take a proper holiday, without thinking about work?
To be honest, I find that very, very difficult.
What are you afraid of?
Great heights — especially the risk of falling. But I feel safe on an airplane.
What are you looking forward to?
I hope I will complete my degree soon, and I am very much looking forward to bringing this phase of my life to a close.
Der Beitrag Teaching Robots a Delicate Touch: Serkan Ergun’s research in tactile perception erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.