A message from the ECHORD coordinator Alois Knoll

About us

INTEXTER is a University Research Centre of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). It is closely related to textile machinery constructors with whom it maintains some research agreements and, also, to textile production enterprises. Approximately 40% of INTEXTER's budget is financed by industrial research projects. INTEXTER and the university (UPC) have the infrastructure and resources (human and material) needed to coordinate European projects, as well as a extensive experience as coordinators and managers. INTEXTER has a broad experience in the research of sewing, spinning, weaving and knitting processes. Industrial (technical) fabrics and antipollution technologies are new research areas just recently added to the usual tasks of INTEXTER. The main part of the research carried out is in processing analyses, optimisation and quality assurance. Research activities are concentrated in the development and application of special measuring techniques to analyze and optimize the textile processes in general.

The Institute of Industrial and Control Engineering (IOC) is a university research institute of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC). As a university institute, it is devoted to research and technology transfer, as well as to teaching activities at postgraduate level (master and doctoral programmes). The IOC is organized in three divisions: Division of Robotics, Division of Control, and Division of Industrial Engineering and Logistics. Each division has a dedicated laboratory. The teaching and research staff of the IOC come from different departments of the UPC, which provides the institute with a multidisciplinary character. The IOC has extensive experience in the development of research projects funding by government offices as well as by private companies. As a reference, from the last annual report of the IOC (2005/06), the staffs of the IOC includes 22 doctors, 3 graduate assistants, 3 technicians, and 4 administrative personnel, besides, about 26 doctoral and master students perform their work at the IOC.

What motivates us

One of the strategic objectives of INTEXTER is to maintain the strategy implemented years ago to apply and enhance the latest measurement techniques in the study and improvement of the textile processes (including sewing). In this project, INTEXTER can provide its cumulative experience in the sewing processes, including the related mechanical engineering design. In addition, INTEXTER has the human and technical resources (electronic and mechanical workshop and computing services) to perform the tasks required in this project. Intexter-UPC has worked in several research projects focused, on the design and development of small electromechanic devices for handling textile materials, especially yarns.

With this Project, IOC has the opportunity to develop a system where it is possible to apply our knowledge in robotics and process control to develop a device suitable to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. The skills required to develop the system matches entirely with the background of IOC and the have the appropriate resources to achieve the goals of such an important experiment; therefore, IOC will handle the design and implementation of the electronic control and software needed for the device.