Course information

Basics of Mechatronics for Fashion & Design Applications

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of mechatronics with a strong focus on textile, garment, and fashion-related manufacturing processes. It is specifically designed for students of fashion, design, and creative industries who wish to better understand how contemporary fashion products are developed, produced, and scaled in modern industrial environments.

The course does not require prior engineering or technical background. Instead, mechatronics is introduced as a system-oriented way of thinking about production, combining mechanics, electronics, automation, robotics, and digital technologies. Students learn how design ideas are transformed into physical products through automated and intelligent manufacturing systems.

Throughout the course, learners explore the full production chain—from fiber and yarn manufacturing to fabric formation, automated cutting, embroidery, and garment assembly. Special attention is paid to how mechatronic systems such as sensors, actuators, motors, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), robotics, machine vision, and industrial control systems are applied at each stage. The course emphasizes the interaction between human creativity and automated production, highlighting collaborative human–machine workflows rather than full replacement by technology.

The course also addresses broader topics beyond production, including flexibility and modularity of manufacturing systems, customization, digital twins, data-driven decision-making, and the role of automation in sustainable and responsible fashion. Students are introduced to concepts of cyber-physical production, smart factories, and Industry 4.0 as they relate specifically to the fashion industry.

Aligned with the VERSE educational framework, the course promotes systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and project-based learning. Sustainability and responsible innovation are core themes, discussed in relation to material efficiency, waste reduction, energy use, ethical production, and long-term technological evolution. Learners are encouraged to critically evaluate how technological choices influence environmental and social outcomes in the fashion industry.

The course combines theoretical explanations with practical examples, case studies, and interactive elements, including demonstrations of real mechatronic and robotic systems. By the end of the course, students gain a conceptual understanding of how modern fashion factories operate and how designers can effectively collaborate with engineers, technologists, and manufacturers.

The main objective of the course is to equip future designers and creative professionals with the knowledge needed to understand production technologies, communicate effectively across disciplines, and design fashion products that are innovative, manufacturable, and sustainable in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.