iMSL - intelligent Material Systems Lab

The iMSL (intelligent Material Systems Lab) is developing mechatronic systems based on so-called "smart materials". The research group works in interdisciplinary teams on research topics relevant to industry and applications, especially in the field of electroactive polymers (EAP) and shape memory alloys (SMA). Application-oriented solutions are developed which enable a transfer of results close to industry. The industrial partners come from a wide range of sectors, including the automotive industry, aerospace, mechanical engineering, medical technology, fluid and process technology and air conditioning technology. In addition to its function as a chair at Saarland University, the research group is part of ZeMA - Zentrum für Mechatronik und Automatisierungstechnik gGmbH, where it is also based. The location enables industry-related and cross-university research and teaching in modern and well-equipped offices and practical laboratories. The chair offers lectures for the bachelor's and master's degree programs in systems engineering as well as materials science and engineering. Moreover, the members of the research group are strongly committed to recruiting young talents by offering various workshops and events for school students. In addition to many topics from actuator and sensor technology, the research work in the field of elastocalorics, a climate-friendly and energy-efficient technology for heating and cooling, is particularly noteworthy. Elastocalorics is considered a revolutionary and most promising alternative to conventional refrigeration compression methods. Since 2011, the research group has been led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Seelecke and now includes the research of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Paul Motzki and Jun.-Prof. Gianluca Rizzello. Imprint: https://imsl.de/impressum/