Rock Your Baby: Fontys, TU/e together in electrical engineering

How can a baby in a Maxi-Cosi be calmed and kept calm? That is the question 370 first-year Electrical Engineering students from Fontys University of Applied Sciences and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) will tackle in the coming months. Working in study teams, they will develop smart solutions that use heart-rate and sound measurements to automatically generate the right rocking motion, helping babies relax in their seats.

The collaboration aims to help every student find the educational environment that suits them best within the field. If students discover, for example, that a university of applied sciences better matches their talents and learning style, valuable technical talent can be retained for both the electrical engineering sector and the Brainport region.

Rock Your Baby

The Rock Your Baby project marks the start of an unusual collaboration between Fontys University of Applied Sciences and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). For the first time, first-year electrical engineering students from a university of applied sciences and a research university are taking the same course together during their first semester.

Starting in the very first week of their studies, 250 TU/e students and 120 Fontys students will work in 42 mixed teams on this practical challenge. During the kick-off last Thursday, the first-year students met one another and were introduced to their first joint assignment. Each team includes students from both institutions and is supervised by a design coach from either Fontys or TU/e.

Educational innovation

The new module represents a step forward in technical education at Fontys and TU/e. Students from both institutions will learn, design and work together within a single educational program. Around 100 lecturers, design coaches, and student tutors from Fontys and TU/e will support them throughout the project.

Students from universities of applied sciences and research universities would normally encounter one another only later in their studies or careers. This program allows them to gain experience working together from day one. It also introduces them early on to different ways of learning, thinking and collaborating.

Retaining technical talent

Through the joint program, Fontys and TU/e want to show students from the outset the different development paths available within electrical engineering. The project therefore responds directly to the needs of the Brainport region, where demand for electrical engineering talent is already extremely high and continues to grow.

With this joint approach, Fontys and TU/e aim to help educate, develop and retain technical professionals for the region.