Dr Florin Popister

Key research themes revolves around cutting-edge technologies and methods in manufacturing and design engineering:

• Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing): He conducts experimental studies on 3D printing strategies for polymer-based parts, particularly focusing on optimizing surface quality and the use of the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) process.

• Aeroacoustics and UAVs: A significant portion of his work involves analyzing the dynamic, mechanical, and sound footprint (noise emissions) of 3D-printed UAV (drone) propellers, including research on bladeless technology.

• Smart Medical Devices: He has contributed to innovative projects such as the design and structural analysis of a low-cost 3D-Printed Smart Orthosis for rehabilitation, enhanced with sensors and electrical impulses for corrective feedback. He is also involved in the development of a low-cost smart crutch system.

• Robotics and Kinematics: His work includes the workspace analysis of parallel kinematic machines (hexapod robotic platforms) and the implementation of human gestures for controlling collaborative robots.

• Digital Manufacturing: He has published on topics like toolpath generation (CNC milling) using mathematical approaches and graph theory, and the optimization of assembly processes in virtual environments

• Prototyping of mechatronic equipment; mechanical prototyping of rehab equipments.

My publications include work on educational collaborative robot structures and the application of AI tools in collaborative robotics. My research and teaching efforts are instrumental in driving innovation in mechanical engineering and in preparing students for the evolving landscape of Industry 4.0 / 5.0.

Florin Popișter is an accomplished researcher and academic in the field of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Design, and Robotics, specializing in the intersection of advanced manufacturing and digital technologies. He holds the position of Associate Professor (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng.) at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (UT Cluj) in Romania, within the Department of Design Engineering and Robotics.His research sits at the intersection of mechanical design, CAD/CAM, additive manufacturing (3D printing), mechatronics and applied robotics, with growing emphasis on medical-engineering applications (sensorized orthoses, rehabilitation devices) and tribological/surface-engineering aspects of printed parts. He is an active author on topics such as 3D-printed propellers and polymer printing strategies, with peer-reviewed articles published in journals and conference proceedings. Among his recent applied projects, he co-developed a sensorized, 3D-printed knee rehabilitation orthosis that was selected to exhibit at the international Prototypes for Humanity exhibition/fair in Dubai — a project described on the Prototypes for Humanity. He was a scientific committee member, workshop presenter for various international conferences.