A laptop on which the programming code can be seen.

Operator HMI Lab at the HfG

UI/UX design, technology, company

Operator HMI Lab at the University of Design in Schwäbisch Gmünd: From idea to interactive control in just a few days

Is it possible to develop a complex user interface consisting of hardware, electronic and software components within just one week?

Students at HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd proved that it is possible. In just a few days, they designed, tinkered, drew, modelled and built. The goal: to develop a human-machine interface (HMI) for a specific application and implement it as a prototype – including interaction logic, physical controls and intuitive graphical user interfaces.

Under the direction of Maila Thon, project manager for HMI development at BUSSE Design + Engineering, a practice-oriented workshop was created that directly transferred specialist knowledge into real design processes. Compact keynote speeches conveyed the basics of ergonomics, usability and user experience. The students then applied this knowledge in group work to specific use cases of personas – and brought their concepts to life with the help of components and code from the BUSSE HMI Lab.

The event was supported by Prof. Gerhard Reichert (Professor of Product Design) and Michael Kluge (Prototyping Lab).

What we achieved together during the lab week

The results impressively demonstrated how creatively and purposefully interdisciplinary teams can work. Among other things, they created an ergonomically designed workplace on an assembly line, a mobile camera arm controlled by a physical controller, and an operating concept for remote control of a surgical robot. These prototypical solutions combined a well-thought-out operating concept, ergonomic aspects and functional interaction to create consistent operating concepts.

Technical progress for the BUSSE HMI Lab

We also gained valuable insights: we decided to convert our gripper arm from Arduino microcontrollers to ESP32-based ones. The result? Significantly more stable data transmission and a secure connection between the interface and the gripper arm.

More info about the HMI Lab

Conclusion

The results of the lab week are not only really fun, but also impressive from a technical point of view: intuitive, ergonomic and user-centred control concepts have been developed that impressively demonstrate the potential of interdisciplinary, practical formats.

Interested in working together?

The BUSSE HMI Lab and BUSSE team are happy to assist companies, universities and project partners with workshops, collaborations and joint development projects. Let's shape the future of human-machine interaction together!

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The University of Design from the outside.

Die Stundenten basteln an ihrem Projekt.

The students sit together at the table and work on their laptops.

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Maila Thon, Senior UI/UX Designer, Project Manager

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Das moderne BUSSE DESIGN+ENGINEERING Headquarter mit großen Glasfenstern wird von innen beleuchtet und hebt sich vom dunkler werdenden Himmel während der Dämmerung ab. Das Bild zeigt architektonisches Design und natürliche Beleuchtungseffekte.