Project details

In Riihimäki, upper secondary and higher education in robotics is also developed through collaborative projects. The City of Riihimäki, Häme University of Applied Sciences and Hyria Education have joined together to create an authentic, actively developed care robotics learning environment. Other projects have involved the provision of joint robotics teaching and study material and the purchasing of robotics equipment. We actively cooperate to strengthen and improve the continuum of robotics teaching.

Find out more about our projects!

Robo CO. – Robots and AI as future colleagues 1 Sep 2023 to 31 March 2026 (ESF+)

The project is a joint project of the City of Riihimäki, Häme University of Applied Sciences and Hyria. The key objective of the project is to strengthen skills in work change.

According to research, the future of work transformation will contribute to a reduction in routine tasks and the acceleration of other tasks, and enable increased creativity and insight in work tasks supported by robotics and AI applications.

The transformation of work will affect every sector, and the application of robotics and AI will be a skill for every sector. This project aims to strengthen students’ work-based skills in robotics and AI by providing opportunities for collaboration with companies and by strengthening the possibilities for students to make connections with the world of work.

The project will develop the robotics and AI competences of teaching and guidance staff by designing and delivering in-service training. This will strengthen the pedagogical skills and application of robotics and AI in every profession.

The project will explore, investigate and pilot the potential of a virtual learning environment for the development of robotics and AI competences and explore national and international cooperation networks.

The project supports the implementation of the objectives of the Renewable and Competent Finland 2021-2027 programme’s specific objective 4.2, the Häme Union’s Smart Specialisation Strategy, the SMART Häme strategy, as well as the City of Riihimäki’s urban strategy and the strategic objectives of Häme University of Applied Sciences and Hyria.

The project is a joint project of the Robotiikkakampus actors. The project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF+).

Robotics Campus – Scale up! 1. Feb 2023 to 31. march 2024

The City of Riihimäki and Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) are together developing a robotics competence and innovation center as a part of the Robotics Campus – Scale up! project. The city and HAMK invite growth companies in the region to develop a joint innovation ecosystem and utilize robotics and automation.

The project aims to enhance regional and international collaboration and promote robotics education, expertise, research, and innovation. The project consists of two components. The first component focuses on developing future skills. The project pilots further education in robotics for European school teachers in basic education. Furthermore, the project includes drafting an international project funding application for the development of robotics education.

The city of Riihimäki already includes robotics education in the curriculum from early childhood education to high school. Robotics studies can be continued in both vocational and higher education in Riihimäki. With the help of the project funding, HAMK strengthens its international offering of robotics education in the region.

The project receives support of 173,506 euros from the national funding allocated for regional development (AKKE) managed by the Häme Region.

Robo Care 1 Sep 2021 to 31 Aug 2023 (ERDF)

The Covid-19 pandemic introduced special requirements for health safety in care environments at a time when the shortage of nursing staff was turning into a major issue in Finland. Many stakeholders in society are increasingly looking to technology and robotics to solve these challenges. The project will test the use of four different robots as part of the daily life and care in a residential care home. The project will also build a prototype of a logistics robot. The project observes and studies the cooperation between robots and people, usability of robots and the perceived quality of care. Project activities are carried out by Riihikoti care home, care companies and services for older people.

The project’s objective is to identify possibilities that robotics can offer in care processes and everyday interactive care. The project will create a roadmap for care robotics, which will also provide a vision for the post-project development of the Robo Riihikoti learning and product development environment and Robohuone.

The project also includes the Robo Care investment project.

The main implementer of the project is the City of Riihimäki, and the co-implementers are Häme University of Applied Sciences and Hyria Education.

Riihimäki Robotics Learning 1 Aug 2019 to 31 Dec 2021 (ESF)

Robotics is becoming part of everyday life at an increasing pace. For that reason, it is important that robotics skills are developed with clear goals and a well-defined learning path through the educational system. Collaboration with upper secondary and higher education is vital. The Riihimäki Robotics Learning project created the Basics of Robotics course that can be completed by students at Häme University of Applied Sciences, Hyria Education and Riihimäen lukio general upper secondary school. The project has also designed and implemented sectoral robotics courses for vocational and higher education. The new robotics curriculum (25 credits) was launched at Riihimäen lukio general upper secondary school on 1 August 2021. These robotics studies can be accredited as degree studies at Häme University of Applied Sciences.

The Riihimäki Robotics Learning project also organised the Finnish Championships in Robotics held at Riihimäki Sports Hall in 2020 and remotely in 2021. Many other events have also been held, such as the Robotics Ethics lecture series, an afternoon event in the public library, several workshops and, together with the Robotics into Use project, the Riksun Robopäivät event.

The main implementer of the project is the City of Riihimäki, and the co-implementers are Häme University of Applied Sciences and Hyria Education.

Robotics into Use (Robo Riksu) 1 Aug 2018 to 30 Jun 2021 (ERDF)

Companies’ and service providers’ desire and need to put robotics into use are growing, while the development of multidisciplinary competences in robotics is only in its infancy. The Robotics into Use project implemented robotics product development and learning environments, and improved collaboration among companies. The project was guided through a start-up incubator path and participated in the activities of Riihimäki Business Park and Häme Design Factory. Networking and finding productive ways to collaborate were central to the project. However, as the Covid-19 pandemic closed educational institutions and companies at a critical time in March 2019, the metrics set for the project in terms of business cooperation were not met. Learning platforms acquired for the project included Pepper, Unitree A1, Paro and VEX learning environment equipment. Various experiments were conducted with robots in several environments, especially as the pandemic eased. An open event, Riksun Robopäivät, was held twice, once together with the Riihimäki Robotics Learning project.

The RDI environment set up by the project in Riihikoti residential care home for older people attracted major interest. In Riihikoti’s Robohuone room, residents, family members, nurses, students, researchers, product developers and equipment manufacturers could try out and test care robotics in a real care environment. A major success was the creation of the Robotics Campus consortium, where educational institutions and companies can collaborate and build up expertise in robotics in the region.

Robotics into Use collaborated with many other projects, such as Riihimäki Robotics Learning (ESF), Yhteistyörobotiikka – Robotiikan toinen sukupolvi (Collaborative Robotics – Second Generation of Robotics, ERDF) and Häme Design Factory (ERDF).

The main implementer of the project was the City of Riihimäki, and the co-implementers were Häme University of Applied Sciences and Hyria Education.