Joint M.Sc. in Bionics Engineering
The IMT School contributes to the educational offers of the Master’s Degree in Bionics Engineering of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and the University of Pisa.
The Master’s Degree in Bionics Engineering is a two-year programme. Theoretical and practical courses are held in the classrooms and laboratories of the University of Pisa’s School of Engineering and at the Institute of Biorobotics of the Scuola Sant’Anna.
Students will acquire the fundamentals of biorobotics and neural engineering science and technology. They will also be progressively trained in multidisciplinary research through a fruitful collaboration with scientists from diverse fields such as medicine, biology and neuroscience, as well as specialists in rehabilitation and surgery, pioneers in emerging industrial sectors and social scientists.
By the end of the programme, students will enrich their background with specialised skills in the following engineering areas:
- Mechatronics
- Robotics
- Biomedical robotics
- Micro/Nano technologies
- Telerobotics
- Biomimetics and bio-inspired design of robotic platforms
- Neural prosthetics
- Wearable and implantable technologies
- Advanced simulation environments.
Modern bionic engineers must master the complete development cycle of bionic devices: from identifying user needs to designing, developing and validating prototypes in relevant environments. Reflecting this vision, our programme offers a balanced combination of theoretical lectures, practical sessions and research activities in world-class laboratories.
Students will gain hands-on experience through:
- Designing, developing and testing social robots and smart environments for assisted living, active aging and wellbeing.
- Developing neural prostheses using neural tissue engineering and neural interfaces.
- Creating artificial and bioartificial organs.
- Engineering systems that mimic natural senses.
- Designing micro/nano-robots.
- Analysing brain functions and developing new neuroimaging methodologies.
- Developing bioinspired/biomimetic robots replicating human/animal functions.
- Creating advanced prosthetic/orthotic devices for movement assistance and rehabilitation.
- Designing miniaturised systems for minimally-invasive therapy and regenerative medicine.
- Developing advanced biomaterials for human-robot implantable interfaces.
- Creating advanced biosignal acquisition and processing methods.
The two-year programme culminates in a Master's degree awarded to students who complete all academic requirements and successfully defend a thesis.
Thesis projects may be conducted in collaboration with industry partners or international universities, and such collaborations are strongly encouraged.
The Master's Degree in Bionics Engineering features a core curriculum, mandatory courses, humanities courses and a variety of electives. At the end of the first year, students choose between two specialised tracks:
- Neural Engineering Track: Focuses on neuro-instrumentation, neural interfaces, neural signal acquisition and processing, neural networks, bioinspired sensing systems and the design of robots that mimic social behaviours;
- Biorobotics Track: Centres on the development of humanoid and animaloid robot models, wearable robots, implantable bionic organs, artificial upper and lower limbs, robotic platforms for diagnosis, surgery, rehabilitation, computational biomechanics, micro/nano-robots and biomaterials.
The Master's Degree in Bionics Engineering aims to train engineers with a solid background, particularly in the areas of bioengineering, biorobotics and neural engineering, but also with clear, high-level research-oriented skills. Graduates will possess a high-quality curriculum which, in addition to opening opportunities for high-level academic positions, will also attract direct interest from many innovative companies operating in various high-tech sectors. The multidisciplinary training received will enable graduates in Bionics Engineering to hold high-profile roles in these industrial fields, particularly regarding the design, development and commercialisation of bionic devices, neural prosthetics, computer-integrated platforms, assistive technologies for disabled persons, medical devices, rehabilitation systems and micro/nano therapeutic systems.
Specifically, Bionics Engineering graduates can pursue the following professions:
- Researcher in universities, research centres, hospitals and industries;
- Designer or production manager of advanced medical devices and automated therapeutic systems in bioengineering industries;
- Designer or production manager of advanced smart materials for medical and technological applications;
- Technical and/or commercial product specialist for companies operating in biorobotics and neural engineering;
- Consultant and freelance professional in various bionics-related sectors.
All details regarding admission requirements and the complete course list are available on the University of Pisa website and the degree programme's official website.