People

About me

Jose Luis Martinez Lastra currently works as Professor at FAST-Lab., Tampere University (FINLAND). Jose L. does research in Automation, Industrial Informatics, Industrial Cyberphysical Systems, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. The main application domains for Jose L. research are: Factory Automation, Healthcare Automation and Smart Mobility.

About me

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Tampere University. I received a PhD in Engineering Sciences from Tampere University in 2024, a M.Sc. in Automation Engineering from the Tampere University of Technology in 2017 and a B.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Jordan in 2010. Currently, My duties mainly include contributing to the research activities in research and innovation projects at FAST-Lab, preparing and writing proposals for research and innovation projects. My research interests included Robotics, Digital Twins, Knowledge-based Reasoning Engines and Factory Automation.

Responsibilities

My responsibilities comprise of:

• Conducting research and development tasks related to FAST-Lab research projects,
• Supervising and examining theses of master's degree students,
• Supporting some teaching activities,
• Participating in preparation and writing of HE proposals.

Field of expertise

I have substantial experience in the following areas:

• Elevators : KONE Elevators
• Industrial Robots: ABB, OMRON Adept, KUKA
• Industrial Controllers: Siemens, Omron
• Industrial Communication Protocols: OPC UA, EtherCAT, ProfiBus, CAN
• Traffic Management Systems: RedFlex 
• Programming languages: C/C++, JAVA, NodeJS, Python, Matlab, frontend web apps.
• 3d Modelling: Solidworks, Blender, AutoCAD
• Others: Microsoft Office, Google Web Apps

Research unit

Future Automation Systems and Technologies (FAST-Lab)

Research fields

Robotics, Automation, Knowledge Reasoning, AI

About me

Project Manager in FAST-Lab research group

Responsibilities

EU research project management, and duties of the closest supervisor in the research team

About me

Samuel Olaiya Afolaranmi is a researcher at Tampere University. He received a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mechanical Engineering from the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria in 2008, B.Sc. in Systems Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in 2010, and M.Sc. in Automation Engineering from Tampere University of Technology, Finland in 2018. Samuel worked in the telecommunications and Industrial automation sector in Nigeria between 2011 and 2014. He is currently working in different EU-funded research projects, and he is also involved in collaborating with researchers from different European countries for the purpose of writing proposals to seek funding from published EU calls within the domains of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Circular Economy. His research interests include Robotics, AI, Cyber-physical systems, Smart environments, and Security.

Responsibilities

• Managing EU funded research and innovation projects
• Conducting research related to AI, robotics and smart environments
• Preparation of EU Horizon Europe proposals
• Supporting B.Sc./M.Sc. teaching activites

Field of expertise

• Industrial robot programming (ABB, FANUC and Yaskawa)
• Industrial communication protocols (ProfiBus, CAN etc)
• Project management

Research unit

Future Automation Systems and Technologies (FAST-Lab)

Research fields

Robotics, Automation and AI

About me

Saigopal Vasudevan is a Project Researcher for the FASTLab research group, at Tampere University. He has a B.E (bachelor’s degree) in Mechanical Engineering from Anna University, India in 2016 and a M.Sc. in Factory Automation and Industrial Engineering from Tampere University, Finland in 2019.
Mr. Vasudevan has worked in the automation industry as a Roboticist for a year, between 2016 and 2017.
He is currently working in the project REMODEL from the EU H2020 funding program (2019-2023); where the aim is to develop hardware and software technologies to manipulate complex Deformable Linear Objects (DLOs) using robotic manipulators.
He is also working in the project AGILEHAND from the Horizon Europe funding program (2023-2025); where the aim is to develop intelligent and rapid configurable production lines for the Mindful and Nimble Manipulation of Heterogenous and Mobile Organic Objects.
He was also working in the project AISOLA of the INSO profiling action (2020-2021), which is funded by the academy of Finland; whose objective is to assess social isolation and to prevent the onset of perceived loneliness in older adults, with a focus on developing and utilizing dedicated AI systems.
In addition to working as a researcher, he also involved in collaborating for proposals, representing Tampere University, for the Horizon funding program of the EU with considerable success.
Mr. Vasudevan’s interests include Robotics, Bimanual Robot Manipulation, AI systems, Industrial Informatics & Automation, Industrial Design and Rapid-Protyping

Responsibilities

Conducting research and executing Technical tasks.
Contributing to publications and project deliverables.
Managing personnel efforts on Task and Work Package level, co-ordination of dissemmination activities.
Scheduling the execution of tasks and ensuring relevant milestones are achieved.
Writing proposals for future projects' funding.

Research unit

ENS

About me

Research assistant at FAST-Lab, specializing in deep learning, computer vision, and AI-based Automation. My research revolves around multi-modal sensor fusion, transformer-based models, and robotic manipulation of deformable objects. I am particularly interested in integrating AI-driven perception systems with real-world robotic applications for smart manufacturing and automation.

I am currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Computer Science at Tampere University, specializing in Machine Learning and have experience working with deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and OpenCV, along with embedded AI platforms. My work focuses on designing AI models that enhance robotic adaptability in dynamic environments.

Research unit

Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences