DEEC marks its presence at the largest-ever edition of Técnico’s Open Day
On April 18, 2026, Técnico once again opened its doors to the community. The School welcomed more than 3,300 visitors in the largest Open Day ever. Throughout the event, hundreds of people of different age groups visited several spaces of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
During the morning, visitors toured the laboratories of electrical machines, quantum photonics, instrumentation and measurement, and the Institute for Systems and Robotics. In the first lab, visitors had the opportunity to observe experiments with superconductors and magnetic levitation, conducted by Professor João Fernandes.
In the quantum photonics laboratories, Professor Emmanuel Cruzeiro spoke about his research in quantum information and optics, addressing how quantum communication works and introducing the facility that hosts the coldest atoms in Portugal.
In the area of artificial intelligence and robotics, visitors met members of SocRob@Home and saw Bob, the robot that the team will take this year to RoboCup in South Korea, in action. After a brief introduction by Bárbara Teixeira and the team, a practical demonstration of a domestic task was carried out: the robot successfully recognized its surroundings, picked up an object, and placed it in the intended location.
In the instrumentation and measurement laboratory, visitors explored a model airport runway and attended a presentation on key technologies, including a demonstration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) for low-visibility landings. The activity was led by Professor Pedro Vítor.
Also in the morning, the first session of “Talks with Scientists,” titled “Blackouts: how to make telecommunications networks more reliable?”, took place in the main pavilion. During the session, Professor Luís Correia discussed topics such as services and terminals, the basic characteristics of fixed and mobile networks, requirements, sources of disruption, and issues related to the resilience and robustness of telecommunications.
In the afternoon, visitors learned about the ARGUS nanosatellite and watched a demonstration of its remote control, image capture, and reception at the ground station in the LE-PT teaching laboratory. The presentation was led by Professors Gonçalo Tavares and João Paulo Monteiro, along with Manuel Santos, an embedded systems engineer at IST NanosatLab.
Meanwhile, the Faraday Museum remained open throughout the day. Guided tours were led by Professors Moisés Piedade, Maria João, Carlos Ferreira Fernandes, and Custódio Peixeiro. Participants explored the evolution of technological devices used in everyday life. The visits were adapted to different age groups and included several interactive moments, allowing visitors to handle various devices, from telephones to video games.
Alongside the guided visits, the main pavilion hosted several sessions dedicated to Técnico’s academic programs. The “Courses and Pathways” talks included sessions on degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Telecommunications and Informatics Engineering, Electronic Engineering, and General Engineering. These sessions were led by students from the respective programs.
In addition to the course sessions, the main pavilion also hosted a science fair featuring representatives from research centers such as INESC-ID and the Institute for Systems and Robotics, as well as student groups from DEEC programs.
Some students affiliated with INESC-ID also organized activities for children up to 12 years old as part of the initiative “Science for the Little Ones”.
Student groups were also present in the main hall. Visitors spoke with members of AeroTéc, dedicated to aerospace projects; Técnico Solar Boat, which develops solar-powered autonomous boats; the Mobile Energy Sustainability Project, focused on electric vehicle efficiency; Formula Student, which builds formula-style cars; Técnico Fuel Cell, developing hydrogen-powered vehicles; TLMoto, focused on electric motorcycles; ISTrain, working on its first electric locomotive; and LISAT, focused on satellite technology.
This edition of the Open Day welcomed more than 4,000 participants, including visitors, professors, staff, researchers, and Técnico students.