UT in 'We Gaan Het Maken'

Saturday 13 March 2021

Tune in to NPO 1 at 21.30 on 22 March for the final episode of the BNNVARA series We gaan het maken (We’re Going to Make It). In this programme, five UT researchers help people with disabilities to find a solution that will change their lives. This is in line with the University’s goal to contribute research and technology to improve people’s well-being and offer them a better future.

Together with presenter Patrick Lodiers and armed with the latest techniques in their field, researchers Edwin Dertien, Wouter Eggink, Khiet Truong, Arjan van Hessen, and Hellen van Rees try to make the impossible possible. The programme provides a glimpse into the creative minds of people who dare to pioneer and are not afraid to tackle problems that others think are unsolvable.

LAST EPISODE: 22 MARCH

In the final episode, fashion/textile designer and UT researcher Hellen van Rees makes a special coat for Nynke (31). Nynke has a rare muscle disease that reduces the strength in her upper arms and upper legs. This means that she needs help putting on and taking off her coat, which she finds annoying. Finally, inventor Astrid Poot tries to find a solution for Camiel (28), who can’t go to the toilet on his own due to a disability.

Watch previous episodes online

We gaan het maken is a four-episode series, and the first two episodes are now available for free online. In the first episode , which was broadcast on 1 March, researcher Edwin Dertien makes it possible for Johannes to continue his birdwatching and photography hobby. In the second episode, which originally aired on 8 March, Hellen van Rees makes a UV-resistant mask for a father who’s allergic to sunlight, so he can go outside with his children again. The second story in episode 2 is about a mother who has lost her fingers and legs due to a pneumococcal infection. UT researcher Wouter Eggink (Engineering Technology) makes a device for her that allows her to climb stairs on her own again. The third episode follows UT researcher Edwin Dertien as he works on a game controller for Marc (26), who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which causes his muscle tissue to die. It also shows UT researcher Khiet Truong and Arjan van Hessen working on a speech computer for Joel (16). Joel has a speech impediment due to a severe form of cerebral palsy.

Participating UT researchers

Edwin Dertien

Edwin Dertien is an enthusiastic creator, lecturer (Creative Technology) researcher and creative robot designer with the EEMCS faculty’s RaM department. His research builds bridges between the soft skills of designers and co-designers and the hard skills of engineers. Dertien works at the University of Twente and elsewhere on robots for industrial and healthcare applications and works of art.

Wouter Eggink

Wouter Eggink is a design professional and design researcher with the Faculty of Engineering Technology. Eggink is specifically interested in the relationships between design, technology and society. Eggink teaches several courses (Design Histories and Create the Future) on this subject in the Master’s study programmes in Industrial Design Engineering.

Khiet Truong

Khiet Truong works at the EEMCS faculty’s HMI department and conducts research on the automated analysis of nonverbal aspects of speech communication (e.g. laughter) in human-human and human-machine interaction with the goal to make automatic speech recognition more intelligent. She also lectures on speech processing, affective computing and interaction technology.

Arjan van Hessen

Arjan van Hessen is affiliated with the HMI department of EEMCS and works on language and speech technology. Van Hessen worked among others for the well-known Belgian company Lernout & Hauspie which can be considered a pioneer in the field of speech technology.

Hellen van Rees

Hellen van Rees is a fashion/textile designer and researcher. She studied Fashion Design at ArtEZ in Arnhem and Fashion Womenswear at Central Saint Martins in London. She’s discovered how much fun it is to use her design skills in applied science projects and collaborations. She is involved in projects at the University of Twente with the Engineering Technology department and the DesignLab.