06 July 2026
MEKON’26 Was Held with the Participation of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering!
MEKON’26 – the International Mechatronics Student Conference, was held on June 25–26, 2026, hosted by Istanbul Gelişim University with the participation of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering. During the two-day conference, current academic and industry research in the field of mechatronics was discussed through special sessions, presentations by industry representatives, and simultaneous paper sessions.
MEKON’26—the International Mechatronics Student Conference, which brought together young researchers, academics, and industry representatives in the field of mechatronics—was held on June 25–26, 2026, hosted by Istanbul Gelişim University. Organized in collaboration between Istanbul Gelişim University and the Association of Mechatronics Engineers, the conference featured special sessions, paper presentations, and academic exchanges over the course of two days.
MEKON’26, which covers mechatronics engineering—as well as robotics, automation, control systems, artificial intelligence applications, sensor technologies, industrial automation, mobile robots, micro/nano mechatronics, autonomous systems, and interdisciplinary engineering applications, provided students with the opportunity to present their scientific work and receive feedback from expert academics and industry representatives. The conference served as an important platform for supporting academic research, strengthening university-industry collaboration, and developing young researchers’ scientific communication skills.
On June 25, the first day of the conference, the program began with the opening session. The opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Nihat AKKUŞ, Chair of the MEKON Conference. In his remarks, Prof. AKKUŞ provided detailed information about the conference’s purpose, scope, and this year’s theme, offering participants a general overview.
Next, Prof. Hamdi Alper ÖZYİĞİT, Co-Chair of the MEKON Conference and Chair of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering at Istanbul Gelişim University, addressed the participants. Prof. ÖZYİĞİT spoke about current developments in the field of mechatronics and the importance of university-industry collaborations, emphasizing the conference’s significance in this regard.
The program continued with a speech by Muhammed Abdullah ÖZVER, Chairman of the Association of Mechatronics Engineers. ÖZVER shared information about the association’s activities, current needs in the sector, and initiatives aimed at the development of young engineers.
Prof. Bayram ÜNAL, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at Istanbul Gelişim University, introduced the faculty’s activities to the participants in his speech, outlining the faculty’s academic vision, ongoing projects, and international collaborations.
Finally, Abdülkadir GAYRETLİ, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Istanbul Gelişim University, delivered a speech. GAYRETLİ shared his thoughts on the university’s educational philosophy, its future goals, and the contribution of such scientific events to institutional development.
In the opening remarks, it was emphasized that MEKON’26 is an important event that brings academic work in the field of mechatronics to the forefront, supports students’ active participation in scientific research processes, and creates a strong foundation for knowledge sharing among different institutions. Following the speeches, Abdülkadir GAYRETLİ, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Istanbul Gelişim University, presented plaques and certificates of appreciation to MEKON Conference Chair Prof. Nihat AKKUŞ and Muhammed Abdullah ÖZVER, Chairman of the Association of Mechatronics Engineers.
Following the opening ceremony, the conference’s first special session took place. Samed TUNCER from FANUC gave a presentation in which he shared his industry experience and current practices in his field with the participants. After the presentation, Samed TUNCER was presented with a plaque and a certificate of appreciation. Following the special session, the paper presentations began simultaneously in three separate sessions and continued until lunchtime.
MEKON’26, which covers mechatronics engineering—as well as robotics, automation, control systems, artificial intelligence applications, sensor technologies, industrial automation, mobile robots, micro/nano mechatronics, autonomous systems, and interdisciplinary engineering applications, provided students with the opportunity to present their scientific work and receive feedback from expert academics and industry representatives. The conference served as an important platform for supporting academic research, strengthening university-industry collaboration, and developing young researchers’ scientific communication skills.
On June 25, the first day of the conference, the program began with the opening session. The opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Nihat AKKUŞ, Chair of the MEKON Conference. In his remarks, Prof. AKKUŞ provided detailed information about the conference’s purpose, scope, and this year’s theme, offering participants a general overview.
Next, Prof. Hamdi Alper ÖZYİĞİT, Co-Chair of the MEKON Conference and Chair of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering at Istanbul Gelişim University, addressed the participants. Prof. ÖZYİĞİT spoke about current developments in the field of mechatronics and the importance of university-industry collaborations, emphasizing the conference’s significance in this regard.
The program continued with a speech by Muhammed Abdullah ÖZVER, Chairman of the Association of Mechatronics Engineers. ÖZVER shared information about the association’s activities, current needs in the sector, and initiatives aimed at the development of young engineers.
Prof. Bayram ÜNAL, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at Istanbul Gelişim University, introduced the faculty’s activities to the participants in his speech, outlining the faculty’s academic vision, ongoing projects, and international collaborations.
Finally, Abdülkadir GAYRETLİ, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Istanbul Gelişim University, delivered a speech. GAYRETLİ shared his thoughts on the university’s educational philosophy, its future goals, and the contribution of such scientific events to institutional development.
In the opening remarks, it was emphasized that MEKON’26 is an important event that brings academic work in the field of mechatronics to the forefront, supports students’ active participation in scientific research processes, and creates a strong foundation for knowledge sharing among different institutions. Following the speeches, Abdülkadir GAYRETLİ, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Istanbul Gelişim University, presented plaques and certificates of appreciation to MEKON Conference Chair Prof. Nihat AKKUŞ and Muhammed Abdullah ÖZVER, Chairman of the Association of Mechatronics Engineers.
Following the opening ceremony, the conference’s first special session took place. Samed TUNCER from FANUC gave a presentation in which he shared his industry experience and current practices in his field with the participants. After the presentation, Samed TUNCER was presented with a plaque and a certificate of appreciation. Following the special session, the paper presentations began simultaneously in three separate sessions and continued until lunchtime.
As part of MEKON’26, students from the Department of Mechatronics Engineering also participated in the conference with the papers they prepared. In this context, Serhat DENİZGEZEN presented the “Door Lock System” project, supervised by Assoc. Prof. Engin ERBAYRAK;
İsmail Buğra KARATAŞ and Can ÜLKER presented the “Effect of Nanomaterials on the Absorption of Radio Waves” project, supervised by Asst. Prof. Cansu NOBERİ;
Emirhan AKKAYA, Süleyman Emre AYTAÇ and Ahmet Hakan YILDIRIM presented the “Smart Recycling System for Waste Material Sorting Using Multiple Sensors and Artificial Intelligence” supervised by Assoc. Prof. Kenan ŞENTÜRK;
Gizem ŞENTÜRK presented the project “Development of an Autonomous Anti-Missile Architecture Based on Inertial Navigation and an Infrared Seeker Head in GPS-Independent Environments” supervised by Asst. Prof. Safar POURABBAS. The students’ presentations at the conference demonstrated our department’s academic approach to fostering a culture of research at the undergraduate level and highlighted the students’ ability to take an active role in scientific activities.
On the afternoon of the first day, as part of another special session, Barış HAZNEDAR from 4BH met with the participants. In his presentation, Barış HAZNEDAR shared his insights on industry applications and current developments in the field of mechatronics. Following the presentation, he was presented with a plaque and a certificate of appreciation by Prof. Hamdi Alper ÖZYİĞİT, Co-Chair of the MEKON Conference and Chair of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering at Istanbul Gelişim University. The program continued with paper presentations following the special session.
On June 26, the second day of the conference, the program began with special sessions. In the first special session of the day, Erman CAR from METALLICO gave a presentation. Following that, Specialist Aleyna İŞLER from the Department of Materials Science and Nanotechnology at Yeditepe University shared her knowledge and experience with the participants. Following the special sessions, Asst. Prof. Cansu NOBERİ presented plaques and certificates of appreciation to Erman CAR and Specialist Aleyna İŞLER.
The second day’s program continued with paper presentations held simultaneously in three separate sessions following the special sessions. During the sessions, which lasted until noon, participants had the opportunity to present their work in mechatronics and related engineering fields in an academic setting. The presentations not only fostered scientific interaction among participants from different universities but also contributed to the evaluation and feedback processes for the work of young researchers.
During the special session held in the afternoon, Eren BAŞSAKA from SMC gave a presentation. Following the presentation, which drew attention for its industry-focused content, Prof. Hamdi Alper ÖZYİĞİT presented Eren BAŞSAKA with a plaque and a certificate of appreciation. The program continued with the presentation of papers, bringing the conference’s academic sessions to a close.
MEKON’26, which took place over two days with strong attendance, concluded with a closing ceremony. A group photo was taken with the participants at the closing ceremony to immortalize the memory of the conference. MEKON’26 reinforced Istanbul Gelişim University’s vision of hosting scientific events while providing a productive environment for students, academics, and industry representatives working in the field of mechatronics to share ideas.
