Facilities

Source: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/about-um/faculties/psychology-and-neuroscience/facilities Parent: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/

Instrumentation Engineering (IE)

As part of the Faculty Office, Instrumentation Engineering develops, designs and realises innovative technical products and solutions not available on the market. We support the university’s core tasks, research and teaching in two ways.

• We remove technological obstacles, allowing the development of commercially unavailable technology that enables researchers to apply new research methods and carry out unique research. Allowing them to lead in research, enhancing Maastricht University as a whole and the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience in particular as a research institution.
• We carry out safeguarding activities (repairs, maintenance, registration and safety) to ensure the operational lifespan and safety of the equipment used for education and research in the central research labs.

Research facilities

FPN has many laboratories and mobile research setups for carrying out research, including MRI scanners and EEG laboratories. It also has data-processing rooms with modern computers for analysing and processing data.

You can find more information on all research facilities, and rules and regulations on the   Intranet.

Services

Portfolio\ Instrumentation Engineering develops technology in the following work fields:

• Virtual Reality
• SOTO
• Mobile Apps
• Serious Gaming
• Experimental Designs
• MR compatible hardware

To the right you will find examples of projects that we have developed for research and education at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. For a full overview of all our projects you can visit our   portfolio website.

Contact\ Huub Hamers, Manager Instrumentation Engineering\   043-38 81919\   h.hamers@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Virtual Reality - Spider Conditioning

The goal of this study was to examine avoidance behaviour in spider-fearful persons. During every trial, three of the doors have symbols: either a circle, a triangle or a square, counterbalanced for role. The participant has to select and approach one, starting from the center. After reaching the door, it will open and reveal either a coin (small reward), 5 coins (large reward) or a spider (punishment/aversive stimulus).

SOTO - Work-Home Interaction

The goal was to gain more insight on the daily variation of wellbeing and the interaction between work and leisure time. Is it possible to decrease work related stress by improving the balance between work and leisure time?

Mobile Apps - ThinkSlim!

The goal of the ThinkSlim! Project is to help people on a diet maintain a negative energy balance by improving dysfunctional eating behaviour. The system utilises Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) to help participants analyse and transform dysfunctional thoughts about eating into functional thoughts. The system collects data for research purposes and acts as an Automated Coach to the user.

Serious Gaming - The Eatwell Game

The Eatwell serious game is currently in development at Instrumentation Engineering. In this game the particpant can "run" his/her own virtual restaurant. The participant has to complete memory tasks in the form in mini-games. Participation is rewarded in visual upgrades for the participant's restaurant.

Experimental Designs - MRKT

We have developed a presentation version of the MRKT (Motorische Reactie-Keuze Test). In this experiment a box with 6 buttons is used. The subject has to keep a base button pressed. When one of the 5 other buttons light up, the subject has to release the base button and press the lighted button. Both the release time of the base button and the reaction time for the target button are measured. The experiment also reports whether you have pressed the correct button or not.

MR Compatible Hardware - Medium Exvivo Coil

The Medium Exvivo Coil is a 16-channel receive array for Exvivo use. The coil will be used in a field of 9.4T and is custom-built by Instrumentation Engineering.

Research Support Department

The Research Support Department (RSD) assist researchers with large scale research projects and logistically complex studies. RSD employees are involved in scientific research on a by-project basis. They assist with the logistic design of research projects and have experience with the practical execution of scientific research.

RSD also maintains the Test Subject Database of the faculty. This database hosts details of healthy persons of 18 years and older who have voluntarily submitted themselves for test subject research.

For questions and more information contact Rosanne Janssen at: rosanne.janssen@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Core duties

• administrative organisation and logistic planning surrounding research, including
• coordination of large-scale research (e.g. multicentre trials), including
• implementation/execution, including
• client contact, including
• functional design, implementation on application level and application management, including