The history of KVTaR is related to the gradual transformation and restructuring of specialized work teams focused on the issue of robotics of originally tribal departments, which was related to the historical development of FME TU (VŠT). The roots of production technology and robotics at the FME TU have been going on since 1973, when the Department of Production Processes and Systems (KVPaS) was established by the division of the Department of Machining Technology under the leadership of prof. Ing. Ján Buda, DrSc, where a work team dealing with robotics began to form. Under this name, the newly transformed department was active until 1981, when its name was changed to the Department of Automation and Technology (KAaR), the management was entrusted to doc. Ing. Milan Kovac, CSc. In šk. r. 1982/1983, four departments were established at the department, from the point of view of continuity it is necessary to mention: Department of Industrial Robots and Robotized Systems, under the leadership of doc. Ing. Ladislav Hrádocký, CSc. and Department of Elements and Nodes of Automated Devices, headed by doc. Ing. Ivana Gótsa, CSc. - while the department was located at the Dislocated workplace of the FME VŠT in Prešov.
KAaR in this structure was functional until sk. r. 1985/1986, when the Department of Instrumentation and Automation Technology (KPaAT) was established in Prešov under the leadership of doc. Ing. Dušan Šimšík, CSc. The department had: Department of Instrumentation and Automation Technology and Department of Industrial Robots and Manipulators. At the same time, the Central Laboratories of Automation and Robotics (CLAR) were established at the FME, under the leadership of prof. Ing. Jan Budu, DrSc.
Pursuant to the Agreement of 26 April 1988 between the University of Economics in Košice (represented by its Rector, Prof. Ing. Alojz Pažák, DrSc. And the Dean of the FME Prof. Ján Bud, DrSc) and the VUKOV Group (represented by its General Director Prof. Ing. Vladimír Čopom, DrSc.) Was established on May 1, 1988 a new department of FME VŠT, Department of Industrial Robotics (KPR), which was located in the premises of VUKOV and Prešov and was organizationally part of the Detached Office of FME TU in Prešov. KPR was one of the two specialized departments in what was then Czechoslovakia (another at VŠB FS in Ostrava) focused on the issue of robotics in the whole range, from the construction of robotic devices to the operation of robotic systems. The head of the department was appointed prof. Ing. Vladimir Cop, DrSc. Specialists from VUKOV and Prešov, which was at this time the responsible and central research institute for robotics in Czechoslovakia, actively cooperated in the construction and start-up of CPR. In r. In 1989, KPR was transferred to the VŠT buildings in Prešov and, following the new term of office of the FME in r. In 1991/1992, doc. Ing. Juraj Smrcek, CSc.
In šk. r. 1990/1991 due to the systematic arrangement of study fields within the FME, the original KAaR was divided into two separate departments, namely the Department of Production Innovations (KVI), under the leadership of prof. Ing. Milan Kováč, DrSc. and the Department of Automated Production Systems (KAVS), headed by doc. Ing. Ladislav Hrádocký, CSc. KAVS had four departments, due to other connections it is necessary to mention: Department of elements and subsystems of automated production systems, headed by doc. Ing. Mikulas Hajduk, CSc.
In 1996, the Detached Workplace of the FME TU in Prešov was transformed into the Institute of Automation and Robotics in Prešov (ÚATaR) headed by the director prof. Ing. Ivan Góts, CSc. KPaAT under the leadership of doc. Ing. Tomáš Saloky, CSc. and CPR under the leadership of doc. Ing. Juraj Smrček, PhD. Due to the decision of the management of FME TU, the ICSC in Prešov was abolished in 1998, subsequently KPaAT and KPR were transferred to the headquarters of FME TU, Košice, while CPR was restructured to the Department of Robotics (KR), under the leadership of prof. Ing. Mikuláš Hajduk, PhD. KR was composed of CPR employees and selected employees of KVI, KAVS and KPaAT. Organizationally, the department was organized as the Department of Robotics located in Prešov and the Department of Robotic Systems located in Košice. This situation was until June 30, 2001, when, by decision of the Dean of the FME, teaching in Prešov was terminated and the Department of Robotics moved to Košice. KR in this arrangement was active until 31.08.2002, when KR and KVT were merged into KVTaR. Subsequently, in 2015, the KVTaR department was divided into KVT and KR departments. In 2020, these departments were reunited.
Graphic development of the department of production technology and robotics