Alin Albu-Schäffer, grew up in a German-speaking region of Romania. He has been working for DLR since 1995, first while studying for his doctorate, then as a researcher and, since June 2009, as the head of the Mechatronic Components and Systems Department. His professional career, which started with studies at the Technical University in the Romanian city of Timisoara - with a focus on robotics, is single-minded. "A fascination for robotics is something you get as a child."