The department was located in a post-factory building on Gdańska Street, corner of Żwirki Street. The first head and organizer was the pre-war professor of the Warsaw University of Technology, Dr. Boleslaw Dubicki, later a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The primary teaching task of the Department was to teach subjects related to the theory of electrical machines in the general course and specialized teaching in the construction, design and operation of electrical machines and transformers in combination with laboratory classes. These main tasks have remained relevant to this day in a form that keeps pace with the progress of science and technology, and have been expanded in recent years to include modern computer methods used in the engineering of electrical machinery and equipment. Upon Prof. B. Dubicki's return to the Warsaw University of Technology in 1947, Prof. Eugeniusz Jezierski, M.Sc., an excellent expert in transformer issues, supported by many years of industrial practice, was appointed head of the Department. During 23 years of uninterrupted leadership of scientific, teaching and organizational work, he created a scientific center of national and international importance, known as the Lodz Transformer School. With integrity of character, reliability in scientific research and innate benevolence, he formed a team in which research in the field of electrical machines and transformers developed harmoniously in the most modern methodological and instrumental approach. Already during this period, methods of technical electrodynamics, methods and measuring tools for the study of electromagnetic waveforms and fields, methods of measuring vibrations and noise of machines and transformers, etc. were introduced into research. Thanks to the personal commitment of Prof. E. Jezierski, a modern ELTA Transformers and Traction Equipment Factory was established in Lodz. As a result of the top-down imposed reorganization of the Electrical Faculty in 1971, the Departments of Electrical Machines and Transformers, Electrical Apparatuses and High Voltage became part of the integrated Institute of Transformers, Electrical Machines and Apparatuses.
Appointments as directors were made by Prof. Stanisław Dzierzbicki, M.Sc., from 1971 to 1974, and Prof. Janusz Turowski, M.Sc., from 1974 to 1984. During this period, three scientific and research teams, established earlier, albeit informally, within the Department, developed within the Scientific and Didactic Team of Electrical Machines: the Team of Rotating Machines under the direction of Prof. Tadeusz Koter, M.Sc. the Team of Transformers and Converters under the direction of Prof. Michal Jablonski the Team of Technical Electrodynamics and Micromachines under the direction of Prof. Janusz Turowski, M.Sc. The teams were instrumental in the training of young researchers and in carrying out research as part of the work carried out in the 1980s as centrally coordinated work, in cooperation with other Universities and Departmental Institutes.
From 1985 to 1992, the position of director was held by Prof. Dr. Janusz Turowski, and from 1992 to 2007 the director was Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Zakrzewski. Since 2007, the position of director has been held by Prof. Slawomir Wiak, D.Sc. These positions, according to the statutes of the Technical University of Lodz, are obtained by election.
At that time, specialized research has been carried out in the field of designing squirrel-cage induction motors and synchronous machines, with particular emphasis on power losses and heating. Tests of transformers, chokes and converters were carried out in order to improve operating parameters. Work was also developed on computer methods used to analyze fields, losses and shielding in electrical machines and transformers. After the change in the system of financing scientific research in Poland after 1990 and retiring of prof. prof. T. Koter and M. Jabłoński in 1990, the aforementioned teams were dissolved.
On November 13, 2002, prof. Kazimierz Zakrzewski, as the director of the Institute, asked the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, prof. dr hab. Andrzej Materka to initiate proceedings to change the current name of the Institute of Electrical Machines and Transformers of the Lodz University of Technology to the Institute of Mechatronics and Information Systems of the Lodz University of Technology. After the completion of the proceedings, the Senate of the Lodz University of Technology approved the change of name as of January 1, 2003.
This change was dictated by the evolution that has taken place in recent years in the scientific and teaching activities of our Institute. The proposal in this matter was the result of a long-term discussion at the Institute regarding the change of its name so that it would be consistent with the subject of research and development work and our participation in the didactic process at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Electronics of the Lodz University of Technology. This proposal was supported by all employees of the Institute. The Institute, specializing for many years in the field of electrical machines and transformers, has undergone gradual transformations due to the development of methods of computer-aided design and testing of devices, which resulted in its research and teaching capabilities also in the field of knowledge, which is Applied Computer Science. It should be noted that over 80% of classes conducted by the Institute at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Electronics of Lodz University of Technology currently concern broadly understood IT topics.
