Projects & Theses
Below you find a collection of BSc and MSc projects and theses that can be carried out within the MaP community.
Utilizing the human body for ambient electromagnetic energy harvesting
The goal of the project is to develop wearable devices, for use in environmental electromagnetic energy recovery based on human body application.
Keywords
Flexible electronics, electromagnetic energy harvesting
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-15 , Earliest start: 2025-06-20
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Li Yuanlong
Topics Engineering and Technology
AI-Based Estimation of Blood Pressure via Pulse Transit Time and Vascular Dynamics from piezoelectric sensors
This project explores the development and validation of an AI based system for non-invasive blood pressure estimation. The method focuses on deriving pulse transit time (PTT) using dual A-mode piezoelectric sensors (ultrasound) and characterizing vascular features such as arterial wall diameter and flow velocity. The work contributes toward a future wearable ultrasound-based solution for continuous cardiovascular monitoring.
Keywords
machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, blood pressure, pulse transit time, vascular imaging, Doppler
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-12 , Earliest start: 2025-06-30 , Latest end: 2026-06-30
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Otesteanu Corin, Dr
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Activity and fatigue detection using machine learning based on real-world data from smart clothing
The aim of this project is to use machine learning methods to extract useful information such as activity type and fatigue level from real-world data acquired from our textile-based wearable technology during sport activities.
Keywords
smart clothing, wearable technology, textile sensor, fitness tracking, sports medicine, fatigue, machine learning, artificial intelligence, computer science
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-12 , Earliest start: 2025-07-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Ahmadizadeh Chakaveh
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Design data acquisition solution for smart clothing
The aim of this project is to develop and improve wearable electronics solutions for data acquisition from textile-based sensors used in our smart clothing.
Keywords
smart clothing, wearable technology, textile sensor, fitness tracking, sports medicine, PCB, electronics, computer science
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-12 , Earliest start: 2025-07-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Ahmadizadeh Chakaveh
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Learning to Socially Navigate in Crowds using RL
This project aims to develop a robotic planner that can safely navigate crowded environments, considering human movement patterns and social norms. It seeks to overcome limitations of current planners, which either require privileged information or can't handle semantic constraints. The goal is to create a robust planner for real robots (ANYmal or Unitree B2W) that works in dynamic, constrained environments. Challenges include training an RL policy, expanding movement patterns, and transferring from simulation to real hardware.
Keywords
Reinforcement Learning, Navigation, Planning, Robotics, Legged Robotics, Simulation
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-11
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Roth Pascal
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Open Position - Production work and engineering - MedTech Startup
Diaxxo, an innovative ETH Zürich spinoff, is transforming diagnostics with cutting-edge PCR technology that combines lab-grade accuracy with field-ready simplicity. Our mission is to enable faster, affordable, and accessible detection of viral and bacterial infections, driving impact in animal health, food safety, and human diagnostics. We are seeking a motivated part-time worker to join our team in Zürich, starting June/July 2025 (or a mutually agreed date). This role involves contributing to manufacturing of devices and cartridges and quality control. It’s an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic startup environment while supporting our mission to revolutionize diagnostics. No specific experience is required—just motivation, commitment, and adaptability.
Keywords
Diagnostics PCR Technology Innovation Start-up Biotechnology Viral Detection Quality Control Device Assembly Healthcare Startup Hardware Electrical
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Collaboration , Internship , Student Assistant / HiWi , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-06-11 , Earliest start: 2025-05-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Functional Materials Laboratory
Hosts Gregorini Michele
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Hardware / software development in medtech startup (project / thesis)
diaxxo, a start-up from ETH Zürich, is transforming molecular diagnostics with an innovative Point-of-Care Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) device. Designed to accelerate and democratize access to diagnostic testing, our cutting-edge technology can be used across various fields, from human diagnostics to vet and food testing. Our products are also tailored for use in developing countries and resource-limited settings, aiming to bring reliable diagnostics to every corner of the globe. The company offers several projects and thesis opportunities focusing on interfacing computer and camera systems (e.g. controlling Camera Pi from ESP microcontrollers, and integrating hardware and software components to address design and automation challenges.
Keywords
Point-of-Care PCR, Molecular Diagnostics, Embedded Systems, Arducam SPI, Camera Pi ESP Microcontroller, Hardware-Software Integration, Design and Automation Challenges
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-11 , Earliest start: 2024-07-01 , Latest end: 2025-06-30
Organization Functional Materials Laboratory
Hosts Gregorini Michele
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Simulation-Based Design of a Heavy Media Separation System for Isolating Mineral Waste after Cavitation for Low-CO2 Cement Production
This project focuses on the simulation-based design of a heavy media separation system for isolating mineral waste after cavitation for low-CO2 cement production
Keywords
Simulation, CFD, Cavitation, Fluid Dynamics
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-10 , Earliest start: 2025-09-15 , Latest end: 2025-12-19
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Group Supponen
Hosts Bauer Tobias
Topics Engineering and Technology
Development of a Pilot-Scale Ultrasonic Cavitation System to Upcycle Mineral Waste for Low-CO2 Cement Production
This project focuses on developing a Pilot-Scale Ultrasonic Cavitation System to Upcycle Mineral Waste for Low-CO2 Cement Production
Keywords
Cavitation, Fluid Dynamics, Experimental
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-10 , Earliest start: 2025-09-15 , Latest end: 2025-12-19
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Group Supponen
Hosts Bauer Tobias
Topics Engineering and Technology
Pre-clinical mechanical evaluation of a novel spinal implant
Lower back pain is one of the most prevalent health issues in Switzerland, with severe socio-economic consequences and a leading cause of reduced work performance. Approximately 20% of spinal fusion surgeries performed using off-the-shelf implants result in the surgical outcome being compromised post-operatively, often requiring one or more revision surgeries to address the associated pain. The Laboratory of Orthopedic Technology has recently developed a novel spinal implant using topology optimization, which is currently undergoing a feasibility study for clinical applications. We are seeking a master’s student who is passionate about medical devices and mechanical design and testing to join us for a master thesis. In this role, you will gain insight into the spinal surgery process, receive input from surgeons, and contribute to the mechanical testing of the implant on human cadaveric spine. Objectives: • Perform the CT scan on human cadaveric vertebrae • Evaluate the influence of implant placement/location variability • Mechanical testing on the implant and failure mode analysis • Develop surgical tools if needed • Write related SOPs and testing report Your Profile: • Hands-on and detail-oriented, need to work with human cadaveric bones. • Experience with SolidWorks or Fusion 360, as well as Python or Matlab. • Need to have Hepatitis B Vaccine to be able to work in BSL 2 level labs
Keywords
implant, medical device, mechanical testing, clinical application
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-10 , Earliest start: 2025-06-23 , Latest end: 2026-01-30
Organization Bone Pathologies and Treatment
Hosts Du Xiaoyu
Topics Medical and Health Sciences
Internship at the Exploration Lab - Tackle Real Industry Challenges in Engineering & Innovation
Join a multidisciplinary task force of ETH students in a hands-on internship solving real-world challenges with leading Swiss industry partners like Bühler, Bossard, V-Zug, and VAT. Gain practical experience in areas such as AI, automation, logistics, UX, and product innovation, all while working in an agile team within a modern maker space environment.
Keywords
Internship, Innovation, Industry Collaboration, Engineering, AI, Machine Learning, Automation, Product Development, Logistics, Manufacturing, UX, Maker Space, ETH Zurich
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Internship , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-06-10 , Earliest start: 2025-10-01 , Latest end: 2026-02-28
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Zurich University of the Arts
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts von Petersdorff-Campen Kai , von Hopffgarten Arne
Topics Engineering and Technology
Neuronal Cell Culture and Electrophysiology Using CMOS Microelectrode Arrays
Join our interdisciplinary research team to explore the fascinating world of neuronal networks in vitro. These master projects focus on culturing neurons on CMOS-based microelectrode arrays (MEAs) to study their electrophysiological properties. The exact project scope will be tailored to your interests and background, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge neuroscience and bioengineering research.
Keywords
Neuroscience, Cell Culture, CMOS MEA, Electrophysiology, In Vitro Models, Neural Networks, Bioengineering, Neurotechnology
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Semester Project , Internship , Lab Practice , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-08 , Earliest start: 2025-06-15
Organization Bio Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cardes Fernando
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Biology
FPGA-based platform for in-vitro neural interfaces
The student will develop an FPGA-based platform for interacting with in-vitro neuronal cultures, including real-time spike detection and neuron stimulation. The project is focused on VHDL programming, although it could include other software development and/or wet-lab tasks with neurons depending on the interests of the student.
Keywords
VHDL; FPGA; Engineering; Neural interface; In-vitro neuronal culture; CMOS Microelectrode Array; Neuroscience; embedded systems.
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06 , Earliest start: 2022-09-01
Organization Bio Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cardes Fernando
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Active System Identification for Efficient Online Adaptation
This project proposes a novel single-stage training framework for system identification in legged locomotion, addressing limitations in the conventional two-stage teacher-student paradigm. Traditionally, a privileged teacher policy is first trained with full information, followed by a student policy that learns to mimic the teacher using only state-action histories—resulting in suboptimal exploration and limited adaptability. In contrast, our method directly trains a policy to regress privileged information embeddings from its history while simultaneously optimizing for an active exploration objective. This objective is based on maximizing mutual information between the policy’s state-action trajectories and the privileged latent variables, encouraging exploration of diverse dynamics and enhancing online adaptability. The approach is expected to improve sample efficiency and robustness in deployment environments with variable dynamics.
Keywords
Active Exploration, System Identification, Online Adaptation
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao
Topics Engineering and Technology
Photoresponsive slide-ring hydrogels for on-demand modulation of mechanical properties
Hydrogel materials are crosslinked polymer networks with reversible swelling, tunable porosity, elasticity, toughness, and flexibility. Conventional hydrogels often suffer from weak mechanical properties and display brittle and unstable behaviour limiting their scope for load-bearing applications. Such networks consist of side-chain functionalized polymers, whose covalent crosslinks occur at fixed positions on the polymer backbone (Figure 1A). Upon deformation, tensile stress is concentrated on the closest neighboring crosslinks, eventually leading to their rupture and material failure. Hence, the molecular design of high-performance hydrogels with toughness and elasticity similar to rubber is an emerging area of research in the engineering of polymeric materials with applications towards robust medical materials or soft robotics.
Keywords
Slide-Ring Gels, Supramolecular Chemistry, High-Performance Hydrogels
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06 , Earliest start: 2024-07-18
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Mommer Stefan
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Learning from Online Demonstrations via Video Diffusion for Local Navigation
This project introduces a framework for local navigation skill acquisition through online learning from demonstrations, bypassing the need for offline expert trajectories. Instead of relying on pre-collected data, we use video diffusion models conditioned on semantic text prompts to generate synthetic demonstration videos in real time. These generated sequences serve as reference behaviors, and the agent learns to imitate them via an image-space reward function. The navigation policy is built atop a low-level locomotion controller and targets deployment on legged platforms such as humanoids and quadrupeds. This approach enables semantically guided, vision-based navigation learning with minimal human supervision and strong generalization to diverse environments.
Keywords
Learning from Demonstrations, Video Diffusion, Semantic Conditioning
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06
Organization ETH Competence Center - ETH AI Center
Hosts Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Micropatterned Hydrogel Channels for Proximal Tubule-on-Chip Models
Microphysiological systems aim to reproduce the complex biological functions and architecture of human organs in vitro. One of the current challenges in the field is to not only replicate physiological flow conditions but also to recreate the key microenvironmental features that govern cellular behavior—such as cell-to-cell interaction, 3D tissue organization and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. This 6-month internship project focuses on developing a microfluidic device that integrates a micropatterned hydrogel channel, designed to mimic the architecture and environment of small tubular structures like the proximal tubule of the kidney. The hydrogel will serve both as a biomimetic scaffold and as cellular substrate.
Keywords
organ-on-chip, ECM, hydrogels, kidney, microfabrication
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Internship , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-06-06 , Earliest start: 2025-07-01
Organization Bio Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Garcia Marta
Topics Engineering and Technology
Learning World Models for Legged Locomotion (Structured legged world model)
Model-based reinforcement learning learns a world model from which an optimal control policy can be extracted. Understanding and predicting the forward dynamics of legged systems is crucial for effective control and planning. Forward dynamics involve predicting the next state of the robot given its current state and the applied actions. While traditional physics-based models can provide a baseline understanding, they often struggle with the complexities and non-linearities inherent in real-world scenarios, particularly due to the varying contact patterns of the robot's feet with the ground. The project aims to develop and evaluate neural network-based models for predicting the dynamics of legged environments, focusing on accounting for varying contact patterns and non-linearities. This involves collecting and preprocessing data from various simulation environment experiments, designing neural network architectures that incorporate necessary structures, and exploring hybrid models that combine physics-based predictions with neural network corrections. The models will be trained and evaluated on prediction autoregressive accuracy, with an emphasis on robustness and generalization capabilities across different noise perturbations. By the end of the project, the goal is to achieve an accurate, robust, and generalizable predictive model for the forward dynamics of legged systems.
Keywords
forward dynamics, non-smooth dynamics, neural networks, model-based reinforcement learning
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao
Topics Engineering and Technology
Ultra-High Molecular Weight Hydrogels With Extreme Mechanical Properties
Hydrogels composed of ultra-high molecular weight polymers exhibit remarkable mechanical properties, including exceptional stretchability exceeding 2000%. This performance stems from the extensive polymer entanglements inherent to their high molecular weight. These entanglements create a dense, interconnected network that distributes stress efficiently, enabling the hydrogel to withstand significant deformation without breaking. The resulting materials combine the advantageous properties of hydrogels, such as high water content and biocompatibility, with superior mechanical robustness, making them ideal for applications in flexible electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. Their ability to endure extreme stretching and recover their original shape highlights their potential in innovative, high-performance material design.
Keywords
Ultra-High Molecular Weight Hydrogels, Highly Entangled Hydrogels
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Semester Project , Course Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06 , Earliest start: 2024-07-01
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Mommer Stefan
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
All-textile Wearable Thermochromic Displays
The goal of the project is to develop a technology for information display on textile utilizing thermochromism phenomenon.
Keywords
wearable, display, textile, thermochromism, e-textile, fabric
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-05 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Shokurov Aleksandr
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Mechanophores for advanced wearable strain and pressure sensors
The goal of the project is to synthesize and characterize a number of small molecules capable of acting as mechanophore addition to various polymers. These polymers would then be used as wearable strain or pressure sensors.
Keywords
mechanophore, polymer, wearable, sensor, color, strain, pressure
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-05 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-04-01
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Shokurov Aleksandr
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Point-of-Care Sensor for Urinary Iodine
The goal of the project is to develop a cheap and disposable sensor capable of determination of iodine levels in human urine for early diagnostic purposes.
Keywords
electrochemistry, iodine, nutrition, health, point of care
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-05 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01 , Latest end: 2025-10-01
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Shokurov Aleksandr
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
How to Touch: Exploring Tactile Representations for Reinforcement Learning
Developing and benchmarking tactile representations for dexterous manipulation tasks using reinforcement learning.
Keywords
Reinforcement Learning, Dexterous Manipulation, Tactile Sensing
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-04 , Earliest start: 2024-12-15 , Latest end: 2025-06-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Bhardwaj Arjun , Zurbrügg René
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Data-Driven Mesh-to-BREP Reconstruction for WAAM Residual Analysis
This project focuses on finding CAD models from laser-scanner measurements using Machine Learning. Fitting a faithful CAD representation to the measured surfaces of WAAM produced parts allows more efficient and automated post-processing.
Keywords
Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM); Laser scanner; B-rep; Mesh; Point clouds; Machine Learning;
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-06-03 , Earliest start: 2025-06-03
Organization Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory
Hosts Sideris Iason
Topics Engineering and Technology
Extracellular matrix remodeling: influence of cellular scaffolds on proteases activity
You will measure the concentration and activity of matrix metallo-proteases in various samples mimicking human dermal tissue.
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-02 , Earliest start: 2025-08-04 , Latest end: 2025-12-19
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Pietrantuono Nepomuceno Jaime
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Biology
AI-Driven Rock Reshaping Simulation and Control
This project develops an intelligent system for controlling rock fracture by combining finite element analysis (FEM) with machine learning. FEM simulations train a graph neural network (GNN) to predict fracture patterns. A reinforcement learning (RL) agent then uses this predictive GNN to learn optimal actions for guiding fractures towards a desired rock geometry, enabling precise and goal-oriented control.
Keywords
machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, graph neural networks, construction robotics, space robotics
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-02 , Earliest start: 2025-07-07
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Spinelli Filippo
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Perceptive Arm Motion Planning and Control for Heavy Construction Machine Tasks
In this work we would utilize reinforcement learning, neural network actuator modeling, and perception for the control and arm motion planning of a 40ton excavator with a free-swinging gripper. The project will be in collaboration with Gravis Robotics, ETH spinoff working on the automation of heavy machinery.
Keywords
reinforcement learning, perception, hydraulics, excavator, manipulation, industry
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Semester Project , Collaboration , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-06-02 , Earliest start: 2025-07-07
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Egli Pascal Arturo , Terenzi Lorenzo , Spinelli Filippo
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Wearable kirigami antenna for motion monitoring
The aim of the project is to develop a simple method for fabrication of kirigami-inspired laser-cut or molded antennas on flexible substrates. This technology will enable advancements in wearable electronics for wireless communication and sensing applications.
Keywords
wearable, flexible electronics, kirigami, laser cutting, 3D printing, antenna design, conductivity, wireless communication
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-02 , Earliest start: 2025-03-24 , Latest end: 2026-08-31
Organization Biomedical and Mobile Health Technology Lab
Hosts Kateb Pierre
Topics Engineering and Technology
Active Perception for Ball Catching with a Quadrupedal Manipulator
Catching fast-moving objects presents a significant challenge for mobile manipulators due to the need for tightly coupled perception and control under dynamic conditions. This project aims to develop a unified visuomotor control policy for a quadrupedal robot equipped with an arm-mounted RGB-D camera, enabling it to perceive, track, and intercept a thrown ball using only onboard sensing. By mounting the camera on the end-effector, the robot gains the ability to adjust its viewpoint in real time, mimicking human strategies of active perception. The control policy will be trained entirely in simulation with randomized ball trajectories and perception noise models to support robust, zero-shot deployment in the real world. The resulting system will advance research at the intersection of active perception, reinforcement learning, and dynamic whole-body manipulation.
Keywords
Loco-manipulation, active perception, reinforcement learning
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-30 , Earliest start: 2025-06-08 , Latest end: 2026-01-31
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Cheng Jin
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Design and Optimization of Biomimetic Laser Textures for Advanced Tribology
Laser surface texturing (LST) is a cutting-edge manufacturing technique that transforms conventional surfaces into functional structures inspired by nature. By mimicking biological textures—such as the lotus leaf, snakeskin, or Namib beetle shell—engineered surfaces can achieve functionalities like friction reduction, self-cleaning, or superhydrophobicity. However, optimizing laser-textured surfaces to meet specific application requirements is complex, due to a vast and interdependent parameter space involving laser settings, material properties and performance goals. Traditional trial-and-error or design-of-experiments approaches are inadequate for this multidimensional challenge. This project aims to develop and experimentally validate a Bayesian optimization framework for identifying the optimal laser surface textures that enhance tribological performance in ceramic materials.
Keywords
Bionic, Biomimetic, Laser, Tribology, Optimization, Manufacturing, Surface, Design, AI
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-30 , Earliest start: 2025-06-15 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
Organization Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory
Hosts Reichel Andreas
Topics Engineering and Technology
Injectable polyrotaxane-based hydrogels for controlled drug delivery
Hydrogels are widely investigated materials for versatile biomedical applications. In particular, hydrogels are a good drug delivery system for controlled drug release. In this project, polyrotaxane-based hydrogels are developed and tested for their ability to deliver model compounds in a controlled way. The main goal of the project is to design and fabricate polyrotaxane-based hydrogels, characterize their mechanical properties (rheology) and perform release studies with model compounds. Suitable for master thesis, bachelor thesis and semester project.
Keywords
Injectable hydrogels, drug delivery, supramolecular interactions
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-30 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Petelinsek Nika
Topics Engineering and Technology
Bridging the Gap: Enabling Soft Actor-Critic for High-Performance Legged Locomotion
Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) has become the de facto standard for training legged robots, thanks to its robustness and scalability in massively parallel simulation environments like IsaacLab. However, alternative algorithms such as Soft Actor-Critic (SAC), while sample-efficient and theoretically appealing due to entropy maximization, have not matched PPO’s empirical success in this domain. This project aims to close that performance gap by developing and evaluating modifications to SAC that improve its stability, scalability, and sim-to-real transferability on legged locomotion tasks. We benchmark SAC against PPO using standardized pipelines and deploy learned policies on real-world quadruped hardware, pushing toward more flexible and efficient reinforcement learning solutions for legged robotics.
Keywords
Legged locomotion, Soft Actor-Critic, Reinforcement learning, Sim-to-real transfer
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-30
Organization ETH Competence Center - ETH AI Center
Hosts Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao , Li Chenhao
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Life cycle analysis on living materials for CO2 sequestration
Hey there! Do you know that bacteria can be powerful fighters for CO2 capture? (Not kidding, they are really useful). Recently, engineered living materials embedded with photosynthetic cyanobacteria has been designed to permanently store atmospheric CO2 in the form of stable minerals such as calcium carbonate [1]. While it is a promising alternative to industrial carbon capture and storage methods, the production of such living materials still incurs process-related CO2 emission. To better understand the bottleneck and the most emission-heavy part of the living materials, we plan to conduct life-cycle analysis (LCA) on the living materials. [1] Dranseike, D., Cui, Y., Ling, A. S., Donat, F., Bernhard, S., Bernero, M., ... & Tibbitt, M. W. (2025). Dual carbon sequestration with photosynthetic living materials. Nature Communications, 16(1), 3832.
Keywords
life cycle analysis, living materials, carbon sequestration
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-29 , Earliest start: 2025-05-30 , Latest end: 2026-06-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cui Yifan
Topics Engineering and Technology
Physics-informed digital twin from video for task and motion planning of deformable objects
Robotic task and motion planning (TAMP) for deformable objects typically relies on predefined physics models, limiting the robot’s adaptability in real-world scenarios. This project explores how robots can autonomously construct physics-informed digital twins directly from videos and integrate the learned physics model into a TAMP framework to achieve "on-demand" manipulation of deformable objects.
Keywords
physics-informed-modeling,deformable-objects,task-and-motion-planning,simulation
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-28 , Earliest start: 2025-05-28 , Latest end: 2026-01-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Huang Yijiang
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Learning Agile Robotic Behaviors via Zero-Shot Reinforcement Learning
This project aims to enable agile and adaptive behaviors in real-world quadruped robots through zero-shot reinforcement learning (RL). Traditional RL methods often rely on fixed reward functions, limiting their generalization to novel tasks. In contrast, the forward-backward (FB) framework learns representations that allow policies to generalize across a wide range of goals without retraining. We propose to implement and evaluate the FB method on the Unitree Go2 quadruped robot, benchmarking it against alternative zero-shot RL approaches. By leveraging recent advances in exploration strategies and representation learning, this work seeks to demonstrate zero-shot capabilities on a physical robot for tasks such as novel gait synthesis, pose reaching, and motion imitation. Success in this endeavor could significantly broaden the applicability of RL to real-world robotics, laying the groundwork for flexible, reward-agnostic robotic systems.
Keywords
Reinforcement Learning, Quadruped Robots
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-28 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-01-31
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Cheng Jin
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Development of Neuromuscular Biohybrid Robots
Biohybrid robots integrate living cells and synthetic components to achieve motion. These systems often rely on engineered skeletal muscle tissues that contract upon electrical stimulation for actuation. Neuromuscular-powered biohybrid robots take this concept further by integrating motor neurons to induce muscle contractions, mimicking natural muscle actuation. In our lab, we are developing neuromuscular actuators using advanced 3D co-culture systems and biofabrication techniques to enable functional macro-scale biohybrid robots.
Keywords
Tissue engineering, mechanical engineering, biology, neuroengineering, biomaterials, biohybrid robotics, 3D in vitro models, biofabrication, bioprinting, volumetric printing.
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-28 , Earliest start: 2025-06-02
Organization Soft Robotics Lab
Hosts Badolato Asia , Katzschmann Robert, Prof. Dr.
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Biology
Software Development Internship/thesis: Enabling In Vitro Neuroscience Research
This 6-month internship focuses on developing software for advanced neural interfaces used in in vitro studies. These interfaces enable precise exploration of neural activity, providing critical insights into neuronal dynamics, drug interactions, and neurological disorders. The project involves creating and optimizing software for data acquisition, analysis, and visualization, which directly enhances the usability and impact of these tools in research and healthcare applications. Ideal candidates will possess strong programming skills in Python, with a preference for knowledge also of C++ and Cython, and excellent documentation practices. This project is also available as Master thesis or semester project.
Keywords
Internship; Software development; Neural Interfaces; Neuroscience; Python; C++; Cython; Biomedical Research; Neuroengineering; Neurotechnology.
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-28 , Earliest start: 2025-06-15
Organization Bio Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cardes Fernando
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Thesis at the Exploration Lab - join an agile innovation task force; find needs, build prototypes, & more (Multiple industry partners!)
ETH Zürich's Feasibility Lab is partnering with leading industry players to offer a unique thesis opportunity. You'll have the freedom to choose from a diverse range of real-world projects across multiple companies, based on your individual interests.
Keywords
usability, high-tech, rapid prototyping, sustainability, industrial automation, mechanical design, mechanical engineering, automation, process design, robotics, machine learning, applied AI, food processing, advanced materials
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Semester Project , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-27 , Earliest start: 2025-10-01 , Latest end: 2026-04-05
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Gisler Daniel , von Hopffgarten Arne , von Petersdorff-Campen Kai
Topics Engineering and Technology
Strategic Humanoid Box Lifting
Manipulating large, heavy objects without convenient grasp affordances poses a significant challenge for humanoid robots. This project develops a demonstration-guided reinforcement learning framework enabling a humanoid robot to strategically lift unwieldy objects through coordinated full-body motion.
Keywords
reinforcement-learning, trajectory-optimization, humanoid, contact-rich-manipulation
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-25 , Earliest start: 2025-05-25 , Latest end: 2026-09-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Huang Yijiang
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Resin with a Twist: Photoreversible Material for Digitally Printed Films
Create a next-gen resin that switches from solid to liquid using light! Dive into synthesizing, testing, and refining this unique material with exciting potential in the watch industry and beyond. Ideal for a chemistry or engineering student ready to explore the full journey—from lab synthesis to real-world application. Join us to make light a game-changer in material science!
Keywords
photoreversible, resin, light-activated, digital printing, smart materials, synthesis, rheology, polymers, formulations, prototyping, engineering, chemistry, innovation, dynamic materials, industry, material, characterization, application, light, photosensitive, photocleavable
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-23 , Earliest start: 2025-06-22 , Latest end: 2026-01-23
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Wolf Morris
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Trajectory Optimization and Policy Distillation for Agile Control of Hybrid Mobile Robots
Hybrid mobile robots that integrate wheels and legs present a promising locomotion paradigm, combining the speed and efficiency of wheeled motion with the adaptability of legged systems. However, controlling such platforms remains challenging due to their underactuated and hybrid dynamics. This project explores a control-learning framework that leverages trajectory optimization (TO) or model predictive control (MPC) to generate high-quality motion plans while concurrently distilling a lightweight neural policy through supervised learning. The approach supports both sampling-based and gradient-based optimization methods, depending on simulator capabilities, and emphasizes real-world learning by collecting rollout data directly from hardware. The resulting policy enables efficient and robust control suitable for deployment under real-time constraints. Development and evaluation will be conducted using the LIMX Dynamics TRON1 robot, a bipedal wheeled platform with 4 DoF per leg, providing a rich testbed for advancing agile and intelligent control in hybrid robotic systems.
Keywords
Bipedal wheeled locomotion, Trajectory optimization, Model predictive control, Policy distillation, Sim-to-real transfer
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-22 , Earliest start: 2025-05-22 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Applications limited to EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , ETH Zurich
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Cheng Jin
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Fabrication of TiC-Reinforced Alumina Composites with Enhanced Mechanical Properties and Self-Healing Capability via Spark Plasma Sintering
The objective of this project is to design, fabricate and characterize TiC-reinforced alumina (Al₂O₃) ceramic composites using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), with the aim of achieving a combination of a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), high hardness (approximately 10–13 GPa), high bending strength and enhanced fracture toughness, as well as the potential for self-healing. Although SPS is a promising method of sintering for dense, fine-grained ceramic composites, controlling the microstructure and optimizing properties such as hardness, toughness and dimensional stability remains challenging. This research project will therefore focus on developing optimized Al₂O₃–TiC composite formulations and SPS processing parameters, integrating experimental sintering trials with microstructural and mechanical characterization. Particular attention will be given to exploring the self-healing behavior induced by TiC oxidation at high temperatures. This project will contribute to the development of toughened, high-performance ceramic composites suitable for advanced engineering applications.
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-22 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01
Organization Advanced Manufacturing
Hosts Kovalska Natalia
Topics Engineering and Technology
Modelling and experimental validation of near-net-shape densification in ceramic composites using Spark Plasma Sintering
This project aims to advance finite element modelling (FEM) techniques to predict material densification and optimize tool design for 3D spark plasma sintering (SPS) of Si₃N₄-based ceramic composites. While SPS has shown enormous potential for processing nanocrystalline and ultrafine grained materials. Its application to the fabrication of complex 3D geometries has been challenging due to difficulties in controlling material properties such as dimensional accuracy, local densification, and microstructural integrity. Recent developments in selective powder deposition combined with sacrificial materials have shown promise in increasing design flexibility and enabling the production of more complex geometries. This project will focus on using FEM to model the densification behavior during the SPS process, taking into account factors such as applied pressure, temperature and current. The aim is to predict the densification profile of the material and optimize tool design to improve the overall quality of the sintered components. By integrating experimental results with numerical simulations, the study will address key issues such as local variations in densification and dimensional distortion during sintering. This research will contribute to improving the accuracy and reliability of SPS for Si₃N₄-based ceramic composites, enabling the production of high-performance components with complex shapes and superior mechanical properties.
Keywords
finite element modelling, spark plasma sintering, complex geometries
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Semester Project , Course Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , Student Assistant / HiWi , Summer School
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Published since: 2025-05-22 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01
Organization Advanced Manufacturing
Hosts Kovalska Natalia
Topics Engineering and Technology
Inverse Design for Robotic Assembly via Task and Motion Planning
Can we optimize a design so that a robot can assemble it more easily? This project explores inverse design for robotic assembly using task and motion planning (TAMP), coupling design optimization with planning algorithms that lays the foundation for designing robot-friendly structures.
Keywords
task and motion planning, robotic assembly, inverse design, co-design
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-22 , Earliest start: 2025-05-22 , Latest end: 2026-09-01
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Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Huang Yijiang
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
6month Master Thesis Project: Dynamic Hydrogels for Cardiac Tissue Regeneration
Congenital heart diseases represent a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Current therapeutic materials for congenital heart defect closure have been evaluated in 2D in vitro models and in vivo animal studies, both of which have inherent limitations in replicating human cardiac physiology. This is reflected in common surgical complications like inflammation and fibrosis as well as in a lack of integration with native cardiac tissue. To address these challenges, this project aims at the development of a 3D in vitro tissue model that mimics the native heart defects, offering an innovative platform to study regenerative closure mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic materials. This model will be composed of cardiac cells and a dynamic, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)-based hydrogel scaffold, processed into a defect shape by 3D bioprinting.
Keywords
Biomaterials; Hydrogels; Tissue engineering
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Published since: 2025-05-21 , Earliest start: 2025-08-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
Organization Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles
Hosts Wei Kongchang
Topics Engineering and Technology
Learning Terrain Traversal from Human Strategies for Agile Robotics
Teaching robots to walk on complex and challenging terrains, such as rocky paths, uneven ground, or cluttered environments, remains a fundamental challenge in robotics and autonomous navigation. Traditional approaches rely on handcrafted rules, terrain classification, or reinforcement learning, but they often struggle with generalization to real-world, unstructured environments.
Keywords
3D reconstruction, egocentric video, SMPL representation
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-21 , Earliest start: 2025-05-26
Organization Computer Vision and Geometry Group
Hosts Wang Xi , Frey Jonas , Patel Manthan , Kaufmann Manuel , Li Chenhao
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
HandoverNarrate: Language-Guided Task-Aware Motion Planning for Handovers with Legged Manipulators
This project addresses the challenge of task-oriented human-robot handovers, where a robot must transfer objects in a manner that directly facilitates the human’s next action. In our prior work, we demonstrated that robots can present objects appropriately for immediate human use by leveraging large language models (LLMs) to reason about task context. However, integrating task-specific physical constraints—such as ensuring a full mug remains upright during transport—into the motion planning process remains unsolved. In this project, we aim to extend our existing motion planning framework for legged manipulators by incorporating such constraints. We propose using LLMs to dynamically generate task-aware constraint formulations based on high-level task descriptions and object states. These constraints will then be used to adjust the cost function of the model predictive controller in real time, enabling more context-sensitive and physically appropriate handovers.
Keywords
language-guided motion planning, legged robotics, human-robot collaboration
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-21
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Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Tulbure Andreea
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
6month Master Thesis Project: 3D printing of dECM hydrogels for in vitro cardiac tissue modelling
Congenital heart diseases represent a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Current therapeutic materials for congenital heart defect closure have been evaluated in 2D in vitro models and in vivo animal studies, both of which have inherent limitations in replicating human cardiac physiology. This is reflected in common surgical complications like inflammation and fibrosis as well as in a lack of integration with native cardiac tissue. To address these challenges, this project aims at the development of a 3D in vitro tissue model that mimics the native heart defects, offering an innovative platform to study regenerative closure mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic materials. This model will be composed of cardiac cells and a dynamic, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)-based hydrogel scaffold, processed into a defect shape by 3D bioprinting.
Keywords
Biomaterials; Hydrogels; Tissue engineering; Cardiac model
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-21 , Earliest start: 2025-08-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
Organization Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles
Hosts Wei Kongchang
Topics Engineering and Technology
Humanoid Locomotion in Rough Terrain via Imitation Learning
TLDR: Make Humanoid walk in rough terrain using human demonstration and RL
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-21 , Earliest start: 2025-05-31 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , University of Zurich
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Frey Jonas
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences
Master Project/Thesis: Investigation of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Carbon Fiber Hydrogel for Wearable Devices
(see attached pdf for clarification) Project overview: Focus: fabrication process of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carbon fiber (CF) hydrogel Aim: building a hydrogel that possesses both good conductivity and good stretchability, with the end goal of using it for wearable devices
Keywords
Wearable Devices Soft Electronics Hydrogel
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-20 , Earliest start: 2025-08-24
Organization Multifunctional Materials
Hosts Kuang Hekun
Topics Engineering and Technology
Global Optimization Enabled by Learning
We aim to characterize optimization landscapes using metrics such as Sobolev norms, measuring function smoothness, Hessian spectral properties, indicating curvature, and the tightness of semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxations (relevant for polynomial optimization). The core innovation lies in translating these metrics into differentiable objectives or regularizers. By incorporating these into the training process, we encourage the learned modules to produce downstream optimization problems that are inherently well-conditioned and possess favourable global structures
Keywords
Optimization, Learning, Optimal, Robotics
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Semester Project , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-19 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-06-01
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Talbot William , Tuna Turcan
Topics Engineering and Technology
Human-scene interaction reconstruction based on Gaussian Splats
Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of dynamic scenes, particularly those involving humans interacting with their environment, remains a challenging problem in computer vision and graphics. Traditional volumetric and mesh-based methods can struggle with occlusions, complex geometries, and real-time performance. Recent advances in neural rendering—especially Gaussian splatting—offer promising alternatives by representing scenes as clouds of oriented 3D Gaussians (“splats”) that can be rendered extremely efficiently. The goal of this project is to develop a novel pipeline that leverages Gaussian splatting to reconstruct, analyze, and interpret human–scene interactions in 3D.
Keywords
3D reconstruction, Gaussian splats, Human pose estimation
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-18 , Earliest start: 2025-05-31
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Wang Rui
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Long-term ex situ liver perfusion for tissue repair
Liver transplantation is the only treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, there are not sufficiently many transplantable liver grafts available to meet the patient demand. Therefore, many patiens remain on waiting lists and eventually die when they do not get a transplant in time. While a lot of people donate organs after their death, many organs are not used because the organ is injured or diseased and thus cannot be transplanted. We aim at increasing utilization of available liver grafts by preserving livers outside of the body on so-called perfusion machines, where they can be preserved for multiple days. Perfusion devices pump a perfusate, similar to blood, through the vessels and provide the organ with nutrients, oxygen and a series of stimuli that mimick in vivo conditions. The perfusion time window gives the opportunity for treatment allowing for reconditioning and repair of the allografts.
Keywords
tissue engineering, ex situ perfusion, liver transplant, hepatology, bioengineering, medical engineering, surgery
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-15 , Earliest start: 2025-06-02 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Huwyler Florian , Cunningham Leslie
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Design and development of a novel printing approach
3D printing has revolutionized the way objects are designed and fabricated across a wide range of industries—from aerospace and automotive to healthcare and consumer products. It enables rapid prototyping, complex geometries, customized solutions, and recently bioprinting of living tissues that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. Every 3D printing method has certain drawbacks, often related to resolution, material compatibility, speed, or scalability. The ongoing search for new approaches aims to overcome these challenges and expand the potential of the technology. We have developed and demonstrated a proof of concept for a novel printing approach, and are now seeking to advance it into a fully functional prototype.
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-15 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Zenobi-Wong Group / Tissue Engineering and Biofabrication
Hosts Janiak Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Stanford – UC Berkeley Collaboration: Learning Progress Driven Reinforcement Learning for ANYmal
TLDR: Improving navigation capabilities of ANYmal - RL is simulation - optimizing learning progress.
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-14 , Earliest start: 2025-05-14 , Latest end: 2025-08-31
Applications limited to EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , ETH Zurich , University of Zurich
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Frey Jonas
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences
Master's Thesis Project: Soft tribology with self-built "macroAFM"
This project builds on an existing proof-of-concept device, "macroAFM", a large-scale equivalent of an atomic force microscope that works as a tribometer to study friction, wear, and lubrication properties between surfaces at the macro- or meso-scale.
Keywords
soft tribology, strain sensors, atomic force microscopy, poly(dimethylsiloxane), self-built
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-14 , Earliest start: 2025-05-14 , Latest end: 2026-02-28
Applications limited to Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Agroscope , Balgrist Campus , Berner Fachhochschule , CERN , Corporates Switzerland , CSEM - Centre Suisse d'Electronique et Microtechnique , Department of Quantitative Biomedicine , Eawag , Empa , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , ETH Zurich , Fernfachhochschule , Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL) , Friedrich Miescher Institute , Hochschulmedizin Zürich , IBM Research Zurich Lab , Institute for Research in Biomedicine , Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts , NCCR Democracy , NGOs Switzerland , Pädagogische Hochschule St.Gallen , Paul Scherrer Institute , Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos , Sirm Institute for Regenerative Medicine , Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research , Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics , Swiss National Science Foundation , SystemsX.ch , Università della Svizzera italiana , Université de Neuchâtel , University of Basel , University of Berne , University of Fribourg , University of Geneva , University of Lausanne , University of Lucerne , University of St. Gallen , University of Zurich , Wyss Translational Center Zurich , Zurich University of the Arts , Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) , FH Aachen , Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Justus Liebig University, Gießen , Ludwig Maximilians Universiy Munich , Martin Luther Universitat, Halle , Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) , Max Planck Society , Otto Von Guericke Universitat, Magdeburg , RWTH Aachen University , Social Science Research Center Berlin , Technische Universität Hamburg , Technische Universität München , TU Berlin , TU Darmstadt , TU Dresden , Universität der Bundeswehr München , Universität Ulm , Universität zu Lübeck , University of Cologne , University of Erlangen-Nuremberg , University of Hamburg , University of Konstanz , Universtity of Bayreuth , Imperial College London , National Institute for Medical Research , Royal College of Art , UCL - University College London , University of Aberdeen , University of Cambridge , University of Leeds , University of Manchester , University of Nottingham , University of Oxford , Delft University of Technology , Maastricht Science Programme , Radboud University Nijmegen , Utrecht University , [Other Institutions] , Addis Ababa University , ASPIRE League , Chalmers University of Technology , Champalimaud Foundation , CNRS - Centre national de la recherche scientifique , Comsats University of Islamabad , CSIRO , Dana-Farber Cancer Institute , ENHANCE Alliance , European Molecular Biology Laboratory , Grenoble Institute of Technology (G-INP) - Phelma , Harvard , Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , IEE S.A. Luxembourg , IDEA League , Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Mumbai , International Alliance of Research Universities , International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems , Nanyang Technological University , National University of Science and Technology - Pakistan , National University of Singapore , Open University of Hong Kong , Peking University , Politecnico di Milano , Princeton University , RIKEN , Research Internships at HU Berlin , San Jose State University , SiROP Association , Stanford University , Swansea University , Technical University of Denmark , Technion - Israel Institute of Technology , The Australian National University , The Microsoft Research – University of Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology (COSBI) , The Ohio State University , The Petroleum Institute-Abu Dhabi , The University of Edinburgh , The University of Melbourne , The University of Tokyo , Tokyo Institute of Technology , Tsinghua University , TUM CREATE Singapore , Universidade de São Paulo , Universidade Eduardo Mondlane , BITS Pilani , Université de Strasbourg , Universiteit Stellenbosch , University College Dublin , University of California, Berkeley , University of California, San Diego , University of Copenhagen , University of Ghana , University of Hyderabad, India , University of Johannesburg , University of Queensland , University of Southern Denmark , University of Toronto , University of Washington , Uppsala Universitet , Vienna Biocenter - Scientific Training , Vratis , WASEDA University , Weill Cornell Medicine , Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology , Yale University , [nothing]
Organization Interfaces, Soft matter and Assembly
Hosts Kuk Keumkyung
Topics Engineering and Technology , Physics
Multi-Critic Reinforcement Learning for Whole-Body Control of Bimanual Legged Manipulator
Recent work in legged robotics shows the promise of unified control strategies for whole-body control. Portela et al. (2024) demonstrated force control without force sensors, enabling compliant manipulation through body coordination. In another study, they achieved accurate end-effector tracking using whole-body RL with terrain-aware sampling. Fu et al. (2023) showed that unified policies can dynamically handle both movement and manipulation in quadruped robots by training with two critics: one for arms, and one for legs, and then gradually combining them. In this project, you will investigate reinforcement learning for whole body control of a bimanual legged manipulator. You will implement a baseline single-critic whole body controller for the system. You will then investigate different multi-critic approaches and their effects on the training and final performance of the whole-body controller. References: Learning Force Control for Legged Manipulation, Portela et al., 2024 Whole-Body End-Effector Pose Tracking, Portela et al., 2024 Deep Whole-Body Control: Learning a Unified Policy for Manipulation and Locomotion, Fu et al., 2023
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-09 , Earliest start: 2025-05-11 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
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Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Fischer Oliver , Elanjimattathil Aravind
Topics Engineering and Technology
Visual Language Models for Long-Term Planning
This project uses Visual Language Models (VLMs) for high-level planning and supervision in construction tasks, enabling task prioritization, dynamic adaptation, and multi-robot collaboration for excavation and site management. prioritization, dynamic adaptation, and multi-robot collaboration for excavation and site management
Keywords
Visual Language Models, Long-term planning, Robotics
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-07 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Terenzi Lorenzo
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
AI Agents for Excavation Planning
Recent advancements in AI, particularly with models like Claude 3.7 Sonnet, have showcased enhanced reasoning capabilities. This project aims to harness such models for excavation planning tasks, drawing parallels from complex automation scenarios in games like Factorio. We will explore the potential of these AI agents to plan and optimize excavation processes, transitioning from simulated environments to real-world applications with our excavator robot.
Keywords
GPT, Large Language Models, Robotics, Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-07 , Earliest start: 2025-07-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Terenzi Lorenzo
Topics Engineering and Technology
Robotic motion planning for active environmental manipulation
Robotic motion planning usually happens in static environments, and we typically do not reason about how we can (or need to) change the environment in order to reach certain places or fulfill certain tasks. In reality, this is an important part that can not be neglected: think of grabbing a chair to reach an object high up, or building a bridge to walk to another place over a gap (see images below, from [1]). Another setting can be found in the construction industry, where we need to build scaffolding to facilitate work higher up. In these cases, the robot intentionally extend its reachable space by building supports (bridges or makeshift staircases). Traditional motion planning techniques requires explicitly representing and enumerating all the different surfaces on which a robot could move, which usually involves case-specific assumptions and engineering heuristics. [1] Atlas Gets a Grip | Boston Dynamics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e1_QhJ1EhQ
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-03 , Earliest start: 2025-05-05 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Hartmann Valentin
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Transcatheter Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Devices at Harvard Medical School
Master thesis on novel devices and tools for both valve repair and replacement at Harvard Medical School
Keywords
Prototyping, Experimental Evaluation, Materials
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-02
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Organization Multiscale Robotics Lab
Hosts Gantenbein Valentin
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Autonomous Robotic Cardiac Catheters at Harvard Medical School
We are developing robotic catheters for heart valve repair and for treatment of arrythmias.
Keywords
Autonomous Control, Medical devices, Animal models, Prototyping
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-02
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Organization Multiscale Robotics Lab
Hosts Gantenbein Valentin
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Feedback Optimization of Acoustic Patterning in Real Time for Bioprinter
Our project aims to enhance the ultrasound-assisted bioprinting process using real-time feedback and image processing. We have developed a transparent nozzle equipped with multiple cameras for real-time monitoring. The next steps involve integrating advanced image processing techniques, such as template matching, and implementing a feedback system to optimize the printing process. The system will be fully automated, featuring a function generator for wave creation and cooling elements. By analyzing the printing process and acoustic cell patterning with computer vision and leveraging real-time sensor feedback, we aim to dynamically optimize parameters such as frequency and amplitude for accurate and consistent pattern formation, crucial for bio applications.
Keywords
Machine learning, control and automation, 3D Printing, Ultrasound
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-29 , Earliest start: 2025-02-01 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Organization Acoustic Robotics for Life Sciences and Healthcare (ARSL)
Hosts Medany Mahmoud
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences
BEV meets Semantic traversability
Enable Birds-Eye-View perception on autonomous mobile robots for human-like navigation.
Keywords
Semantic Traversability, Birds-Eye-View, Localization, SLAM, Object Detection
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-04-29 , Earliest start: 2025-01-15 , Latest end: 2025-10-31
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Gawel Abel
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Scene graphs for robot navigation and reasoning
Elevate semantic scene graphs to a new level and perform semantically-guided navigation and interaction with real robots at The AI Institute.
Keywords
Scene graphs, SLAM, Navigation, Spacial Reasoning, 3D reconstruction, Semantics
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-04-29 , Earliest start: 2025-01-15 , Latest end: 2025-10-31
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Gawel Abel
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Acceleration of Crack Growth Prediction in Metamaterials by Distributed Multi-XPU Computing
Predicting the failure mechanisms of low-density cellular solids, from random fiber networks to periodic architected materials (or metamaterials), remains a challenge for computational mechanics. One fundamental distinction between beam-based architected materials and classical homogeneous solids lies in the nature of their failure. Unlike classical materials, beam-based architected materials fail through the discrete breaking of individual beams. This results in complex patterns of crack initiation and propagation, that are significantly different from those observed in classical materials. As computational models for large-scale, manufacturable metamaterials often involve millions or even billions of unknowns, we are developing an open-source C++ library for scalable finite element simulations. Currently, this library leverages distributed computing on CPUs via Open MPI, utilizing ETH Zurich’s Euler cluster. The goal of this project is to improve simulation performance for predicting failure in large-scale beam networks. A key focus will be integrating Nvidia’s GPU accelerators to achieve significantly enhanced computational efficiency beyond what distributed CPU computing alone can provide. Throughout this project, the student will contribute to an open-source project, conduct in-depth performance studies, and utilize the developed software to predict fracture behavior in novel materials with different (multi-)material properties, including both linear elastic and plastic regimes.
Keywords
Fracture, Metamaterials, GPU, Accelerators, HPC, Distributed Computing
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Semester Project , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-04-28 , Earliest start: 2025-05-12 , Latest end: 2026-04-01
Organization Mechanics and Materials
Hosts Kraschewski Kevin
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Modelling and Optimizing the Power Budget of a Bridge-Mounted Camera System for River Waste Monitoring
In this thesis, you will contribute to the Autonomous River Cleanup (ARC) by helping develop SARA, a bridge-mounted, camera-based system for monitoring river waste. Your focus will be on modeling the system’s power dynamics to determine the ideal battery and solar panel size, and balancing runtime throughout the day with overall the system size and weight. If time allows, you will also validate your findings with tests on the real hardware.
Keywords
system modelling, power electronics, simulations
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-27 , Earliest start: 2025-05-05 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Elbir Emre
Topics Engineering and Technology
Domain Adaptation Techniques for Vision Algorithms on a Smartphone for River Waste Monitoring
In this thesis, you will work on SARA, a bridge-mounted, smartphone-based system for detecting and monitoring river waste. The focus will be on selecting lightweight detection and classification models suitable for smartphones and exploring domain adaptation techniques to improve performance across different locations with minimal retraining. Your work will build on previous research at ARC and current literature to develop solutions that balance model robustness and computational efficiency.
Keywords
machine learning, computer vision, domain adaptation techniques
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Published since: 2025-04-27 , Earliest start: 2025-05-05 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Elbir Emre
Topics Engineering and Technology
Optimal Robot Configuration for Autonomous Waste Sorting in Confined Spaces
In this thesis, you will contribute to the Autonomous River Cleanup (ARC) by helping improve MARC, our robotic platform for autonomous waste sorting. Your work will focus on optimizing the robot arm configuration by simulating different base locations and degrees of freedom to achieve faster and more efficient pick-and-place movements in a confined space. You will build on our existing simulation environment to model and evaluate various setups.
Keywords
modelling and simulations, robotics, robot dynamics
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Published since: 2025-04-27 , Earliest start: 2025-05-05 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Elbir Emre
Topics Engineering and Technology
Thermal Protection of a Bridge-Mounted Camera System for River Waste Monitoring
The Autonomous River Cleanup (ARC) is developing SARA, the next iteration of a bridge-mounted, camera-based system to detect and measure riverine waste. Smartphones offer a compact, affordable, and powerful core for year-round monitoring but are vulnerable to shutdowns from extreme heat in summer and cold in winter. This thesis focuses on assessing these thermal challenges and designing protective solutions to ensure reliable, continuous operation.
Keywords
thermodynamics, heat transfer, testing
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-27 , Earliest start: 2025-05-05 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
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Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Elbir Emre
Topics Engineering and Technology
Reinforcement learning for robotic 3D bin packing
Many industrial assembly tasks require high accuracy when manipulating parts, e.g., when inserting an object somewhere, such as a box that we would like to put in a bin. Here, the tolerances that are required can vary wildly. While industrial manipulators are generally accurate in a controlled setting, as soon as the environment is not as structured as we would like it to be, we need to leverage feedback policies to correct for inaccuraies in estimation, and unexpected/unmodeled effects. The setting we are interested in in this work is robotic bin packing, i.e., enabling a robot to pick objects (initially boxes/parcels), and (the focus of this work) placing them in a box, where other previously placed object possibly obstruct the placement.
Keywords
Reinforcement learning, robotics
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-23 , Earliest start: 2025-05-01 , Latest end: 2026-02-01
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Hartmann Valentin
Topics Engineering and Technology
Single-cell Encapsulation for RNA Sequencing
This project focuses on understanding the metabolism of bacteria exposed to an enzymatic inhibitor. By employing microfluidic systems, we aim to perform a single-based encapsulation in hydrogel beads to be exposed to inhibitors. Using FACS-based sorting and bulk sequencing, bacteria in hydrogel beads will be sorted and the RNA from pool or individual beads will be extracted for sequencing. We aim to create an RNA sequencing protocol for sorted hydrogel beads containing bacteria to analyze the total gene expression profiles of our candidates.
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Keywords: Bacteria, RNA, droplets, microfluidic, high-throughput, hydrogel, gene expression, sequencing
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-21 , Earliest start: 2024-08-01 , Latest end: 2025-07-31
Organization Complex Materials
Hosts Enrriquez Nadia
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Chemistry , Biology
pH Quantification in Emulsified Droplets for High-Throughput Screening
This project focuses on finding a suitable emulsification system for encapsulating bacteria in water-in-oil droplets. By employing microfluidic systems and versatile pH dyes, we aim to create emulsified droplets with reduced crosstalk rates to screen bacteria based on the pH changes as a result of their metabolic activity.
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Keywords: Bacteria, pH, droplets, microfluidic, high-throughput.
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-21 , Earliest start: 2024-08-01 , Latest end: 2025-07-31
Organization Complex Materials
Hosts Enrriquez Nadia
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Biology
Biomineralization of Hydrogels-Based Structures
Currently, the mineralization capacity of S. pasteurii is being exploited in developing construction materials in the form of bio-bricks and bio-cement. These materials are mostly compact structures with different degrees of porosity to increase the diffusion of nutrients through the material. Nevertheless, one recurrent challenge in biomineralized structures is the limited precipitation across the structure.
Keywords
Biomineralization, Hydrogel Scaffolds, Bacteria, 3D Printing
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-21 , Earliest start: 2024-08-01 , Latest end: 2025-04-01
Organization Complex Materials
Hosts Enrriquez Nadia
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry , Biology
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Direction-Dependent Flow Resistance in Engineered Geometries
Controlling fluid flow is essential in various natural and engineering systems, with geometry playing a fundamental role in shaping fluid behavior. However, the interaction between geometry and flow behavior remains a complex phenomenon, primarily governed by the flow regime and fluid material properties. Certain geometries, whether naturally occurring or engineered, induce direction-dependent flow resistance, causing variations in velocity and flow rate in opposite directions. One well-known example of such engineered geometries is the Tesla valve—a passive device without moving parts, designed to create asymmetric flow resistance, particularly at high Reynolds numbers. This structure acts like a fluidic diode, offering greater resistance to flow in one direction by generating turbulent vortices and flow separations while allowing smoother movement in the opposite direction. This effect is quantified by diodicity, which represents the ratio of pressure drop in the reverse direction to that in the forward direction, providing a measure of the valve's asymmetric resistance. However, this direction dependence is limited at lower velocities. We have designed two sets of geometries that effectively induce directional flow resistance within high and low fluid flow velocities. This Master’s thesis project aims to experimentally investigate the impact of different flow obstruction designs on direction-dependent resistance in rectangular channels and semicircular arc segments. The student will, together with their direct supervisor, design and construct an experimental setup for the reliable measurement of flow and diodicity. This project offers an excellent opportunity to gain expertise in fluid dynamics, experimental testing, numerical modeling, and additive manufacturing, with applications in biomedical systems. Students with a background in mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Prior experience with COMSOL Multiphysics is beneficial but not mandatory.
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-15 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-01
Organization Musculoskeletal Biomechanics
Hosts Mosayebi Mahdieh
Topics Engineering and Technology
Microelectronic circuit design for neural interfaces in 0.18um CMOS technology
This project is about the development of integrated circuits to study neurons and neural networks, and may comprise different parts of the design including analog and/or digital microelectronics, PCB design, signal processing and programming.
Keywords
Microelectronics, CMOS, circuit design, electronics, PCB, signal processing, neural interface.
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-14 , Earliest start: 2022-01-03
Organization Bio Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cardes Fernando
Topics Engineering and Technology
Embedded systems for neural interfaces
The student will be involved in the development of software applications for in-vitro neural interfaces. The ultimate goal is controlling a complex embedded system, comprising a custom-made CMOS neural interface and two system on a chip.
Keywords
Software development, Python, C++, Linux, Embedded systems, SoC, FPGA, VHDL, Neural interfaces.
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-14 , Earliest start: 2024-08-01
Organization Bio Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cardes Fernando
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Advanced Robotic In-Situ Tissue Repair
The future of advanced tissue repair lies in precise, minimally invasive techniques that enhance patient outcomes while reducing recovery time. This innovative project aims to revolutionize in-situ tissue repair by designing and implementing a cutting-edge robotic tool, purpose-built for the medical frontier. Combining state-of-the-art robotics, real-time feedback systems, and versatile functionalities, this research will address the complex challenges of advanced tissue repair with a focus on precision and patient safety.
Keywords
Embedded Systems, PCB Design, Robotics, Biomechatronics, CAD, Medical Device Design, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Python, ROS, Surgery, Biomaterials, Biomedical Device Innovation, 3D Design
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-04-10 , Earliest start: 2025-05-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Empa , University of Zurich
Organization Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Balta Nisa
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Smart Microcapsules for Biomedical Advances
This Master's thesis/semester project focuses on the microfluidic fabrication of microcapsules with multi-environmental responsiveness. The aim is to develop microcapsule-based microrobots capable of adapting to various environmental cues. We envision that these microrobots will be used for complex tasks in biomedical applications.
Keywords
Microfluidics, Microcapsules, Microrobotics, Responsive Polymers, Biomedical Engineering
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis , Student Assistant / HiWi , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-04-08 , Earliest start: 2025-07-01
Organization Multiscale Robotics Lab
Hosts Hu Minghan
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Low-Voltage Soft Actuators for Developing Untethered Robotic Systems
We are building the next generation of HALVE (Hydraulically Amplified Low-Voltage Electrostatic) actuators which are flexible, pouch-based electrostatic actuators that operate at voltages 5–10× lower than traditional soft electrostatic systems. You will help us explore novel actuator geometries, ultra-thin functional layers, and new fabrication techniques to unlock scalable, energy-efficient soft robotic systems.
Keywords
soft robotics, low-voltage actuation, dielectric elastomers, electrostatic actuators, fabrication, PVDF-TrFE-CTFE, vapor deposition, CNC sealing, mechatronics, materials science
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-07 , Earliest start: 2025-04-14 , Latest end: 2026-01-31
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Empa
Organization Soft Robotics Lab
Hosts Albayrak Deniz , Hinchet Ronan
Topics Engineering and Technology
Combined Muscle and Nerve Tissue Engineering
Engineered muscle tissues have applications in regenerative medicine, drug testing, and understanding motion. A key challenge is restoring neuromuscular communication, especially in treating volumetric muscle loss (VML). This project aims to create functional neuromuscular constructs with biomimetic innervation. Scaffolds will be made using electrospun fibers, conductive materials, and drug-loaded graphene. Muscle and nerve cells derived from iPSCs will be seeded into these scaffolds. Constructs will be tested for motion, drug response, and integration in bio-hybrid robotic systems. The platform will advance muscle-nerve regeneration, drug testing, and bio-hybrid robotics.
Keywords
Tissue engineering, innervation, neural tissue, nerve, muscle tissue, scaffold, iPSCs, muscle cells, bioprinting, biofabrication, biohybrid robotics, soft robotics, 3D printing, biomaterials, electrical stimulation, actuation.
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-04-06 , Earliest start: 2025-04-06 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Organization Soft Robotics Lab
Hosts Filippi Miriam
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Biology
Data-driven/Machine Learning polymer formulation for drug development
This project aims to leverage machine learning to accelerate the design of polymer-based drug delivery systems with tailored release kinetics. Using a curated dataset of polymer formulations and their drug release profiles, predictive models will be developed, validated, and applied to optimize future formulations. By combining computational tools with explainable AI techniques, the project seeks to uncover key design principles and reduce experimental workloads. The outcome will enable smarter, data-driven reformulation processes, advancing personalized medicine and next-generation drug delivery technologies.
Keywords
Data-driven, machine learning, polymer formulation, drug
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Semester Project , Internship
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Published since: 2025-04-04 , Earliest start: 2025-04-07 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Guzzi Elia
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Open Position - Master Thesis: Synthesis and characterization of doped-tungsten oxides
The project is centered on the sol-gel synthesis of tungsten oxides, the characterization of their plasmonic properties and their application in a nanophotonic device.
Keywords
nanoparticle synthesis, tungsten oxides, plasmonic nanoparticles
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-28
Organization Multifunctional Materials
Hosts Radaelli Eleonora
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Thesis with Planted: image based product characterization
The goal of this project is to develop an image-based analysis method that enables timely evaluations.
Keywords
plant based meat, extrusion, image based analysis, programming, lab tests
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-27 , Earliest start: 2025-03-30 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Reikat Maximilian
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Thesis with Planted: lab on a chip
The goal of this project is to develop an analytical method that will enable even small material samples to be tested for their suitability for the extrusion process.
Keywords
plant based meat, extrusion, CAD, design, lab test, lab on a chip
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-27 , Earliest start: 2025-03-30 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Reikat Maximilian
Topics Engineering and Technology
Thesis with Planted: CAD-design and Experimentation
Based on pre-study, the aim of this new thesis project is to continue the research work and further improve the die design, fabricate new die variants using AM, and experimentally test them onsite at the facilities of Planted.
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plant based meat, extrusion, CAD, design, lab test,
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Published since: 2025-03-27 , Earliest start: 2025-03-30 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Reikat Maximilian
Topics Engineering and Technology
How Mechanical Forces Shape Cell Fate – and the Future of Regenerative Medicine
Project Summary We’re developing a powerful new in vitro model to untangle the complex mechanical cues—osmotic pressure and substrate stiffness—that skin cells experience every day. These signals are deeply intertwined in the body, but we’re building a system to decouple and precisely control them, for the first time. Why? Because understanding how cells respond to these forces is crucial for engineering functional tissues, guiding organ regeneration, and tackling mechanobiology-driven diseases like fibrosis.
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Key words: mechanical stresses, cell behavior, fibroblasts, immunostaining.
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-26 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-01-31
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cuni Filippo
Topics Engineering and Technology , Biology
PDMS-Based Bioreactor Investigating Cell Behavior in Response to Hydrostatic Pressure and Substrate Stiffness
Introduction and Background Skin cells dynamically respond to mechanical and biochemical stimuli, which influence critical processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration. By understanding this interplay, mechanical and biochemical stimuli may be used in the future to facilitate the growth of skin patches, tissue formation, and organ regeneration, enabling new therapies and benefiting patients. The study of these responses, mechanobiology, requires advanced in-vitro systems to emulate physiological conditions. This project utilizes a device designed for controlled manipulation of hydrostatic pressure (0.1–1.5 kPa) and substrate stiffness (0.1–100 kPa). The system facilitates isolated and scalable experiments to analyze how the interplay of these mechanical parameters affects cell behavior. In this thesis, the student will use this system to investigate how different stimuli affect cell behavior.
Keywords
Bioreactor, tissue engineering, organ regeneration
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-26 , Earliest start: 2025-05-01 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Binz Jonas
Topics Engineering and Technology , Biology
Continual Learning and Domain Adaptation Techniques for a Camera-Based Waste Monitoring System on an Ocean Cleanup Vessel
This thesis, part of the Autonomous River Cleanup (ARC) initiative in collaboration with The SeaCleaners, explores adaptive computer vision methods for automated quantification of oceanic plastic waste on the Mobula 10 vessel. The work focuses on applying continual learning and domain adaptation techniques to improve a baseline detection model’s robustness to changing waste types and environments. The system will be evaluated in real-world conditions to assess its performance and guide future research in environmental monitoring.
Keywords
computer vision, continual learning, field testing, unsupervised domain adaptation, plastic pollution
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-26 , Earliest start: 2025-05-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Robotic Systems Lab
Hosts Stolle Jonas , Elbir Emre
Topics Engineering and Technology
Extending Functional Scene Graphs to Include Articulated Object States
While traditional [1] and functional [2] scene graphs are capable of capturing the spatial relationships and functional interactions between objects and spaces, they encode each object as static, with fixed geometry. In this project, we aim to enable the estimation of the state of articulated objects and include it in the functional scene graph.
Keywords
scene understanding, scene graph, exploration
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-25 , Earliest start: 2025-03-25
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Organization Computer Vision and Geometry Group
Hosts Bauer Zuria, Dr. , Trisovic Jelena , Zurbrügg René
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Development of a Heterocellular Human Bone Organoid for Precision Medicine and Treatment
Our goal is to establish a heterocellular 3D printed bone organoid model comprising all major bone cell types (osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteoclasts) to recapitulate bone remodeling units in an in vitro system. The organoids will be produced with the human cells, as they could represent human pathophysiology better than animal models, and eventually could replace them. These in vitro models could be used in the advancement of next-generation personalised treatment strategies. Our tools are different kinds of 3D bioprinting platforms, bio-ink formulations, hydrogels, mol-bioassays, and time-lapsed image processing of micro-CT scans.
Keywords
3D printing, bone organoids, co-culture, bioreactor, hydrogels, drug testing
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-03-24 , Earliest start: 2022-08-01 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization Müller Group / Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics
Hosts Steffi Chris
Topics Engineering and Technology , Biology
Develop Dexterous Humanoid Robotic Hands
Design and build dexterous human-like robotic hands with us at the Soft Robotics Lab and the ETH spin-off mimic. We will explore different possibilities of developing design features and sub-systems. The developed features shall be integrated into a fully functional robotic hand and applied to solve practical manipulation challenges.
Keywords
humanoid, robotics, hand, dexterity, soft robotics, actuation, prototyping, modeling and control, mechatronics, biomimetic, design, 3D printing, silicone casting, electronics, machine learning, control
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-24 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
Organization Soft Robotics Lab
Hosts Weirich Stefan
Topics Engineering and Technology
Motion Imitation and Control for Humanoid Robot using Diffusion
To achieve effective and natural interaction, humanoid robots may need to closely imitate human motion, which encompasses walking, object manipulation, and environmental interactions. Motion capture data, which captures human motion with high precision, serves as an excellent resource for training robotic systems to replicate human movements. Diffusion models are a class of generative models designed to handle multi-modal distributions, making them highly suitable for complex motion generation tasks. Recent state-of-the-art methods use diffusion to produce human like motions for character animation or to imitate human expert data for controlling robotic arms. The goal of this project is to explore diffusion approaches for imitating motion data from humans to obtain control policies for humanoid robots.
Keywords
RL, Imitation Learning, Robotics, Diffusion
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-23 , Earliest start: 2025-01-15 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Organization Computational robotics laboratory (Prof. Stelian Coros)
Hosts Zargarbashi Fatemeh
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Exploring the Mechanoregulation of Bone Regeneration
In over 100 years, the remarkable ability of bone to adapt to its mechanical environment has been a source of scientific fascination. Bone regeneration has been shown to be highly dependent on the mechanical environment at the fracture site. It has been demonstrated that mechanical stimuli can either accelerate or impede regeneration. Despite the fundamental importance of the mechanical environment in influencing bone regeneration, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are complex and poorly understood.
Keywords
Bone, Mechanobiology, Spatial transcriptomics, Gene expression, Finite element modelling, Image processing
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-23 , Earliest start: 2024-11-01 , Latest end: 2025-08-31
Organization Müller Group / Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics
Hosts Mathavan Neashan
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Intelligent Micromachines Made from Droplet-Based Factory
We invite applications for a Master's thesis / semester project that focuses on the fabrication of microrobots with custom shapes. Using our developed droplet printing technique, this project will explore how different microrobot shapes, created by different magnetic fields and materials, influence their control behaviors in blood vessels. This research aims to advance biomedical technologies, particularly in targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive procedures.
Keywords
Microrobotics, 4D Printing, Soft Materials, Biomedical Devices
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Semester Project , Master Thesis , Student Assistant / HiWi , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-03-18 , Earliest start: 2025-06-02
Organization Multiscale Robotics Lab
Hosts Hu Minghan
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Industrial Design of a Medical Robotic Platform for Autonomous Eye Injections
The purpose of this project is to enhance an existing robotic platform capable of autonomously delivering injections into the human eye. Rather than starting from zero, the student will build upon substantial prior research. The project’s primary focus is on industrial design—making the system both visually appealing and suitable for clinical settings. This includes collaborating with external manufacturers for casting and production, resulting in a polished, user-friendly device for healthcare professionals. In addition, the student will do some coding in Python (specifically for motion planning) to run experiments on porcine and mock-eyes using the updated design.
Keywords
Mechanical design, system integration, industrial design
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ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-03-18
Organization Multiscale Robotics Lab
Hosts Ehmke Claas
Topics Engineering and Technology
Towards Fully 3D-Printed EEG Headsets: Eliminating External Wiring with Embedded Electronics
Multimaterial FDM printing offers exciting potential for directly integrating electronics into structural parts. One promising application is in EEG systems, which monitor brain activity using electrodes. The Ultracortex Mark IV by OpenBCI, for example, uses a 3D-printed frame but relies on external wiring. This thesis aims to redesign the headset to incorporate 3D-printed electronics and test its functionality.
Keywords
3D Printing, 3D Printed Electronics; Design; Testing
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-17 , Earliest start: 2025-01-21 , Latest end: 2026-01-01
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Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Vögerl Johannes
Topics Engineering and Technology
Next-Generation Wire Integration: Automating Electrical Routing in 3D-Printed Components
Novel 3D printing processes directly integrate electrical cables into components, solving many challenges of traditional electrical wires like entanglement, high assembly effort, or high system weight. However, the challenge of efficiently designing these integrated wires remains. This thesis aims to automate the design process of these integrated wires enabling fast generation of the integrated electronics in various use cases. Join us in pushing the boundaries for the fast design of complex 3D printing cables.
Keywords
Design Automation, 3D Printing, 3D Printed Electronics, Wiring; Programming
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-03-17 , Earliest start: 2025-01-21 , Latest end: 2026-01-01
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Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Vögerl Johannes
Topics Engineering and Technology
Bio-inspired Laser Ablation Process of Advanced Ceramic Material
Laser surface texturing is an advanced manufacturing process that harnesses the power and precision of light, transforming ordinary surfaces into innovative functionalized structures inspired by nature. By mimicking natural surface textures, various functionalities, such as friction reduction, self-cleaning, and superhydrophobicity, can be achieved. Notable examples of nature-inspired surfaces include the lotus leaf, snake skin, and the Namib beetle, all of which can be replicated through laser ablation processes. Laser surface texturing is mainly driven by the so-called laser-matter interaction. Especially for hard-to-machine materials like ceramics, which are gaining increasing attention in technical applications, the ablation phenomenon must be fully understood and controlled to achieve precise and selective material removal while maintaining material integrity. These materials have outstanding properties for a plurality of applications in industry; however, one is faced with the issue of finding a suitable manufacturing technique. Brittleness, hardness, and their tendency to crack lead to complications that could be addressed by the implementation of laser technology. However, experimental approaches alone are not expedient to fully handle and understand the complex phenomenon of laser ablation of ceramic multi-materials. This is the motivation for introducing the first steps of simulating laser-matter interaction in multi-material ceramics within this student project.
Keywords
Bio-inspired, Laser, ceramics, ablation, simulation, biomimicry
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-17 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-01-31
Organization Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory
Hosts Reichel Andreas
Topics Engineering and Technology
Microfabrication and characterization of microelectrodes for neural interfaces
The focus of this project is on the fabrication of microelectrodes for advanced neural interfaces in a cutting-edge cleanroom environment. Our research aims to develop high-resolution neural probes utilizing state-of-the-art microfabrication techniques.
Keywords
Microfabrication; Cleanroom; Neural Interfaces; Microelectrode Arrays; Biomedical Devices; Nanotechnology; Electrochemical Deposition; Neurotechnology; Semiconductor Processing; Bioengineering.
Labels
Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-12 , Earliest start: 2023-12-01
Organization Bio Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cardes Fernando
Topics Engineering and Technology