ETH News

Start-up URBNC 3 produces sustainable and personalised sandals with the aid of digital technology. The start-up took its first steps at the Student Project House of ETH Zurich.

Hedan Bai thinks robots should help people and be compostable. She is working on creating robots made of soft materials that can do both.

Bioengineer Randall Platt engineers bacteria that can assess the state of our guts. It is hoped this non-invasive technique could eventually be used to develop more effective interventions against malnutrition among children in the Global South.

Warfare is increasingly spreading to the realm of cyberspace. In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wants to protect its digital infrastructure and that of humanitarian organisations with a digital emblem. The Information Security Group at ETH Zurich has developed a standard for this along with initial pilots.

The risk of fatal heatwaves has risen sharply over the past 20 years. In the future, such extreme weather will become more frequent and heat-related excess mortality will increase. Europe will be particularly affected, as ETH Zurich researchers show.

The expansion of hydropower generation often leads to conflicts of interest, both in Switzerland and beyond. Researchers from ETH Zurich are trying to find a basis for compromise that serves the public interest.

Wera Hotz Kowner was the first woman to study electrical engineering at ETH Zurich. Successfully rising above the condescension shown by some of her professors, she focused on preparing herself for her new job as managing director of the family business.

Human geographer Christine Eriksen and physicist David Bresch conduct research into weather and climate risks. Their methods may be different, but they agree that the scale of a disaster is often determined more by societal decisions than by the natural hazard itself.  

Manuel Mathis is doing an internship at a composting plant in Nairobi as part of his Master’s degree programme. He is now in charge of a 20-strong team of workers – and, thanks to his improvements, the business is back in profit.

Based on observational data from Europe, climate researchers from ETH Zurich have shown for the first time that forests lead to a rise in precipitation. Their analyses also revealed that if the available agricultural land were reforested, the amount of precipitation in Europe could increase by more than 7 percent.

From robots that offer solace to algorithms that help judges make fact-based decisions, robotics and machine learning are entering new domains that were once the preserve of humans.

An 80-metre-high skyscraper made of wood is soon to be built in Zug. A pioneering project for which basic research is being carried out in the construction hall on the Hönggerberg.

A recent study in South Africa and Ghana shows people support government steps to combat Covid-19 but lack the infrastructure and financial security required to maintain social distancing.

Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement means embracing a sustainable transition to renewables. Yet analyses suggest that decarbonisation can only be achieved with targeted government support for the right technologies.

Engineers from the ETH Feasibility Lab are working together with the ICRC to develop a prosthetic leg that allows easy replacement of its wearing part. This prolongs the service life of the prosthesis. In the future, more mine victims could be fitted with a such.

Research done by Professor Metin Sitti was voted the Breakthrough of the Year in the category “Engineering & Technology” at this year’s Falling Walls Conference in Berlin. The ETH Zurich-affiliated researcher’s microrobots open up new possibilities for non-invasive medical diagnosis and treatment.

The automation of work is increasing at a tremendous pace. But how well do technology and humans really work together in a digitised world?

The Inga hope a university will keep their indigenous heritage alive, safeguard the natural habitat of the Colombian rainforest and give the younger generation a future. Anne Lacaton, Professor of Architecture and Design, spent two semesters supporting the project with her students.

Vanesa Rocha Martin is studying how bacteria can be used to treat infant colic. As part of her Pioneer Fellowship, she is now turning her findings into a first-line therapy with a proven effect.

Systems biologist Paola Picotti receives this year’s Rössler Prize for her groundbreaking work in the field of proteomics. She has developed a method of measuring structural changes in thousands of proteins at the same time, paving the way for personalised therapy.

He can play a computer game using thought alone. Samuel Kunz, who has tetraplegia, is currently training with researchers from Zurich and Singapore for the next Cybathlon.

The Argentinian Tomás Bartoletti wants to tell history from a global perspective. Since the summer of 2019 he has been doing so at ETH Zurich, where he has been researching the story of the Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob von Tschudi and his travels around Latin America. He hopes to discover new insights into Switzerland’s postcolonial past and the history of Latin America.

Researchers are looking into new materials to lay the foundations for living structures that respond to their environment. They aim to create self-sustaining infrastructures that can monitor their condition and even repair themselves.

For the past 50 years, AVETH has promoted the interests of doctoral students, post-docs and scientific staff. The association gives equal weight to representing its members in university policymaking and providing concrete support and counselling.

Marc Angélil played a decisive role in shaping the teaching of architecture at ETH Zurich, both as professor and as temporary head of the department. For years he has been researching the political, social and economic drivers of global urbanisation. Now in retirement, he takes a new, critical look at the latest urbanisation trends in a wide-ranging book and exhibition. 

With the advent of smart farming, agriculture has now entered the era of big data. Drones, robots and intelligent imaging should soon be boosting farmyard efficiency and sustainability. Switzerland’s characteristic smallholdings could be one of the chief beneficiaries.

A unique simulation for the city of Zurich shows that driverless taxis would not displace personal transport in cities as long as automated private vehicles are also available. Previous simulations assumed too high a demand for automated taxi services, as they did not take into account user preferences regarding flexibility, costs and waiting times.

Renato Paro came to Basel as the son of Italian immigrants. It was there that, years later, he built up the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE). He is seen as a pioneer of epigenetics. His method for determining interactions between proteins and DNA in living cells has been adopted in labs around the world.

Eye surgery is a delicate and precise process. A new simulation platform based on augmented reality allows surgeons to practice surgical procedures on a virtual model in three dimensions.

Car sharing with autonomous vehicles could improve cities in many different ways. Singapore is taking a pioneering role, working with ETH researchers to explore the potential of personalised, electrified and automated public transport.

The company Roland were unhappy with the quality of their gluten-free rusks. Fortunately Erich Windhab, a professor at ETH, was on hand to help.

Kees Christiaanse is one of the most renowned urban planners. After 15 years as a professor at ETH Zurich, he is retiring from teaching duties this summer, and will be made an emeritus professor. But not much will change as a result, he says. Even after stepping down from ETH, he intends to continue pursuing his global vision of an open city.

The development economist Adina Rom is studying solar lighting in rural Kenya as part of her doctoral thesis at the Center for Development and Cooperation (NADEL) at ETH Zurich. She is also the founder of an ETH spin-off, Policy Analytics, whose goal is to assess the impact of social and environmental policies.

China intends to be the world leader in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030. As part of her doctoral thesis, political scientist Sophie-Charlotte Fischer is analysing the current Chinese upswing in AI.

An international team led by geologist Michael Strasser has used novel methods to analyse sediment deposits in the Japan Trench in order to gain new insights into the carbon cycle.

Italian author Melania G. Mazzucco is currently lecturing at ETH Zurich as the De Sanctis Visiting Professor. The focus of her writing could not be more topical: refugees and migration.

Branco Weiss fellow Gabriele Manoli wants to enrich urban research with quantitative models and establish a new science dedicated to creating green cities. He has found the ideal location for this: Zurich.

A new generation of microsensors could provide the vital link between food products and the Internet of Things. ETH researchers have developed an ultra-thin temperature sensor that is both biocompatible and biodegradable.

Neophytes – invasive plants that are alien to the region – are a huge burden on the public purse. The ETH spin-off “In-Finitude” has set up a new online platform right on time for the growing season. This displays the locations of the invasive neophytes across Switzerland and offers support to landowners and local authorities in combatting them.

Filming of spectacular action scenes is expensive and the creative possibilities are often limited. An ETH doctoral student has developed an algorithm that allows drones to implement the desired picture compositions independently.

Dehydration is one of the most common causes of death among young children in the developing world – particularly during the hot summer months. ETH Professor Walter Karlen and his team of researchers have developed an inexpensive mobile device that could be used by laypeople to more effectively treat dehydration.

Climate change is leading to ever higher temperatures and aridity in many areas, making efficient room cooling increasingly important. An ETH doctoral student at the Functional Materials Laboratory has developed an alternative to electrically powered air conditioning: a cooling curtain made of a porous triple-layer membrane.

Travel and happiness have a complicated relationship – even the Stoics were aware of this. An interview with philosopher Michael Hampe on the opportunities and risks that come with travelling.

Priyank Kumar became a materials scientist mainly by chance. His enthusiasm for complex simulations of material properties took him from India to MIT, and then to ETH. Europe now feels like a second home to him.

Lavinia Heisenberg is a theoretical physicist. She is reluctant to accept that General Relativity can be used to describe the universe only on the assumption of exotic materials and energy sources. Her goal is thus to update Einstein’s theory.

Genomics, digital patient files and real-time health surveillance – never before have we had access to so much health data. Three ETH researchers explain how they extract relevant information from this sea of data and the potential benefits for personalised medicine.

The ETH spinoff MaxWell Biosystems AG develops microelectrode platforms for electrophysiological tests on nerve cells, opening up new possibilities for pharmaceutical research. Now, the company received CHF 130,000 in starting capital from the Venture Kick initiative

ETH researchers are developing tiny, sophisticated technological and biological machines enabling non-invasive, selective therapies. Their creations include genetically modified cells that can be activated via brain waves, and swarms of microrobots that facilitate highly precise application of drugs. 

An ETH spin-off, xorlab, has ambitious plans: it has developed a unique IT security solution that provides more effective protection against hacker attacks. Now the product is about to undergo crucial trials in a real business environment.

On Monday, the Energy Science Center at ETH Zurich and the Energy Initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) welcomed guests to a joint symposium in Zurich on the future of global energy supplies. Greater energy efficiency, improved battery performance and the digitalisation of energy systems will make key contributions.  

On 10 and 11 March, a delegation of board members and researchers from South Africa visited ETH Zurich. ETH News spoke to two researchers who have been working together for more than 10 years: Jens Kossmann, Director of the Institute for Plant Biotechnology at Stellenbosch University, and Samuel Zeeman, Head of the Group of Plant Biochemistry at ETH Zurich, explain what goes into making a collaboration across 10,000 km successful.

Augmented creativity can encourage children towards a new-found sense of creativity, cooperation and interaction with their environment. ETH Zurich’s Game Technology Center will present its latest apps in the field at the CeBIT computer expo.

The Biennale for Urban Development and Architecture in Shenzhen opened on 4 December 2015. Two architecture professors from ETH Zurich are co-curators, and the university is making several contributions to the exhibition. In addition, ETH students are working on new projects with colleagues from China, at a temporary school being established for that purpose.

Micheline Calmy-Rey gave a public lecture at ETH Zurich last Monday in which she spoke about Swiss foreign policy and called for an active role in international nuclear disarmament negotiations. Her visit took place as part of a joint seminar between the University of Geneva and ETH Zurich.

At this year’s Pauli Lectures, mathematics professor Ingrid Daubechies will offer an insight into her research on wavelets and digital signal processing. Among other applications, she uses these two fields to unequivocally identify forged Van Goghs.

Johann Schneider-Ammann, Federal Councillor and head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, visited ETH Zurich on Monday. He learned about the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation, and expressed how impressed he was by the university's achievements. 

On Monday Kay Schaller was elected as the new VSETH president. He takes over this important role of representing his fellow students from his predecessor, Thomas Gumbsch. Schaller is not expecting any respite from his chemistry studies; instead he hopes to gain valuable experience for his future career.

On Monday, the “venture” start-up competition celebrated its tenth run. Six ETH Zurich companies were among this year’s finalists, with Pregnostics winning the prize for best business idea.

ETH Zurich’s new Game Technology Center in the Department of Computer Science will pool Swiss know-how in the development of computer games. This was announced on Wednesday as part of the final presentation of the Game Programming Laboratory.

With the help of robots, archaeologists may soon be able to compare their findings with data from thousands of experimental reference samples, enabling them to determine tool use in the Stone Age. ETH scientists have developed a robotic system and presented it at the industry fair in Hanover.

The Federal Council is pushing ahead with the Swiss Innovation Park: it intends to make 350 million francs available and give the operators land with planning permission. ETH Zurich has been supporting the project for over ten years.

3D printers are opening up new opportunities in medicine too. A group of researchers in a team led by Marcy Zenobi-Wong is printing cartilage transplants using the body’s own cells. They are personalised and grow with the patient.

These days, technology companies are tapping into the expertise of online open source communities to develop new software. A research group under the Chair of Strategic Management and Innovation is examining how companies can boost the motivation of these unpaid developers.

Avaloq CEO Francisco Fernandez is bursting with ambition. Despite quadrupling his company’s turnover and staff since the beginning of the financial crisis, he  refuses to rest on his laurels. His mission: a total rethink of banking, and developing the best solutions for the industry.

Associate professor Thomas Haslwanter motivates his students to contribute to Wikibooks to create a written record of his course. Over the past six years, a 200-page compendium on the subject of sensory systems has emerged and is freely available on the internet.

At the ETH Health Talk, researchers met with representatives from business, administration and various associations to discuss the Herculean task of making the Swiss healthcare system ready for the future. Participants called for more transparency, more interdisciplinary research and better underlying data.

Yesterday the canton of Zurich presented its development study for the planned innovation park in the grounds of Dübendorf Air Base. Now the revised master plan must be approved by the cantonal parliament and federal government, and the federal government must decide on the future use of the air base.

The massive spread of the cryptocurrency or digital currency, Bitcoin, opens up new pathways for researchers to study social action on markets. This reveals interesting feedback between the exchange rates and mentions in social media.

For the last four years, the Japanese government has resolutely resisted China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy. At the same time, Prime Minister Abe’s cabinet has pushed for a change to Japan’s constitution to remove military constraints. ETH News spoke to political scientist Michael Haas about Japan’s departure from a pacifist security policy.

DNA sequencing has revolutionised life sciences. Now it’s medicine’s turn: thanks to genetic analysis, treatment tailored to individual patients will be a standard feature in the future. With a new competence centre, ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich are aiming to lead the way in personalised medicine.

Timber construction, informal architecture and biofuels – research partnerships, visiting professorships, start-ups and student projects: all these things connect ETH Zurich and World Cup host Brazil.

On Monday, ETH has inaugurated the new Euler high-performance computer at the CSCS data center in Lugano, offering researchers extra processing power and flexibility to evaluate data and run complex simulations.

ETH-Zurich spin-off Qipp uses virtual profiles to connect our favourite objects to the internet. Smartphones enable manufacturers to remain in contact with purchasers throughout a product’s entire lifespan.

In its Strategic Trends report, the Center for Security Studies (CSS) illuminates the geopolitics of tomorrow. As Russia asserts its power in international affairs with greater frequency, the US is taking a decidedly less active role on the global stage.

Consuming less energy is fun! This is the conviction of the ETH offices in charge of environmental matters and sustainability, which are launching a programme to promote sustainable behaviour. The first Energy Efficiency Challenge for ETH employees will be held in May.

With the Swedish Chalmers University, another top university has joined the “IDEA League”. This European university grouping is aiming to cooperate even more closely, while its joint doctoral study programme is entering its second round.

Data is treasure: new worlds open up to organisations that understand how to scoop useful information out of unstructured data. At the President of ETH Zurich’s "Lokaltermin", researchers and business representatives revealed how data could serve a broad public in future.

A new Master’s degree programme combines competencies from architecture and engineering to create comprehensive expertise in the planning of sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. The first students will start their course in autumn.

After weeks of confrontation, Ukraine is in search of a political future. The conflict between the new government in Kiev and forces sympathetic to Russia is escalating, particularly in Crimea. Nevertheless, Russia expert Jonas Grätz, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies, does not foresee a return to the Cold War era.

Niklaus Wirth became internationally renowned for developing the Pascal programming language, allowing a generation of computer scientists to learn to program. This pioneering figure celebrates his 80th birthday – which doesn’t mean he isn’t still busy developing the simplest and most elegant programs possible.