News & Awards

News 07-04-2026 A network for all neurodivergent employees of the Max Planck Society This article is based on an interview with Andrew K. Schulz, an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow and postdoctoral researcher in the Haptic Intelligence Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany, and an Associated Postdoc in the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS). Andrew was formally diagnosed with Autism during graduate school and has written about challenges of being Autistic in Germany in eLife.

Robotic Materials Blog Post 3 minute read 30-03-2026 BLOG: Ultralight artificial muscles for agile soft robots This article was written by Hyeong-Joon Joo Hyeong-Joon Joo

News 25-03-2026 Paul Wrede selected as 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow Paul Wrede, doctoral student at the professorship for biomedical imaging led by Prof. Daniel Razansky, has been awarded the 2026 Schmidt Science Fellowship. His goal is to explore how artificial cells can be developed to better communicate with the body and to understand fundamental biological processes.

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News 24-03-2026 A record-setting 10th recruitment round for our IMPRS-IS doctoral program! 85+ new scholars to join! IMPRS-IS, our institute's main doctoral program, is celebrating a yet another record year! We have recruited more than 85 doctoral researchers for our 10th recruitment round! We also achieved an exceptional offer acceptance rate of over 90%, highlighting the program's strong global appeal among top candidates. Katherine J. Kuchenbecker Leila Masri Sara Sorce Pannapa Huayhongtong

Empirical Inference Robotic Materials News 24-03-2026 Annalena Kofler and Daniela Macari selected to join the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting The two researchers from the Empirical Inference and Robotic Materials Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems are among over 600 young scientists from across the world who are given the opportunity to participate in a week of scientific exchange with some of the world’s greatest minds. Annalena Kofler Daniela Macari

Perceiving Systems Award 21-03-2026 Best Paper Runner Up Vanessa Sklyarova Berna Kabadayi Anastasios Yiannakidis Giorgio Becherini Michael Black Justus Thies

Haptic Intelligence Blog Post 5 minute read 17-03-2026 MPI-IS Researchers Participate in the 2nd German Robotics Conference (GRC 2026) The Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) hosted the second German Robotics Conference (GRC) in Cologne from March 11 to 13, 2026. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural meeting in Nuremberg, the conference brought together over 800 participants, including leading researchers, industry representatives, and policymakers working at the forefront of AI-powered robotics in Germany.

Physical Intelligence Blog Post 4 minute read 12-03-2026 BLOG: From Passive Vesicles to Cell-Like Microrobots This article was written by Selcan Karaz Han and Gaurav Gardi Selcan Karaz Han Gaurav Gardi Mertcan Han Birgül Akolpoglu Metin Sitti

Biomimetic Materials and Machines News 09-03-2026 Florian Hartmann receives scholarship from Daimler and Benz Foundation Florian Hartmann

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News 05-03-2026 Katia Bertoldi from Harvard University holds Max Planck Lecture 2026 Katherine J. Kuchenbecker Christoph Keplinger

Physical Intelligence Press Release 25-02-2026 Magnetic Microrobot Swarms Enable Contactless Manipulation of Objects Through Fluidic Torque The microrobots act as motors to move millimeter-sized passive objects without physical contact In a study, a team of researchers show that groups of magnetic microrobots can generate fluidic forces strong enough to rotate objects in different directions without touching them. These microrobot swarms can turn gear systems, rotate objects much larger than the robots themselves, assemble structures on their own, and even pull in or push away many small objects. The work was now published in Science Advances. Gaurav Gardi Metin Sitti Kirstin Petersen

Press Release 18-02-2026 Max Planck spin-off draws Epic Games to Tübingen The US-based game developer is acquiring Meshcapade and will establish a presence in the Cyber Valley tech hub Meshcapade, the Max Planck startup based in Tübingen’s Cyber Valley, is being acquired by Epic Games – a U.S. game developer and creator of Unreal Engine, a game development technology. Alongside the acquisition, Epic Games is establishing a presence in Cyber Valley. The Meshcapade team will join Epic’s AI Research team, contributing to technologies for Unreal Engine and MetaHuman. Michael Black

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Empirical Inference News 17-02-2026 Bernhard Schölkopf elected for UN AI Scientific Panel MPI-IS Director one of 40 members of the newly established Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. Bernhard Schölkopf

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Haptic Intelligence Press Release 12-02-2026 Elephant trunk whiskers exhibit material intelligence Scientists discover the secret behind the elephant’s sense of touch In a paper published in Science, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the Humboldt University of Berlin, and the University of Stuttgart have discovered that the secret to the elephant’s amazing sense of touch is in its unusual whiskers. The interdisciplinary team analyzed elephant trunk whiskers using advanced microscopy methods that revealed a form of material intelligence more sophisticated than the well-studied whiskers of rats and mice. This research has the potential to inspire new physically intelligent robotic sensing approaches that resemble the unusual whiskers that cover the elephant trunk. Katherine J. Kuchenbecker Andrew Schulz Lawrence Smith Deepti Philip Hilda David Jelena Zinnanti Gunther Richter

Perceiving Systems Press Release 11-02-2026 Michael J. Black elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering Michael J. Black

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Perceiving Systems Award 10-02-2026 Michael J. Black elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering Michael J. Black

Physical Intelligence News 05-02-2026 OptoMaG: An Optoacoustically Augmented Magnetic Guidewire for Radiation-Free Image-Guided Therapies Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, Southeast University, and Koç University have developed an optoacoustically augmented magnetic guidewire (OptoMaG), that integrates optoacoustic imaging, magnetic navigation, and therapeutic functionality into a single flexible guidewire, enabling radiation-free, real-time navigation in complex vascular environments. Unlike conventional X-ray–guided interventions, OptoMaG provides high-contrast three-dimensional visualization in deep tissue and contact-free magnetic steering. Fan Wang Xianqiang Bao Erdost Yildiz Yan Yu Ren Hao Soon Jelena Zinnanti Metin Sitti Wenbin Kang Devin Sheehan

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Physical Intelligence Press Release 28-01-2026 Beyond Polymers: New state-of-the-art 3D micro and nanofabrication technique overcomes material limitations Method relies on light-driven or optofluidic assembly In a Nature publication, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the National University of Singapore introduce an innovative optofluidic 3D micro- and nanofabrication technique that overcomes the material limitations of traditional two-photon polymerization. Inside a liquid, the team utilizes a femtosecond laser to generate localized thermal gradients and fluid flows that drive a wide range of micro- and nanoparticles into pre-printed microtemplates. This light-driven assembly enables the printing of structures made from a wide range of materials, sometimes even combined, overcoming the previous limitation to polymers. This technology can now be used to construct tiny micro-robots that can be controlled magnetically or by using light. Xianglong Lyu Gaurav Gardi Muhammad Turab Ali Khan Mingchao Zhang Metin Sitti

Physical Intelligence Press Release 14-01-2026 Hydrogel cilia set new standard in microrobotics Scientists create biologically realistic artificial cilia Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Koç University in Istanbul have created hydrogel-based artificial cilia that move almost exactly like real biological cilia – the closest imitation achieved so far. The researchers can program each micrometer-sized cilium to move freely in space – just like cilia in the human body. With their research, the scientists aim to investigate how natural cilia function, how they coordinate their movement, and what role they play in brain development, signal perception, and fluid movement, for example. Because the artificial cilia are soft and easy to control, they could one day be used in medical devices to help people whose natural cilia are damaged or not working properly. The fast, low-voltage motion demonstrated in their study could also inspire a new generation of tiny robots that were previously impossible at such small scales. This milestone work was published in Nature on January 14, 2026. Zemin Liu Ziyu Ren Chunxiang Wang Wenkang Wang Jongkuk Ko Shanyuan Song Chong Hong Wenqi Hu Metin Sitti

Mechanics for Intelligent Structures News 07-01-2026 Renate Sachse joins MPI-IS as new group leader She will lead the independent Cyber Valley Research Group "Mechanics for Intelligent Structures" at the Stuttgart site of our institute. Renate Sachse

Biomimetic Materials and Machines Blog Post 1 minute read 01-01-2026 Die Zukunft der Roboter ist weich Artikel des Tenor Magazins Die weichen Roboter kommen: Seit etwa 15 Jahren nimmt der Bereich Soft Robotics an Fahrt auf. Im Jahr 2024 schätzte das Marktforschungsunternehmen Zion Market Research den weltweiten Umsatz für Soft Robotics auf mehr als eine Milliarde US-Dollar. Eine Nische zwar, verglichen mit fast 25 Milliarden Euro Umsatz, die Unternehmen mit konventionellen Robotern erzielen. Doch Experten prognostizieren, dass diese Nische schneller wachsen wird als die Branche insgesamt: um rund 35 Prozent jährlich. Kein Wunder also, dass sich weltweit Forscher diesem Thema widmen.

News 17-12-2025 ELLIS Institute Tübingen joins CLS as Associated Partner It’s official: The ELLIS Institute Tübingen is now an <strong>Associated Partner</strong> of the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS)!

Haptic Intelligence Award 11-12-2025 2025 MPI-IS Gender Equality Prize for Vani Sundaram Vani Sundaram

Perceiving Systems Award 10-12-2025 ACM SIGGRAPH Asia Test-of-Time Award 2025 For the paper "SMPL: A Skinned Multi-Person Linear Model", published at SIGGRAPH Asia 2015. Co-authors: Matthew Loper, Naureen Mahmood, Javier Romero, Gerard Pons-Moll, Michael J. Black. Matthew Loper Naureen Mahmood Javier Romero Gerard Pons-Moll Michael J. Black

Empirical Inference Award 02-12-2025 Zhijing Jin won the ELLIS PhD Award 2025, for her dissertation on “Causality for Natural Language Processing”. Zhijing Jin

News 26-11-2025 RIGI Continues to Grow Our Stuttgart-based internship program RIGI attracted more than 900 applications for internship positions at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems during its 2026 recruitment round. Buse Aktaş Leila Masri Birgül Akolpoglu

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CELLnROLL Press Release 25-11-2025 CELLnROLL receives funding from EXIST Research Transfer Start-up develops automated cellular diagnostic devices for detecting diseases such as cancer Alp Can Karacakol Erdost Yildiz Ugur Bozüyük Sarah Scatigna

Organizational Leadership and Diversity Press Release 25-11-2025 The avatar in a wheelchair A call for more diversity in the Metaverse A study by the University of Stuttgart, the California State University at Fullerton, and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has found that there are benefits to representing one’s real-life disability through an avatar in virtual reality. The Metaverse is not just a technical platform, but also one for social interaction. Therefore, all users should be included in its development, including people with disabilities. The researchers appeal to companies to be more courageous in embracing diversity in virtual spaces as authentic self-representation allows people with disabilities to identify more strongly with their work. Ksenia Keplinger Phoenix Van Wagoner Andria Smith

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Perceiving Systems Award 24-11-2025 Peter Kulits receives Outstanding Reviewer Award, BMVC 2025. Peter Kulits

News 24-11-2025 We are hiring a new Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent System (MPI-IS) seeks to advance intelligent systems that perceive, learn, and interact though fundamental research across computational, physical, and social dimensions. We shape artificial intelligence and robotics to advance knowledge and benefit society. The institute takes a highly interdisciplinary approach that combines mathematics, computation, engineering, materials science, and biology. Katherine J. Kuchenbecker Christoph Keplinger Eva Lämmerhirt

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Haptic Intelligence Award 19-11-2025 Postdoc Mayumi Mohan and her team is selected for MAX!mize, the start-up incubation program for Max Planck Researchers Mayumi Mohan

News 17-11-2025 Ausgezeichnete Schülerinnen und Schüler beim Bundeswettbewerb Künstliche Intelligenz Schlaganfälle schneller diagnostizieren, die Blackbox von Sprachmodellen öffnen oder Blutzuckerwerte schmerzfrei bestimmen – Gewinnerteams setzen mit KI-Projekten zukunftsweisende Impulse

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News 15-11-2025 More room for world class research New building Cyber Valley I handed over to the University of Tübingen Baden-Württemberg's Minister of Science Petra Olschowski and Minister of Finance Dr. Danyal Bayaz handed over the new Cyber Valley I building to the University of Tübingen on Friday, 14 November. Max Planck research groups will also be based there.

News 13-11-2025 Agile, lightweight, efficient, intelligent: Researchers are developing next-generation robots New Institute for Adaptive Mechanical Systems (IAMS) is located at MPI-IS and focuses on new walking robots and soft robotics. C. David Remy Philipp Rothemund

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Neuromechanics of Movement News 05-11-2025 Janneke Schwaner and Philipp Rothemund awarded prestigious grant through the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities The scientists receive funding for 'Tails in Motion' project The project is a step forward in the fundamental understanding of how muscles and tendons work together to control movement. The cutting-edge simulations and robotic systems developed may revolutionize the design of agile and maneuverable robots, inspiring a new generation of high-performing bioinspired robots. Philipp Rothemund Janneke Schwaner

Physical Intelligence Blog Post 3 minute read 03-11-2025 BLOG: Active Droplets Get a Magnetic Upgrade: Controlling Self-propelling Droplets and Their Collectives This blog post was written by Muhammad Turab Ali Khan from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. Muhammad Turab Ali Khan Gaurav Gardi Ren Hao Soon Mingchao Zhang Metin Sitti Ugur Bozüyük

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Embodied Social Interaction News 01-11-2025 Philipp Müller starts as Cyber Valley Max Planck Independent Research Group Leader Group named "Embodied Social Interaction" is located at MPI-IS Stuttgart Philipp Müller

Robotic Materials Award 29-10-2025 Alona Shagan receives the Research Prize Parkinson-Tremor together with Syn Schmitt (University of Stuttgart) und Daniel Häufle (Hertie Institute for AI in Brain Health and University of Tübingen) Alona Shagan

News 29-10-2025 IMPRS-IS Now Accepting Applications for 2026! We invite outstanding applicants to join its 10th generation of doctoral researchers in 2026. Apply by November 16, 2025, to pursue cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, robotics, and related fields.

Robotic Materials Blog Post Linda Behringer 2 minute read 29-10-2025 Parkinson’s Foundation supports collaboration between MPI-IS, Uni Stuttgart and Uni Tübingen BITS Researchers Alona Shagan, Syn Schmitt, and Daniel Häufle receive 50.000 Euros Alona Shagan

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Haptic Intelligence Award 27-10-2025 Postdoc Mayumi Mohan is selected for the MPG career building program Sign Up For Leadership Mayumi Mohan

Haptic Intelligence Award 27-10-2025 Postdoc Rachael L'Orsa is selected for the MPG career building program Sign Up For Your Career Rachael Lorsa

Social Foundations of Computation News 23-10-2025 Vivian Nastl and Ricardo Dominguez-Olmedo receive 2025 Google Ph.D. Fellowship Program supports exceptional graduate students working on innovative research in computer science and related fields Vivian Nastl Ricardo Dominguez-Olmedo Moritz Hardt Bernhard Schölkopf

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Perceiving Systems Award 21-10-2025 2025 Mark Everingham Prize The PAMI Mark Everingham Prize For Contributions to the Computer Vision Community was awarded at ICCV 2025 to "The SMPL body model team (Michael J. Black, Naureen Mahmood, Matthew Loper, Javier Romero, Gerard Pons-Moll) for a family of foundation models that have enabled body pose research." Michael J. Black Naureen Mahmood Matthew Loper Javier Romero Gerard Pons-Moll

News 21-10-2025 Principal Investigator Positions (m/f/d) as Hector Endowed Fellows of the ELLIS Institute Tübingen The ELLIS Institute in Tübingen, Germany, invites applications for Principal Investigator (m/f/d) positions as Hector Endowed Fellows of the ELLIS Institute Tübingen.

Perceiving Systems Award 19-10-2025 Nikos Athanasiou, Michael J. Black, and Peter Kulits receive Outstanding Reviewer Awards, ICCV 2025. Nikos Athanasiou Michael J. Black Peter Kulits

Haptic Intelligence Perceiving Systems Award 16-10-2025 Doctoral student Maria-Paola Forte is recognized as a NeurIPS 2025 Top Reviewer She is awarded a non-transferable complimentary registration to attend the conference. Maria-Paola Forte

Robotic Composites and Compositions Press Release 16-10-2025 From Stiff to Soft in a Snap Magnetic Jamming Opens New Frontiers for Microrobotics Could tiny magnetic objects, that rapidly clump together and instantly fall apart again, one day perform delicate procedures inside the human body? A new study from researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and at ETH Zurich introduces a wireless method to stiffen and relax small structures using magnetic fields, without wires, pumps, or physical contact. Buse Aktaş

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News 15-10-2025 Antonia Georgopoulou starts as Cyber Valley Max Planck Independent Research Group Leader Group named "Cyborg Robotics and Intelligent Sensing" or CyRIS Antonia Georgopoulou

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Empirical Inference News 09-10-2025 Siyuan Guo receives the MIT EECS Rising Star award Her research focuses on understanding learning and intelligence from first principles. Siyuan Guo