Robotics at EPFL

We’re an interfaculty initiative that connects and promotes EPFL’s advanced robotics and autonomous systems expertise.

What we do

As Labs and Centers engaged in robotics, we aim to drive positive social impact by shaping the next generation of robotics experts and solutions. We do this through leading-edge research, knowledge exchange, innovative experimentation, industry demos, technology transfer, and through excellence in teaching.

Our Labs

BioRobotics Lab

Computational Robot Design & Fabrication Lab

Distributed Intelligent Systems and Algorithms Lab

Environmental Sensing Observatory

Laboratory of Intelligent Systems

Learning Algorithms and Systems Lab

Micro BioRobotic Systems Laboratory

Mobile Robotics Systems Group

Neuro-Engineering Lab

Reconfigurable Robotics Lab

Visual Intelligence and Learning Lab

Visual Intelligence for Transportation Lab

Translational Neural Engineering Lab

EPFL’s Latest Developments in Robotics

Students from EPFL’s rebuiLT project have recovered components from a 1970s building scheduled to be demolished. © 2023 rebuiLT/PJ Renaud CC-BY-SA 4.0

Making construction sustainable by reusing materials

Events

One way to lighten the construction industry’s heavy carbon footprint is to reuse existing materials – an approach being explored by numerous researchers. Here’s a look at some of their ideas, ahead of an upcoming speaker event at EPFL.

Krock robot resting on the grass © Tomislav Horvat and Kamilo Melo CC BY-SA

Harsh field tests shape robotic design in unexpected ways

Research

When the BBC commissioned two reptilian robots from the EPFL BioRob lab for a documentary on the African wilderness in 2016, the researchers could not have predicted how testing the devices in uncontrolled environments would change their approach to robotic design.

The Softness Rendering Interface (SORI) can recreate the softness of a range of materials © Jamani Caillet

Robotic interface masters a soft touch

Research

EPFL researchers have developed a haptic device capable of reproducing the softness of various materials, from a marshmallow to a beating heart, overcoming a deceptively complex challenge that has previously eluded roboticists.

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