Student Projects
Currently, the following student projects are available. Please contact the responsible supervisor and apply with your CV and transcripts.
If you are looking for a Master internship HST/BWS or would like to carry out a Studies on Mechatronics project in our group, please contact the assistant working on, or closest to, the research topic you are interested in.
Master Thesis: Contact force evaluation of robotic endoscopic system based on Series Elastic Actuation
In the BIROMED-Lab we have been developing an endoscopic system for safer neurosurgeries with inspiration from human finger anatomy. Its two degrees of freedom allow the endoscope to investigate areas of the brain that would be inaccessible with standard rigid endoscopes. Thanks to springs in the transmission between the motors and the movable endoscope tip, the interaction forces between the instrument and the brain tissue can be reduced. Furthermore the interaction forces can be estimated by measuring the deflection of the spring. To make the telemanipulation of the endoscope safer and more intuitive for the surgeon, force feedback was also implemented.
Keywords
Robotic surgery, Neurosurgery, Telemanipulation, Haptic feedback, Robotic endoscope
Labels
Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-03-06 , Earliest start: 2025-03-01
Organization Bio-Inspired RObots for MEDicine-Laboratory (BIROMED-Lab)
Hosts Ettori Sara Lisa Margherita , Gerig Nicolas, Dr. , Sommerhalder Michael
Topics Engineering and Technology
Master Thesis: Vibro-tactile feedback in ventricle puncturing during External Ventricular Drain (EVD) procedure
EVD is a common procedure in Neurosurgery, nevertheless its placement is non-ideal in up to 40% of the cases because of lack of hands-on experience of residents. To try and solve the issue we propose a medical simulator that will merge haptic feedback with hardware components. Vibro-tactile feedback has been proven useful in medical simulations and could give a more complete and realistic experience to the training surgeon, either as supplementary information to the force feedback or as stand alone information. In order to feed back the vibro-tactile information to the user, the haptic device has to be instrumentalized with appropriate custom-made hardware.
Keywords
Vibro-tactile feedback, Haptic feedback, Medical robotics, Surgical simulators
Labels
Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-02-26 , Earliest start: 2025-03-01
Organization Bio-Inspired RObots for MEDicine-Laboratory (BIROMED-Lab)
Hosts Gerig Nicolas, Dr. , Sommerhalder Michael , Ettori Sara Lisa Margherita
Topics Engineering and Technology
New method of tracking breathing and deriving VT’s
We are working on a novel product which tracks breathing with standard earphones (like Apple AirPods) only. To do this we capture the sound of breathing with the microphone which is in every earphone. We are working on an algorithm with which we can detect the ventilatory thresholds (VT1/VT2) with the breathing rate captured via the earphones. BreezeLabs is an ETH spin-off.
Keywords
Running, sports performance, startup
Labels
Internship , Master Thesis
Project Background
Your Task
Your Benefits
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-02-10 , Earliest start: 2025-03-03 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Applications limited to University of Basel , ETH Zurich
Organization Sensory-Motor Systems Lab
Hosts Wolf Peter
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Research Assistant in Biosensing for Robotics Care and Body Simulation (~12 months)
Join a team of scientists improving the long-term prognosis and treatment of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) through mobile and wearable systems and personalized health monitoring. Joining the SCAI Lab part of the Sensory-Motor Systems Lab at ETH, you will have the unique opportunity of working at one of the largest and most prestigious health providers in Switzerland: Swiss Paraplegic Center (SPZ) in Nottwil (LU).
Keywords
App development, Machine Learning, Data bases, Data engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Modelling
Labels
Internship , Lab Practice , Student Assistant / HiWi , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-02-06 , Earliest start: 2025-03-03 , Latest end: 2026-12-31
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , IBM Research Zurich Lab , Institute for Research in Biomedicine , Hochschulmedizin Zürich , Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics , University of Lucerne , University of Zurich , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Zurich University of the Arts , Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts , Berner Fachhochschule
Organization Spinal Cord Injury & Artificial Intelligence Lab
Hosts Paez Diego, Dr. , Paez Diego, Dr. , Paez Diego, Dr.
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Master's Thesis: AI-powered nap detection from Fitbit data
The uprise of consumer-grade fitness trackers has opened the doors to long-term activity monitoring in the wild in research and clinics. However, Fitbit does not identify napping episodes shorter than 90 minutes. Hence, there is a need to establish a robust algorithm to detect naps.
Keywords
Data analysis, machine learning, signal processing, wearables, Fitbit, naps detection
Labels
Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-02-06 , Earliest start: 2025-02-10 , Latest end: 2025-08-31
Organization Spinal Cord Injury & Artificial Intelligence Lab
Hosts Gnarra Oriella , Gnarra Oriella
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
A Bayesian sensor fusion and machine learning approach for robust hand gesture decoding with application to stroke rehabilitation.
About the project: This thesis aims to design a framework for robust fine-motor action decoding using multi-modal (sEMG and depth sensing camera) Bayesian sensor fusion and machine learning approach
Keywords
Bayesian inference, sEMG, depth sensing camera, rehabilitation, machine learning, deep transfer learning
Labels
Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
Project Background
Your Task
Your Benefits
Your Profile
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-02-01 , Earliest start: 2025-03-01 , Latest end: 2025-08-01
Organization Sensory-Motor Systems Lab
Hosts Dash Adyasha
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Master Thesis: Data Analysis of Wearable and Nearable Sensors Data for Classification of Activities of Daily Living
This project aims to develop a novel algorithm for tracking a person's health condition changes using daily life wearable sensor data, biosignals, and information from nearable sensors. With the Life-long-logging system, we want to provide meaningful data for medical staff and directly engage patients and their caregivers.
Keywords
Data analysis, Machine Learning, Wearable Sensors
Labels
Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-01-22 , Earliest start: 2025-02-03 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Organization Spinal Cord Injury & Artificial Intelligence Lab
Hosts Gnarra Oriella , Gnarra Oriella
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Master Thesis: Data Analysis of Wearable and Nearable Sensors Data within the StrongAge Cohort Study
The StrongAge Dataset, collected over one year, provides a rich data repository from unobtrusive, contactless technologies combined with validated mood and cognition questionnaires. This project aims to uncover digital biomarkers that can transform elderly care, addressing critical research questions related to sleep, cognition, physical activity, and environmental influences.
Keywords
Data analysis, Machine learning, Wearable and Nearable Sensors Data
Labels
Semester Project , Internship , Lab Practice , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , Student Assistant / HiWi , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-01-22 , Earliest start: 2025-02-03 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Organization Spinal Cord Injury & Artificial Intelligence Lab
Hosts Gnarra Oriella , Gnarra Oriella
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Masters Thesis: Force Sensing with Series Elastic Actuation Component for Surgical Robot
The "in SEA2 SpineBot" Project aims to develop a robotic impedance measurement device capable of assessing the biomechanical properties of the adolescent spine with patient-specific anatomy. This highly interdisciplinary project will be the first of its kind to acquire in vivo data from patients with idiopathic adolescent scoliosis (AIS) during their correction surgery. It is a collaboration with the Children's Hospital of Basel (UKBB) and the Computational Bioengineering Group at ARTOG University of Bern. Ensuring the functionality and reliability of the series elastic actuation (SEA) component of this device is a challenge in sensor development and signal electronics and is paramount to the project's overall success.
Keywords
Series Elastic Actuation Force sensing Surgical Robotics
Labels
Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-01-06 , Earliest start: 2025-02-01 , Latest end: 2025-04-01
Organization Bio-Inspired RObots for MEDicine-Laboratory (BIROMED-Lab)
Hosts Gerig Nicolas, Dr.
Topics Engineering and Technology
Master Thesis: Sterile Locking Interface and Surgical Workflow Development for Surgical Robot
The "in SEA2 SpineBot" Project aims to develop a robotic impedance measurement device capable of assessing the biomechanical properties of the adolescent spine with patient-specific anatomy. This highly interdisciplinary project will be the first of its kind to acquire in vivo data from patients with idiopathic adolescent scoliosis (AIS) during their correction surgery. It is a collaboration with the Children's Hospital of Basel (UKBB) and the Computational Bioengineering Group at ARTOG University of Bern. A 6 DoF parallel robot has been designed for this purpose and attaches to the vertebrae intraoperatively through pre-installed pedicle screws.
Keywords
Surgical Robot User Inteface Surgical Engineering
Labels
Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-01-06 , Earliest start: 2025-02-01 , Latest end: 2025-04-01
Organization Bio-Inspired RObots for MEDicine-Laboratory (BIROMED-Lab)
Hosts Gerig Nicolas, Dr. , Sommerhalder Michael
Topics Engineering and Technology
A generalized sEMG-based gesture recognition framework using deep learning approach
This thesis aims to develop a generalizable (user-invariant and session-invariant) gesture recognition framework using deep neural networks
Keywords
sEMG, deep learning, manifold, gesture decoding
Labels
Master Thesis
Project Background
Your Task
Your Benefits
Your Profile
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-01-05 , Earliest start: 2025-02-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-01
Organization Sensory-Motor Systems Lab
Hosts Dash Adyasha
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
VR-based Motor-cognitive rehabilitation with multi-modal sensing
This thesis aims to design a pool of virtual-reality based rehabilitation tasks for simultaneous motor-cognitive rehabilitation for stroke patients
Keywords
virtual reality, sEMG, depth sensing camera, rehabilitation,
Labels
Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Project Background
Your Task
Your Benefits
Your Profile
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-01-02 , Earliest start: 2025-03-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Sensory-Motor Systems Lab
Hosts Dash Adyasha
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences
Maximal finger strength: How to assess it?
Various methods have been applied, each probably influenced by different constraints. This internship/master thesis aims to establish a robust standard method.
Keywords
climbing, assessment
Labels
Internship , Master Thesis
Project Background
Your Task
Your Benefits
Your Profile
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2024-12-22 , Earliest start: 2025-01-15 , Latest end: 2025-09-15
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Sensory-Motor Systems Lab
Hosts Wolf Peter
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Master Thesis Project – Optical-based flow scanning and calibration for in situ printing
Join us for an exciting project towards the next level in intraoperative robotic adaptability!
Labels
Master Thesis
Project Background
Your Task
Your Profile
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2024-12-18 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Sensory-Motor Systems Lab
Hosts Sommerhalder Michael
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Safe RL for Robot Social Navigation
Developing a constrained RL framework for social navigation, emphasizing explicit safety constraints to reduce reliance on reward tuning.
Keywords
Navigation, Robot Planning, Reinforcement Learning, RL, Social Navigation
Labels
Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2024-12-13 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization Spinal Cord Injury & Artificial Intelligence Lab
Hosts Alyassi Rashid , Alyassi Rashid , Alyassi Rashid
Topics Engineering and Technology
Internships (Industrial or Research) on Body Modelling and Sensing Technology for Health Care in SCI
This hands-on work (internship or semester project) within a clinical setting will bring you close to intelligent health management while exploring multiple data systems. You will experience multimodal data of robotics rehabilitation, general clinical practice, and detailed clinical studies applied in classification and dimensionality reduction.
Keywords
Machine learning, time-series, HR, ECG, BP, wearables, nearables, Medical and health science, healthcare, Android studio, App development
Labels
Semester Project , Internship , Lab Practice , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , Other specific labels , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Project Background
Your Task
Your Benefits
Your Profile
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2024-11-29 , Earliest start: 2025-02-03 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Empa , Eawag , Zurich University of the Arts , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Wyss Translational Center Zurich , University of Zurich , University of St. Gallen , University of Lucerne , University of Lausanne , University of Geneva , University of Fribourg , University of Berne , University of Basel , Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts , Institute for Research in Biomedicine , IBM Research Zurich Lab , Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics , CSEM - Centre Suisse d'Electronique et Microtechnique , Corporates Switzerland , CERN , Hochschulmedizin Zürich , Université de Neuchâtel , Università della Svizzera italiana , Swiss National Science Foundation , University of Konstanz , University of Hamburg , University of Erlangen-Nuremberg , University of Cologne , Universität zu Lübeck , Universität Ulm , Universität der Bundeswehr München , TU Dresden , TU Darmstadt , TU Berlin , Technische Universität Hamburg , Max Planck Society , Otto Von Guericke Universitat, Magdeburg , RWTH Aachen University , Ludwig Maximilians Universiy Munich , Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) , Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen , Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) , Technische Universität München , Imperial College London , National Institute for Medical Research , Royal College of Art , UCL - University College London , University of Aberdeen , University of Cambridge , University of Manchester , University of Nottingham , University of Oxford , University of Leeds , Delft University of Technology , Maastricht Science Programme , Radboud University Nijmegen , Utrecht University
Organization Sensory-Motor Systems Lab
Hosts Paez Diego, Dr. , Paez Diego, Dr. , Paez Diego, Dr.
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Your own project ideas?
It is always possible to find a project for motivated students with own ideas in the fields of assistive healthcare technologies , augmented feedback in motor learning, and sports engineering. Please send an email to the indicated contact person of our current research pillars that most closely matches your idea.