Key Topics
Research at D-ITET addresses the global challenges of sustainable energy, digital data transmission and processing, and healthcare. These challenges are reflected in a growing number of key research topics, the driving forces of today's information age.
- Artificial intelligence / Big data / Machine learning
- Augmented/Mixed/Virtual reality
- Autonomous driving
- Blockchain
- Brain-machine interfaces (BMI)
- Digitalisation
- Electric mobility
- Energy turnaround
- Industry 4.0
- Internet of things (Iot)
- Personalised medicine
- Production/Manufacturing processes
- Quantum technology
- Sensing
Artificial intelligence / Big data / Machine learning
Our world is driven by data. Completely novel theories and technologies are needed to cope with these massive amounts of data, resulting in enormous research challenges in information science and technology.
Machine learning, as a subarea of artificial intelligence (AI), is a set of ideas and concepts - with origins in statistics, electrical engineering, computer science, and physics - for extracting relevant information from data and making predictions. Together with the related disciplines of signal processing, computer vision, information and communication theory, and control engineering, it provides the intelligence behind "intelligent" devices in wide use today and in the future.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Laura Bégon-Lours (Neuromorphic Electronics with Oxides)
Prof. Luca Benini (Digital Circuits and Systems)
Prof. Helmut Bölcskei (Mathematical Information Science)
Adj. Prof. Tobi Delbrück (Neuromorphic event-based sensory processing)
Prof. Florian Dörfler (Complex Systems Control)
Prof. Benjamin Grewe (Systems and Circuits Neuroinformatics)
Prof. Richard Hahnloser (Systems Neuroscience)
Prof. Ender Konukoglu (Biomedical Image Computing)
Prof. Jürg Leuthold (Photonics and Communication)
Prof. Hans-Andrea Loeliger (Signal Processing)
Prof. Mathieu Luisier (Computer-based Modelling of Nanostructures)
Prof. John Lygeros (Computation and Control)
Prof. Valerio Mante (Neuroinformatics)
Prof. Onur Mutlu (Computer Architecture)
Prof. Mickaël Perrin (Low-dimensional Quantum Electronics)
Prof. Daniel Razansky (Biomedical Imaging)
Adj. Prof. Roy Smith (Control systems and automation)
Prof. Klaas Enno Stephan (Translational Neuromodeling)
Prof. Luc Van Gool (Computer Vision)
Prof. Laurent Vanbever (Networked Systems)
Prof. Janos Vörös (Biosensors and Bioelectronics)
Prof. Roger Wattenhofer (Distributed Computing)
Prof. Vanessa Wood (Materials and Device Engineering)
Prof. Mehmet Fatih Yanik (Neurotechnology)
Prof. Fisher Yu (Computer Vision)
Augmented/Mixed/Virtual Reality
Visualisations, combining real world and virtual world are manifold today, ranging from applications for the sports sector and augmented street views to the gaming industry. In medicine augmented reality is used for creating immersive visualisations of image-based techniques, personalised digital organs for medical education, and for diagnosis and intervention.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Sebastian Kozerke (Biomedical Imaging)
Prof. Luc Van Gool (Computer Vision)
Prof. Fisher Yu (Computer Vision)
Autonomous driving
Fewer accidents, more capacity on the streets and less pollution: the advantages of autonomous driving are obvious. Vehicles driving themselves might make human beings behind the wheel almost superfluous. However, beyond certain legal and ethical issues that need clarifying, a lot of work lies ahead of engineers to achieve that goal.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Luca Benini (Digital Circuits and Systems)
Prof. John Lygeros (Computation and Control)
Prof. Onur Mutlu (Computer Architecture)
Prof. Luc Van Gool (Computer Vision)
Prof. Fisher Yu (Computer Vision)
Blockchain
The technology behind bitcoin is currently changing money, business, and may be the world. A blockchain acts as a digital bookkeeping system. A "chain of blocks" is used to execute and store all kinds of transactions in a fault-tolerant way – for example, money transfers, marriage certificates, ownership changes for properties or more transparency in the supply chain.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Laurent Vanbever (Networked Systems)
Prof. Roger Wattenhofer (Distributed Computing)
Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMI)
The technology allows communication between the brain and an external technology. The term BMI can refer to an interface that takes signals from the brain to an external piece of hardware, or a technology that sends signals to the brain.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Luca Benini (Digital Circuits and Systems)
Prof. Richard Hahnloser (Systems Neuroscience)
Prof. Taekwang Jang (Energy Efficient Circuits and Systems)
Prof. Jürg Leuthold (Photonics and Communication)
Prof. Valerio Mante (Neuroinformatics)
Prof. Onur Mutlu (Computer Architecture)
Prof. Janos Vörös (Biosensors and Bioelectronics)
Prof. Mehmet Fatih Yanik (Neurotechnology)
Digitalisation
Digitalisation has been transforming our lives since the invention of the PC around the second world war. It has turned entire sectors upside down, with wide-ranging consequences. We have now entered a new phase of digitalisation: we can record, store, process and send information on an unprecedented scale.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Luca Benini (Digital circuits and systems)
Prof. Florian Dörfler (Complex Systems Control)
Prof. Taekwang Jang (Energy Efficient Circuits and Systems)
Prof. Lana Josipović (Digital Systems and Design Automation)
Prof. Amos Lapidoth (Information Theory)
Prof. Jürg Leuthold (Photonics and Communication)
Prof. Onur Mutlu (Computer Architecture)
Prof. Luc Van Gool (Computer Vision)
Prof. Laurent Vanbever (Networked Systems)
Prof. Roger Wattenhofer (Distributed Computing)
Prof. Fisher Yu (Computer Vision)
Electric mobility
Electric mobility is becoming more and more popular. Electric vehicles, e-bikes and electrically powered trains can make a significant contribution to reducing emissions.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Jürgen Biela (High Power Electronics Systems)
Prof. Ulrike Grossner (Power Semiconductors)
Prof. Johann W. Kolar (Power Electronic Systems)
Prof. Vanessa Wood (Materials and Device Engineering)
Energy turnaround
At D-ITET technical innovations ensuring a sustainable energy turnaround are a major priority.
Research at D-ITET
external page Adj. Prof. Corsin Battaglia (Energy Conversion and Storage)
Prof. Jürgen Biela (High Power Electronics Systems)
Prof. Florian Dörfler (Complex Systems Control)
Prof. Christian Franck (High Voltage Engineering)
Prof. Ulrike Grossner (Power Semiconductors)
Prof. Gabriela Hug (Electric Power Systems)
Prof. Johann W. Kolar (Power Electronic Systems)
Prof. John Lygeros (Computation and Control)
Prof. Mickaël Perrin (Low-dimensional Quantum Electronics)
Adj. Prof. Roy Smith (Control systems and automation)
Prof. Vanessa Wood (Materials and Device Engineering)
Prof. Maksym Yarema (Chemistry and Materials Design)
Industry 4.0
The fourth industrial revolution, setting the trend for automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, opens up new horizons. How will we be working in the future? What will the factory of the future look like? What new business models will we be developing?
Research at D-ITET
external page Adj. Prof. Corsin Battaglia (Energy Conversion and Storage)
Prof. Luca Benini (Digital circuits and systems)
Prof. Onur Mutlu (Computer Architecture)
Prof. Roger Wattenhofer (Distributed Computing)
Prof. Armin Wittneben (Wireless Communications)
Prof. Vanessa Wood (Materials and Device Engineering)
Prof. Maksym Yarema (Chemistry and Materials Design)
Internet of things (IoT)
Connected objects have become a part of our everyday life. Everything is connected, not only our phone and our watch, but also our fridge, light bulbs and even our clothes. Together, they form the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). Due to their diminishing size, constantly falling price and declining energy consumption, processors, communications modules and other electronic components are now integrated into everyday objects.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Laura Bégon-Lours (Neuromorphic Electronics with Oxides)
Prof. Luca Benini (Digital Circuits and Systems)
Prof. Florian Dörfler (Complex Systems Control)
Prof. Taekwang Jang (Energy Efficient Circuits and Systems)
Prof. Jürg Leuthold (Photonics and Communication)
Prof. Onur Mutlu (Computer Architecture)
Prof. Laurent Vanbever (Networked Systems)
Prof. Roger Wattenhofer (Distributed Computing)
Personalised medicine
Imaging techniques are inextricably linked to the progress of modern health care. New methods make it possible to detect organ systems and their interaction without harmful radiation and in the shortest possible time. At D-ITET, engineers, physicists and computer scientists work together with physicians to develop new concepts and methods of magnetic resonance imaging that can be used to examine e.g. the cardiovascular system or the brain with unprecedented precision.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Morteza Aramesh (Single Molecule and Single Cell Biophysics)
Prof. Ender Konukoglu (Biomedical Image Computing)
Prof. Sebastian Kozerke (Biomedical Imaging)
Prof. Onur Mutlu (Computer Architecture)
Prof. Klaas P. Prüssmann (Bioimaging)
Prof. Daniel Razansky (Biomedical Imaging)
Prof. Marco Stampanoni (X-ray Imaging)
Prof. Klaas Enno Stephan (Translational Neuromodeling)
Prof. Janos Vörös (Biosensors and Bioelectronics)
Prof. Maksym Yarema (Chemistry and Materials Design)
Production/Manufacturing processes
A battery recharging itself and lasting forever - that is the dream of every smartphone user. At D-ITET, we are doing research to improve the performance of solar cells, batteries and LEDs and to develop the next generation and other energy storage devices with the help of new nanomaterials. This is just one example of many regarding new production processes at D-ITET.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Laura Bégon-Lours (Neuromorphic Electronics with Oxides)
Prof. Florian Dörfler (Complex Systems Control)
Prof. John Lygeros (Computation and Control)
Adj. Prof. Roy Smith (Control systems and automation)
Prof. Vanessa Wood (Materials and Device Engineering)
Prof. Maksym Yarema (Chemistry and Materials Design)
Quantum technology
Quantum technology will open up new horizons in all scientific disciplines and offer new approaches to previously unsolvable questions.
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Laura Bégon-Lours (Neuromorphic Electronics with Oxides)
Prof. Sebastian Kozerke (Biomedical Imaging)
Prof. Jürg Leuthold (Photonics and Communication)
Prof. Mathieu Luisier (Computer-based Modelling of Nanostructures)
Prof. Lucas Novotny (Photonics)
Prof. Mickaël Perrin (Low-dimensional Quantum Electronics)
Prof. Maksym Yarema (Chemistry and Materials Design)
Sensing
Sensing is the detection of events, such as vibrations or temperature changes and turning them into measurable signals (e.g. voltage or current).
Research at D-ITET
Prof. Morteza Aramesh (Single Molecule and Single Cell Biophysics)
Prof. Laura Bégon-Lours (Neuromorphic Electronics with Oxides)
Adj. Prof. Tobi Delbrück (Neuromorphic Event-based Sensory Processing)
Prof. Taekwang Jang (Energy Efficient Circuits and Systems)
Prof. Jürg Leuthold (Photonics and Communication)
Prof. Lucas Novotny (Photonics)
Prof. Maksym Yarema (Chemistry and Materials Design)
Adj. Prof. Tomaso Zambelli (Biosensors and Bioelectronics)
Explore D-ITET
Links
- Blockchain and the future of crypto currencies (SRF interview with Prof. Roger Wattenhofer)
- "Our goal is to develop safe autonomous cars" (Interview with Prof. Luc Van Gool)
- Artificial intelligence improves biomedical imaging (Prof. Daniel Razansky) (ETH news)
- Personalised medicine: "The human being is always at the centre of our research" (Interview with Prof. Klaas Enno Stephan)
- Machine learning: "Deep neural networks work like a Swiss army knife" (Interview with Prof. Helmut Bölcskei)