Spotlights 2016

ETH Zurich will establish a professorship and new centre for media technology together with media companies Tamedia, Ringier and the NZZ Media Group. The centre aims to better integrate research and practical applications and to help the Swiss media sector make use of technological advances.

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.

Mirroring the international spirit at the Department of Computer Science, our students share their points of view and describe their impression of ETH, their studies and future personal as well as professional goals in Switzerland.

Human-​computer interaction, machine vision, performance and energy scalability, mobile computing, and data center optimization – these are some of the most significant challenges that computer science will have to face in the years to come. In the Microsoft Research - Swiss Joint Research Center, a collaborative research engagement between Microsoft Research, EPFL and ETH Zurich, science and industry try to tackle these challenges together. Professor Gustavo Alonso elaborates.

Big data, artificial intelligence, industry 4.0 – the new opportunities information technologies offer will change the world. Take a glimpse inside the world of researchers who teach machines how to think.

Researchers at ETH Zurich and Disney Research Zurich have developed a new technique called Computational Thermoforming. It enables them to manufacture plastic replicas of digital 3D models, in which the shape and colour are reproduced in detail. This technique extends the range of digital fabrication methods and represents an efficient and cost-​effective alternative to colour 3D printing.

Researchers at ETH Zurich, Disney Research Zurich, and Carnegie Mellon University have developed a software tool that empowers average users to design custom robotic creatures and their movements.

In recognition of his significant contributions to cryptography and information security, Professor Ueli Maurer has been named ACM Fellow. Professor Maurer is also the winner of the prestigious 2016 RSA Award for Excellence in the Field of Mathematics for his work and results in information theoretic-​based cryptography. Many congratulations!

In a world of permanent technological (r)evolution, a country can only succeed if it has relentless drive for new ideas and innovation. Thus, Swiss Federal Councilor Johann Schneider-​Ammann says: "The use of digital solutions is of central importance for every sector of our economy. […] our high-​caliber ICT companies and research establishments enjoy an excellent reputation. I therefore look forward to this great opportunity to showcase our skills in Hanover."

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.

Computer scientists and roboticists at ETH Zurich have developed a robotic walker that makes senior citizens more mobile. Now SmartWalker is waiting for an industrial partner to come along and help get the technology ready for mass production.

Lorenz Meier, a doctoral student in computer science at ETH Zurich, created the PX4 software that is already being used to pilot many drones. Now, one of the world’s biggest electronics manufacturers has adopted the software as standard.

On January 12, 2016, Prof. em. Urs Hochstrasser celebrated his 90th birthday. ETH Zurich, especially the Department of Computer Science, organised a symposium in his honour in the Audi Max. (German)