Spotlights 2018

Professor Markus Gross, Thabo Beeler, Derek Bradley and Bernd Bickel will be honored for the design and engineering of the Medusa Performance Capture System.

Producing realistic animated film figures is a highly complex technical endeavour. ETH researchers have now shown how drones can be used to greatly reduce the effort required in the process.

Professor Basin has been named ACM Fellow for his contributions to Information Security and Formal Methods.

Andreas Krause and David Steurer have been awarded with the Consolidator Grant for their projects in the field of learning systems and algorithmic methods. 

In the latest Times Higher Education subject ranking list "Computer Sciences", the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich ranks second. 

We are proud to announce that Professor Onur Mutlu has been named an IEEE Fellow. He is being recognized for contributions to computer architecture research and practice.

Congratulations to Zsolt István, Stefan Bauer, and Josip Djolonga for obtaining the ETH Medal for their outstanding doctoral theses.

The Golden Owl, awarded by VSETH, honours lecturers who have provided students with an exceptional teaching experience.

ETH, EPFL and Microsoft are extending their highly successful research collaboration, which has been known as the Swiss Joint Research Center since its inception in 2013. The projects selected for the upcoming third research phase will be announced at the beginning of 2019. The research groups work at the ETH in Zurich and at the EPF in Lausanne.

Professor Juraj Hromkovic explains what language and programming have in common and what makes a good programming language for computer science education.

Christian Schüller from the Interactive Geometry Lab has developed a method of designing patterns to assemble 3D objects with only a flat piece of fabric and a zipper.

Scientists from ETH Zurich and EPFL have developed an ultra-light glove – weighing less than 8 grams – that enables users to feel and manipulate virtual objects. Their system provides extremely realistic haptic feedback and could run on a battery, allowing for unparalleled freedom of movement.

Researchers in the Information Security Group subjected the upcoming 5G mobile communication standard to a comprehensive security analysis. Their conclusion: data protection is improved in comparison with the previous standards 3G and 4G. However, security gaps are still present.

Debopam Bhattacherjee and Professor Ankit Singla explore the design of an internet that operates at the speed of light.

Congratulations to Dr. Petar Tsankov for winning the John Atanasoff President's Award in Bulgaria for outstanding contributions to technology and science by a Bulgarian scientist under 35.

Fan Yang’s research into data analysis and statistics ranges from theoretical studies and statistical methods through practical applications in life sciences. 

Kenneth Paterson, currently Full Professor at Royal Holloway College, London, was appointed by the ETH board as a Full Professor.

Fuelled by a recent surge in artificial intelligence technologies, robotics is on the verge of taking centre stage in our society. Nevertheless, before robots can assist us with everyday chores at work and at home, they will need the skills to perform an increasingly diverse array of tasks. Professor Stelian Coros, leader of the Computational Robotics Lab within the Department of Computer Science, is developing the mathematical foundations for new algorithms that address this fundamental challenge.

For the past decade, computer graphics specialists like Prof. M. Gross and Prof. B. Sumner have been conducting research on behalf of The Walt Disney Company.

In June 2018, the start-​up ChainSecurity released Securify, a novel tool that enables an easier and more thorough scanning process for smart contracts in the Ethereum ecosystem. Dr Petar Tsankov, chief scientist at ChainSecurity and research scientist at ETH Secure, Reliable, and Intelligent Systems Lab at the Department of Computer Science, gives an insight into the novel technology and its benefits.

So called dark data are documents that machines cannot read. In cooperation with Zurich Insurance, Professor Ce Zhang brings light into the dark. 

When scientists at ETH Zurich, led by Professor Gunnar Rätsch, analysed huge amounts of genetic cancer data, they found previously unresearched molecular changes. These could help in developing new personalised cancer treatments.

Christian Holz, currently a researcher in private industry, is newly appointed as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Computer Science. 

Would you consider connecting to your bank account in an internet café? Too risky? ETH researcher Aritra Dhar explains how to make sure that the message you send is the message received, even in a hostile environment.

Juraj Hromkovic has over 15 years of experience in teaching children computer science. He explains the approach we should take.

After launching the School for Continuing Education with Einstein in April, ETH is presenting another new course: the Diploma of Advanced Studies ETH in Data Science. 

Dana Drachsler Cohen is an outstanding IT specialist at ETH Zurich. The Israeli researcher is working on the security of systems such as autonomous vehicles and cryptocurrencies.

ETH computer scientist Bernd Gärtner explains why even youngsters should get to grips with computer science.

How can we develop new models of cybersecurity that create trusted digital networks? The Internet of Things and Blockchain have the potential to bring transparency and efficiency.

The 2018 KITE Award has been presented to Lukas Fässler, Markus Dahinden and David Sichau for their e-​tutorials, which teach programming to students from all departments. ETH Zurich awards the prize for pioneering teaching concepts.

Congratulations to Manuela Fischer and Andrea Lattuada, doctoral students of Prof. Ghaffari and Prof. Roscoe, for winning this year’s Google PhD Fellowship.

ETH computer graphics specialists have analysed cloud formation and air flow in high resolution weather situations and visualised a high resolution weather situation in 3D. The aviation industry and meteorologists may be able to benefit from this visualisation method in the future.

Prof. Norrie will retire in August this year. She has worked at ETH Zurich since 1993. Her research focused on the use of object-oriented and web technologies in information systems.

Prof. Su is an expert in software engineering and programming languages. He develops innovative test methods for compilers – the most important software development tool. 

The National Academy of Sciences will award both professors “for a body of work which revolutionizes our understanding of optimization and complexity" in computer science.