D-INFK news channel
All stories that have been tagged with Spotlight
Decoding diversity
- Spotlight
- Applied Cryptography
- Format
- Faculty
- Diversity
- Front – Spotlight
We've all heard it, we all know it, we’ve all seen it: Computer science is not regarded as a “beacon” of diversity. In this interview, Professor Kenny Paterson, Head of the Department of Computer Science details his experiences with diversity, the challenges we face, and how D-INFK might be getting a bit better one step at a time.
How data provided by fitness trackers and smartphones can help people with MS
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Sensing, Interaction & Perception Lab
- Biomedical Informatics Group
- Researchers in focus
- Medical and bioinformatics
- News und highlights
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
Monitoring and treating a case of multiple sclerosis requires reliable and long-term data on how the disease is progressing in the person in question. Fitness trackers and smartphones can supply this data, as a research team led by ETH Zurich has now shown.
Artificial augmented creativity: A new era of art
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Front – Spotlight
Artificial intelligence is transforming the way in which art is created and experienced. Are we at the beginning of a new artistic revolution? Or at the end of creativity as we know it? Adrian Christopher Notz from the ETH AI Center puts things in perspective.
Computer science made accessible to over 10,000 children
- Spotlight
- Chair of Information Technology and Education
- Teaching
- ABZ - Center for Computer Science and Education
- Research Groups
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Information Technology and Education
Juraj Hromkovic has been Professor of Information Technology at ETH Zurich for the past 20 years. During this time, he has been a leading advocate of teaching computer science in schools. He’s now giving his farewell lecture.
Knocking cloud security off its game
- Spotlight
- Researchers in focus
- Institute of Information Security
- Security
- Secure & Trustworthy Systems Group (Sectrs)
- News und highlights
- Cloud computing
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
Public cloud services employ special security technologies. Professor Shweta Shinde has, together with her Secure & Trustworthy Systems Group, discovered a gap in the latest security mechanisms used by AMD and Intel chips. This affects major cloud providers.
New app unmasks forged documents
- Spotlight
- Front – Spotlight
- Institute of Information Security
- Information systems
- Security
- Information Security Group
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a smartphone app that can be used to check the authenticity of documents and other items. Extracts from the debt enforcement register of the City of Zurich are being made forgery-proof as part of a pilot project.
“Luck always plays a role in a research career”
- Spotlight
- Cryptography
- Foundations of Cryptography
- Research Keywords
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science
In this series of interviews, we talk to three people who decided to pursue an academic career after studying computer science and are now working as professors. In the first part, Dennis Hofheinz explains why he chose this path and describes the hurdles he had to overcome.
Computer science as a core subject: three generations, one goal
- Spotlight
- Chair of Information Technology and Education
- Teaching
- ABZ - Center for Computer Science and Education
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Information Technology and Education
Last year, it was decided that computer science would become a core subject in Swiss baccalaureate schools from the 2024/25 school year onwards. In this conversation, three generations of professors who have committed themselves to this cause look at the past and future of the school subject of computer science.
Faster diagnosis of endometriosis with AI
- Spotlight
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
ETH spin-off dAIgnose is developing an algorithm that can be used to analyse ultrasound images of the womb on an automated basis. This should enable doctors to diagnose endometriosis more quickly in the future.
Artificial intelligence detects heart defects in newborns
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- Medical and bioinformatics
- Medical Data Science
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Front – Spotlight
- D-INFK
Researchers from the group led by Professor Julia Vogt, who runs the Medical Data Science Group at ETH Zurich, and KUNO Klinik St. Hedwig in Regensburg have developed an algorithm that provides an automatic and reliable method of detecting a certain heart defect in newborns.
“Challenges offer opportunities for personal development.”
- Spotlight
- Video
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- Studies
Georgette Weingärtner was always enthusiastic about computer science. But at ETH she was confronted by situations involving a multitude of challenges. In the video she tells us what helped her to overcome these.
Finding and blocking infection routes in hospitals
- Spotlight
- Spin-off
- Front – Spotlight
- Medical and bioinformatics
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals often became hubs of infection. Researchers from the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, EPFL and the ISI Foundation are developing a wearable tracking system for healthcare facilities that can identify the risks of infections. Initial tests in Switzerland and Africa show its potential.
“It’s okay to take your time.”
- Spotlight
- Video
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
Damla Ortac already had a job as a software engineer when she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. But she began to have doubts about her chosen career and decided to do something totally different. Watch the video here.
Programme highlights of the Informatiktage 2024: avatars, bots and cybercrime
- Artificial intelligence
- Spotlight
- ETH AI Center
- DisneyResearch|Studios
- Cryptography
- Security
- Event
- ABZ - Center for Computer Science and Education
- Initiatives
- Virtual and augmented reality
- Front – Spotlight
The seventh edition of the Informatiktage will take place from 18 to 23 March 2024. The Department of Computer Science and the IT Services of ETH Zurich are once again participating as partners this year. The carefully curated programme offers something for everyone – from curious beginners to experienced experts.
"Witnessing the success of students is truly uplifting."
- Front – Spotlight
- Spotlight
- Faculty
For the past two years, Professor Zhendong Su has been the Director of Studies of our Department of Computer Science and, therefore, part of the department's executive board. In this interview, Professor Su talks about the accomplishments and challenges during his term. He also tells us what good teaching means to him, and we find out what four dreams he wants to accomplish before retirement.
Chance and (lack of) plans
- Spotlight
- Front – Spotlight
- Staff
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science
Since 1996, Emo Welzl has been a professor at the Institute of Theoretical Computer Science. He has dedicated his career to developing and analysing combinatorial algorithms and discrete mathematics. Among other things, he has worked on algorithmic geometry and the analysis of geometric structures. As he will be retiring at the end of January, we look back on his career in this interview and learn how he found his way into theoretical computer science and what fascinates him about it.
The magnificence of objectivity and a couple of solid proofs
- Combinatorial Structures and Algorithms
- Spotlight
- Centers and cooperations
- Researchers in focus
- Front – Spotlight
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science
Raphael Steiner received his doctorate in mathematics at the age of 21. Now the Swiss National Science Foundation is funding his research at the ETH Institute of Theoretical Computer Science in the field of graph theory. Among other things, this involves proving a conjecture that is over 80 years old.
Premium chocolate production perfected: AI's role in quality excellence
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Spin-off
- Front – Spotlight
Lindt & Sprüngli, a global leader in the premium chocolate sector, has partnered with EthonAI. The company is a spin-off from the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics and has Bernhard Kratzwald, an alumnus from the Department of Computer Science on board as a co-founder. Lindt & Sprüngli is leveraging EthonAI's tools to perfect the production of their chocolate and achieve best-in-class performance.
Master in Data Science
- ETH AI Center
- Video
- D-MATH
- D-INFK
- Front – Spotlight
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- D-ITET
- Machine learning
- Faculty
- Students
- SDSC - Swiss Data Science Center
- Data science
Studying Data Science at ETH Zurich means being part of one of the most exciting driving forces of today’s Information Age. To gain deeper insights into the field, we have talked to various students, professors, and an alumna. In these video conversations, the interviewees elaborate on the growing need and importance of data science – both now and in the future.
"At heart, I remain an engineer"
- Alumni
- Spotlight
- Spin-off
- Front – Spotlight
For a two-part interview, we visit our alumnus Tobias Nägeli. In this second part, Tobias gives us an insight into his former student days and tells us how he met his three co-founders. Additionally, we learn more about the skills from his studies that benefit him today as CEO.
Welcome, April Yi Wang
- Spotlight
- Machine learning
- Human-computer interaction
- Institute for Intelligent Interactive Systems
- Front – Spotlight
- Welcome interview
In this interview, Professor Wang offers a brief insight into her research interests and explains why she decided to pursue an academic career. She also shares her advice for computer science students and discusses the three pedagogical principles that guide her teaching and mentoring.
Digital emblem for humanitarian law in cyberspace
- Spotlight
- Front – Spotlight
- Information Security Group
Warfare is increasingly spreading to the realm of cyberspace. In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wants to protect its digital infrastructure and that of humanitarian organisations with a digital emblem. The Information Security Group from the Department of Computer Science has developed a standard for this along with initial pilots.
Starting a company is like paragliding
- Alumni
- Spotlight
- Spin-off
- Front – Spotlight
For a two-part interview, we visit our alumnus Tobias Nägeli. In this first part, we learn more about the turbulent times of founding the spin-off Tinamu and how Tobias and his three co-founders managed to find the right market for their technology. We also discover the connection between starting a business and his two hobbies, marathon running and paragliding, and how a tragic accident influenced his willingness to take risks.
Forming new connections with peers
- Front – Spotlight
- Spotlight
The Erstsemestrigen weekend (ESW) is traditionally the first event many computer science students attend. Since 2016, the Association of Computer Science Students (VIS) has been organizing this gathering to facilitate connections among first-year students, so-called "Erstis". The weekend trip has proven helpful since getting to know people in a new environment can be daunting.
Predictions of the effect of drugs on individual cells are now possible
- Spotlight
- ETH AI Center
- Biomedical Informatics Group
- News und highlights
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Centers and cooperations
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
Experts from ETH Zurich including Professor Gunnar Rätsch, the University of Zurich, and the University Hospital Zurich have used machine learning to jointly create an innovative method. This new approach can predict how individual cells react to specific treatments, offering hope for more accurate diagnoses and therapeutics.
Discovering the world of computer science
- Spotlight
- News
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
Twice a year, the Network for Women in Computer Science (CSNOW) organises a one-week introductory programme called “Schnupperstudium” for secondary school girls. In this interview, three participants share their experiences and reasons for participating in the programme.
"I try not to sacrifice my private life"
- Spotlight
- Video
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
The “Student stories” video series gives a somewhat different insight into everyday life as a student: Eren Akbiyik worked as a software developer at IBM and is now pursuing a Master's degree at ETH Zurich in the Department of Computer Science. In this video, he talks about how he finds relaxation in his packed daily study routine.
Getting a taste of university life
- Spotlight
- Students
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
On 6 and 7 September, over 5800 secondary school students from Switzerland and neighbouring countries visited the Information Days to explore the various Bachelor’s programmes offered by ETH Zurich. The Department of Computer Science was also present with information booths and presentations.
3D printed plates for cleft lip and palate care in less than five minutes
- Spotlight
- Scientific staff
- Medical and bioinformatics
- Visual computing
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Computer Graphics Laboratory
- Institute of Visual Computing
The treatment of children born with cleft lip and palate typically includes the use of therapeutic intraoral plates before surgical closure of the cleft. Now, researchers from the Department of Computer Science have teamed up with clinical care researchers at the University Hospital Basel to create a digital pipeline that enables the automatic production of the plates.
A Summer Full of Learning Experiences
- Front – Spotlight
- Spotlight
- Students
During the ETH Student Summer Research Fellowship (SSRF), twenty Bachelor's and Master's students from universities worldwide gained insights into everyday research at the Department of Computer Science and life in Switzerland. Four student researchers share some impressions of their stay during the past two months shortly before their return.
Following your heart
- Spotlight
- Advanced Software Technologies Lab
- Programming languages
- Scientific staff
- Software engineering
- Front – Spotlight
Dr Chengyu Zhang has been a postdoc in the Advanced Software Technologies (AST) Lab of Professor Zhendong Su since the beginning of 2022. He joined the group after completing his doctorate at the East China Normal University (ECNU) in 2021. He had come to ETH Zurich before, as a visiting doctoral student in Professor Su’s group in 2018 and 2019.
A milestone worth celebrating
- Spotlight
- News
- Initiatives
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
The first-ever Bachelor Graduation Ceremony organised by VIS, the Association of Computer Science Students at ETH Zurich, took place on 27 June 2023. Eligible Bachelor’s graduates were invited to the ceremony to celebrate this important achievement.
How AI models teach themselves to learn new things
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- Scientific staff
- Algorithms and Optimization
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science
Large language models such as GPT-3 are able to learn new concepts by interacting with their users. Doctoral student Johannes von Oswald reports in an interview on what lies behind this ability.
Learning about yourself
- Spotlight
- Scientific staff
- Academia
- Front – Spotlight
- Data Sciences, Data Systems, and Data Services
David Dao recently defended his doctoral thesis, conducted in the ETH Systems Group under the supervision of Professors Ce Zhang and Gustavo Alonso. His childhood fascination for Albert Einstein led him all the way from Munich to ETH Zurich. During his doctorate, he discovered a lot about himself, what he is passionate about and the value of thinking outside the box.
Learning the hard way
- Spotlight
- Scientific staff
- Front – Spotlight
- Information Security Group
Xenia Hofmeier attended high school in Basel before coming to ETH Zurich to study computer science. Now in her second year of a doctorate in the Information Security Group of Professor David Basin, she is learning to manage her workload and time between teaching and research, and between short and long-term assignments
"RACKlette feels like a second family to me"
- Spotlight
- High-performance computing
- Initiatives
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- Scalable Parallel Computing
Founded by Professor Torsten Hoefler and his students, and supported by the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, Team RACKlette offers computer science students the chance to learn about high-performance computing and get first-hand experience of how to set up and optimise such systems to run scientific or industrial applications.
How AI technology from ETH animates the fire creatures in the latest Pixar movie
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- DisneyResearch|Studios
- Machine learning
- Visual computing
- Front – Spotlight
- Computer Graphics Laboratory
An AI-based 3D simulation technology developed in the Computer Graphics Lab of Professor Barbara Solenthaler brings life to the characters of Elemental, the latest animated film from Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation Studio. The movie was just released in Swiss cinemas.
The bridge builder
- Spotlight
- Biomedical Informatics Group
- Front – Spotlight
- Medical and bioinformatics
- Admin & Tech
What does a life scientist do at the Department of Computer Science? Martina Baumann is a science coordinator and supports her group in setting up complex research projects with sensitive medical data, among other things. She is an expert at mediating between internal and external bodies
"Morph Tales" - a new ETH game invites you to get to know AI research
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Video
- Game Technology Center (GTC)
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
The Morphs are here! The smart, eager-to-learn creatures are now waiting in the ETH main building for players to train them. "Morph Tales - Exploring Artificial Intelligence" is a new game from ETH Zurich that is fun to play and shows how humans and AI master tasks together.
"By living in a different country, I have grown a lot as a person"
- Spotlight
- Initiatives
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
Cella Florescu is in the final year of her Bachelor’s studies at ETH Zurich. Despite the challenges of moving to a new country amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, she embraced the opportunity to join the student association VIS, meet new people, and learn about herself along the way. Today, she feels that her voice is heard, and takes pride in contributing to positive change at ETH.
“For very small problem sizes a classical computer is faster”
- Spotlight
- High-performance computing
- Institute for High Performance Computing Systems
- Scalable Parallel Computing
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Staff
- Research
In theory, quantum computers vastly outperform classical computers in terms of computing speed. For them to do so in practice, it is necessary to design more and novel high-speed algorithms, says ETH supercomputing specialist Torsten Hoefler.
Saving lives with Artificial Intelligence
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- Information Science and Engineering
- Algorithms
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
Doctoral student Fabian Laumer and his colleagues are using machine learning to develop new personalised 3D models of the beating human heart. Their objective is to assist clinicians and improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the most prevalent cause of deaths worldwide.
A new form of human-computer interaction
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Secure, Reliable, and Intelligent Systems Lab
- Research
Luca Beurer-Kellner, Marc Fischer and Prof. Martin Vechev created a new open-source platform and programming language called LMQL that make it easier, cheaper, and safer to interact with large language models like ChatGPT.
The Direct Doctorate: A unique opportunity for top international undergraduates
- Front – Spotlight
- Spotlight
- Initiatives
The Direct Doctorate in Computer Science was developed to draw talented undergraduates from all over the world. Six years after welcoming its first two enrolees, the programme now receives more than 100 applications every year. Students and professors testify that direct access to doctoral studies and the great atmosphere at ETH Zurich are large parts of its success.
“A development freeze would jeopardise transparency.”
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
In an open letter, tech luminaries from the worlds of science and industry are calling for a freeze on training new AI models that are more powerful than GPT-4. ETH AI experts Andreas Krause and Alexander Ilic from the ETH Zurich AI Center consider this to be difficult to enforce and associated with risks.
“It’s a golden age to be a cryptographer”
- Spotlight
- Video
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- Security
- Studies
Given the sharp rise in security attacks on systems, networks and programs, cyber security has become a crucial topic. In response to this phenomenon, the joint-degree Master’s programme in Cyber Security was established in 2019 by ETH Zurich and EPFL. We spoke with both professors and students who have first-hand knowhow of the programme, gaining insights into their experiences and perspectives.
Tracing a digital shadow
- Spotlight
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Information Science and Engineering
- Research
Psychologist Verena Zimmermann joins computer scientists Joachim Buhmann and Elgar Fleisch to discuss whether our feelings can be measured, what role they play in human-machine interactions, and the use of smart technologies.
International Women’s Day
- Front – Spotlight
- Spotlight
- Diversity
On the occasion of International Women's Day, we celebrate and thank all women working at the Department of Computer Science.
“I am passionate about computer science and I wanted to see if ETH Zurich would be a good place for me to study”
- Spotlight
- Event
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
From 13 to 17 February, 33 young women joined a weeklong course organised by CSNOW to learn more about studying computer science at ETH Zurich. Between lectures and programming workshops, they discovered the welcoming community of women at the department.
Informatiktage 2023: A week to discover the wide world of computer science
- Spotlight
- ETH AI Center
- Game Technology Center (GTC)
- Computer Vision and Geometry Group
- Event
- MTC - Media Technology Center
- ABZ - Center for Computer Science and Education
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
From 27 March to 1 April 2023, the Informatiktage (Computer Science Days) will take place in the Greater Zurich Area for the sixth time. The Department of Computer Science and ETH Zurich’s IT Services will be hosting a variety of workshops, talks, and exhibits showcasing some of the latest technologies.
AI research will support the analysis of large medical dataset
- Artificial intelligence
- Spotlight
- Front – Spotlight
- Data science
- Research
Prof. Gunnar Rätsch is part of the new platform created by The LOOP Zurich. The goal is to support the exchange of health data between the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich and the four university hospitals, allowing data to be utilised quickly and easily to the benefit of patients.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
- Spotlight
- Video
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
The "International Day of Women and Girls in Science" was launched in 2015 and is celebrated annually on the 11th of February. It aims at raising awareness of the crucial role played by girls and women in science and technology. As part of this day, ETH drew attention to the many exceptional female scientists who study, teach and research at ETH Zurich.
“I keep track of what my lecturers are saying thanks to subtitles on my tablet”
- Spotlight
- Video
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- Studies
In the latest episode of the “Student Stories” series, Jan Blum talks about his everyday life as a hard-of-hearing Bachelor’s student, the difficulties he faced when he started studying computer science and what helped him combat the feeling of being the odd one out.
«Per me studiare a Zurigo era una sfida personale»
- Spotlight
- Alumni
- Spin-off
- Animation
Riccardo Roveri è cofondatore di Animatico, una spin-off del Politecnico Federale di Zurigo che ha creato avatar interattivi ed è stata acquisita nel 2022 da NVIDIA. In questa intervista, ci parla del suo amore per la grafica digitale e di cosa abbia significato per lui trasferirsi da Lugano a Zurigo per portare avanti gli studi.
“I viewed studying in Zurich as a personal challenge“
- Spotlight
- Alumni
- Spin-off
- Front – Spotlight
- Animation
Riccardo Roveri has co-founded Animatico, an ETH spin-off that creates interactive avatars and was acquired by NVIDIA in 2022. In this interview, he talks about his love for computer graphics and how he experienced moving from Lugano to Zurich for his studies.
“I think I became bilingual”
- Spotlight
- Faculty
- Academia
- Front – Spotlight
- Medical and bioinformatics
Valentina Boeva has been a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics at D-INFK since June 2019. She speaks not only Russian, French and English, but also the languages of computer science and biology. A rare talent that she is passing on to an increasing number of students.
“The human version of the disc defragmentation problem”
- Spotlight
- Applied Cryptography
- Management
- Front – Spotlight
- Institute of Information Security
The Department of Computer Science is rapidly growing, and so is the number of its current sites. Being so fragmented and spread around the city, it can be difficult for department members to find a sense of belonging. Professor Kenny Paterson, the new Department Head, talks about the challenges but also opportunities he will face in this demanding role.
“You feel quite proud to run it”
- Spotlight
- Network and Operating Systems
- Management
- Front – Spotlight
- Institute for Computing Platforms (Systems Group)
After two years as Department Head, Professor Timothy Roscoe is going back to business as usual – teaching and research. He reflects on his time running the department and the importance of having a positive outlook.
The dawn of trustworthy and cooperative artificial intelligence
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Video
- Researchers in focus
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
Are we witnessing the rise of a different, adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) that works with humans and supports them with smart decisions? Computer scientist Niao He is investigating how this kind of AI can be theoretically underpinned so that it really does provide benefits.
In search for the intelligent machine
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Robotics and drones
- Algorithms
- Centers and cooperations
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
ETH AI Center fellow Elvis Nava teaches robots to carry out oral and written commands. To this end, he sends them to “training camps” where they learn to combine image, text and motion data.
More precise treatment
- Artificial intelligence
- Spotlight
- Biomedical Informatics Group
- Medical and bioinformatics
- News und highlights
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
The mTORUS project, funded by The LOOP Zurich, will use AI to explore novel treatments for urinary tract infections. Professor Gunnar Rätsch and Senior Scientist Andre Kahles from the Biomedical Informatics Lab are among the researchers involved.
Computer science students use AI to create art
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- Studies
- Topic
- Format
- Research Keywords
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- D-INFK
D-INFK students Jan Schnyder, Nicolas Muntwyler and Konstantin Wohlwend teamed up with UZH computer science student Kyrill Hux to launch "Generai", a platform that creates works of art from text prompts.
Welcome, Professor Ralf Jung
- Spotlight
- Welcome interview
- Programming languages
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Staff
- Institute for Programming Languages and Systems
Ralf Jung joined the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich in November 2022 as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Computer Science. Get to know him in this short interview.
“Games are empathy machines”
- Spotlight
- Researchers in focus
- Game Technology Center (GTC)
- Centers and cooperations
- Faculty
- Diversity
- Front – Spotlight
- Virtual and augmented reality
- Staff
- Research
- Centres
Johanna Pirker, Assistant Professor at Graz University of Technology, spent September and October as a visiting professor at the Game Technology Center (GTC) of ETH Zurich. In this interview, she explains what we can learn from video games and why our image of gamers does not correspond to reality.
The joy of getting things off the ground
- Spotlight
- Initiatives
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
Computer science student Emir İşman is the new President of the student association VSETH after taking over from Nils Jensen at the start of the semester. Together with 11 Executive Board members, he will spend the next 12 months representing students’ concerns and implementing the association’s activities.
Trying on clothes virtually
- Spotlight
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- Studies
Being able to try on an outfit virtually to see if it fits would result in fewer returns. Fayçal M'hamdi, Master's student at the Department of Computer Science and Pietro Zullo, Master's student at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering are working on making this possible.
Breathing life into video pixels
- Spotlight
- Researchers in focus
- Topic
- Format
- Research Keywords
- Visual computing
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
- Computer Vision and Learning Group
- Institute of Visual Computing
- Research
Autonomous virtual humans that move and behave naturally are Siyu Tang’s vision. One area from which the computer scientist draws inspiration are our behavioural patterns. Collaboration with architects and surgeons provides further input – and it also reveals the enormous potential of virtual people.
“Studying at Princeton was a completely different experience”
- Spotlight
- Topic
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- Studies
Daniel Yang always planned to go on an exchange semester. In this article, the Bachelor’s student details his experiences at Princeton University and explains why he would strongly recommend an exchange to his peers.
A textbook comes to life: Augmented reality for dental specialists
- Spotlight
- ETH AI Center
- Game Technology Center (GTC)
- Centers and cooperations
- Front – Spotlight
- Virtual and augmented reality
- Research
- Centres
Game developers from the ETH Game Technology Center have created an app that explains bone remodelling in a playful way. If students point the camera of their mobile device at the textbook, they find themselves transported to the bone’s surface, where they help cells break down bone tissue.
Welcome, Professor Dennis Komm
- Spotlight
- Welcome interview
- Chair of Information Technology and Education
- Algorithms
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Staff
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science
Dennis Komm joined the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich in June 2022 as Associate Professor of Algorithms and Didactics. Get to know him in this short interview.
Avatars populate a utopian city
- Front – Spotlight
- Spotlight
- Visual computing
An exhibition in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, features ETH Zurich architects who show their vision of utopia - a vertical city built by drones, developed in 2012. Along with computer scientists, including Professor Siyu Tang from our department, they have now populated the structure with autonomous avatars.
Fantastic performance by ETH teams in the Geneva Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2022
- Spotlight
- Applied Cryptography
- Institute of Information Security
- Security
- News
- Studies
- Initiatives
- Students
Thirty international teams competed virtually in the Geneva Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2022, including two teams of ETH students. Both made it all the way to the finals, winning second and fourth place, and a special prize. Before the competition, all students went through a rigorous two-month training programme provided by the student organisation Cyber Group.
Welcome, Professor Theodoros Rekatsinas
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- Welcome interview
- Faculty
- Front – Spotlight
- Information systems
- Institute for Computing Platforms (Systems Group)
- Data science
- Staff
Theodoros Rekatsinas joined the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich in May 2022 as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Computer Science. Get to know him in this short interview.
Virtual world, real threats
- Spotlight
- Network Security Group
- Front – Spotlight
- Security
Digitalisation offers a wealth of new opportunities – and criminals and hostile states are only too happy to exploit them. Protecting against such attacks requires a broad range of measures. Adrian Perrig, professor in the ETH Zurich Network Security Group, is confident that the shortcomings of the modern internet can be fixed.
A smart use of AI
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- Spin-off
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Machine learning
- Careers
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
- Data Analytics
ETH alumna Paulina Grnarova wants to use artificial intelligence to revolutionise the way the legal industry works. Her recent appearance on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list has catapulted her into the spotlight.
Using statistical methods to predict the course of disease
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Researchers in focus
- Medical and bioinformatics
- Medical Data Science
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Centers and cooperations
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
- Centres
Data contains much more than just the information on the surface. With statistics, deeper cause-and-effect relationships can be brought to light. This is what Alexander Marx is researching as a Fellow at the ETH AI Center using artificial intelligence. One of his goals is to be able to make predictions regarding diabetes in children.
Bringing a smile to your face
- Spotlight
- Video
- News
- News und highlights
- Visual computing
- Computer Graphics Laboratory
- D-INFK
- Institute of Visual Computing
- Research
The Computer Graphics Laboratory, led by Professor Markus Gross, is working with Align Technology to advance the field of digital dentistry.
Automatically filter and block cookies
- Security
- Research Keywords
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
- Spotlight
- Institute of Information Security
- News und highlights
- Information Security Group
- Topic
- Format
- Research Groups
- Machine learning
- D-INFK
Cookie consent banners only appear to give users control over their data. Researchers from the Information Security Group have developed a browser extension that uses machine learning to recognise and block unnecessary cookies.
How human and artificial intelligence can augment one another
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Machine learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Data science
Mennatallah El-Assady develops explainable AI programs that explain their own workings – and let users provide input. Her speciality is interactive information visualisation, a skill she has brought to the AI Center of ETH Zurich, where she was recently appointed a Pioneer Fellow. Her work can help analysts take a deep dive into political debate.
"There’s nothing intimidating about computer science"
- Spotlight
- Event
- Topic
- Students
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
- Internal news
From 28 March to 1 April, the Informatiktage (Computer Science Days) will take place. The Department of Computer Science and ETH Zurich’s IT Services are once again involved as partners and offer a variety of events for school classes, teachers and interested students.
Where students meet companies: eight questions about the Kontaktparty
- Event
- News
- Spotlight
- Initiatives
- Studies
At the VIS Kontaktparty, students of computer science meet potential employers. Clemens Bachmann, president of the OC for the Kontaktparty 2022, answers the eight most frequently asked questions about the event.
Holistic contextual AI-based document processing
- Topic
- Spotlight
- Spin-off
- Careers
- News
- D-INFK
The LegalTech spin-off from the Computer Science Department DeepJudge assists law firms, corporations, and courts by making data-sensitive administrative work more efficient.
Fascinating robots
- Spotlight
- Computational Robotics Lab
- Scientific staff
- Institute for Intelligent Interactive Systems
- Studies
- Event
- Format
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
- Staff
Postdoc Moritz Geilinger visited the Pestalozzi School Camps to show children what a robotics researcher does and how robots can be used in the real world.
“Almost every day, I can say, ‘I learned something new today’”
- Spotlight
- Scientific staff
- Video
- Researchers in focus
- Medical and bioinformatics
- Medical Data Science
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
- Data science
- Research
- Staff
In this video, postdoc Ece Özkan Elsen talks about her return to research, why she loves medical data science, and how she works to support other women in computer science.
“Computer science is a way of thinking”
- Information Security and Cryptography
- Spotlight
- Studies
- Teaching
- Format
- Management
- Front – Spotlight
- Staff
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science
- Internal news
Professor Ueli Maurer was Director of Studies at the Department of Computer Science (D-INFK) from January 2020 to December 2021. In his farewell interview, he looks back on an intense but rewarding time.
One step closer to lifelike avatars
- Spotlight
- Advanced Interactive Technologies
- Institute for Intelligent Interactive Systems
- News und highlights
- Front – Spotlight
- Virtual and augmented reality
- Research
Modelling a human being in detail and in motion is a task that continues to challenge developers. Researchers led by Otmar Hilliges, Professor at the Department of Computer Science, showed how to do this more easily: Instead of modelling every last detail, they use intelligent algorithms that learn to automatically render animated avatars in every conceivable pose by observing 3D images of humans in just a few poses.
Five questions for Christian Kunz
- Spotlight
- Students
- Security
- Front – Spotlight
In an interview with the ETH School for Continuing Education, Christian Kunz, a student in the CAS ETH in Cyber Security, explains that the continuing education has bridged the gap between law, with whose system, possibilities and limitations he is familiar, and technology, in which he is fascinated but has no previous knowledge.
“We scientists must stand for truth and impartiality”
- Spotlight
- Applied Cryptography
- Institute of Information Security
- Faculty
- Management
- Front – Spotlight
- Staff
Since June 2020, Professor Kenny Paterson has represented the Department of Computer Science in the Commission for Good Scientific Practice at ETH Zurich. In this interview, he talks about the role of scientists and scientific integrity in computer science.
"I felt like I was in the wrong place"
- Spotlight
- Video
- Studies
- Students
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
Insight into everyday life as a student: In the first episode of this video series, computer science student Selin Baris talks about how she moved from Turkey to Zurich, how she got over her homesickness and how she learned to strike a balance between her studies and free time.
Artificial intelligence training accelerated
- Artificial intelligence
- Spotlight
- High-performance computing
- News
- Institute for High Performance Computing Systems
- Scalable Parallel Computing
- News und highlights
- Format
- D-INFK
- Research
When working with neural networks, their training is the single most resource-demanding and costly process. Two computer scientists from Torsten Hoefler's team have now developed a software that considerably speeds up training. This will be especially relevant for scientific applications of future users of “Alps” at CSCS.
"You can't invent everything perfectly from the start" - Part 3/3
- Spotlight
- Video
- Teaching
- Programming languages
- Faculty
- Management
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
- Staff
In the last part of this video series, Niklaus Wirth tells us what doors the Turing Award opened for him and how he got one step closer to perfection with each programming language.
Flavio Pfaffhauser: “It was the perfect moment to take a leap”
- Alumni
- Spotlight
- Spin-off
- Careers
- Front – Spotlight
Flavio Pfaffhauser completed his Master's degree in computer science at ETH Zurich in 2010. Today, as Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) and co-founder of the ETH spin-off Beekeeper, it is his mission to take the rising software provider to the top of the world.
"Switzerland had slept through it" - Part 2/3
- Spotlight
- Video
- Teaching
- Programming languages
- Faculty
- Management
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
- Staff
In this continuing conversation, Niklaus Wirth talks about the hurdles he had to overcome when introducing computer science to Switzerland and why the label "made in the USA" was absolutely necessary at the time.
Remo Gisi: “Paragliding is very algorithmic”
- Alumni
- Spotlight
- Careers
- Front – Spotlight
- Start-up
Remo Gisi studied computer science at ETH Zurich from 2005 to 2012. A few years later, he founded the spin-off Tastelab, which operates at the intersection of food, science and sustainability. His knowledge of computer science also helps him with tasks and hobbies that have nothing to do with programming.
A critical view of the engine room
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- ETH AI Center
- Rycolab
- Studies
- Institute for Machine Learning
- Students
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
- Centres
When algorithms reinforce biases: doctoral student Afra Amini is studying automated human language processing and its pitfalls.
The world is watching: youth and artificial intelligence combat climate change
- Spotlight
- Artificial intelligence
- News und highlights
- Studies
- Machine learning
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
- Data Sciences, Data Systems, and Data Services
- Institute for Computing Platforms (Systems Group)
- Research
David Dao, a doctoral student in the DS3Lab at the Department of Computer Science, visited the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference and explains what computer science can do to help.
"I always saw myself as an engineer" - Part 1/3
- Spotlight
- Video
- Teaching
- Programming languages
- Faculty
- Management
- Front – Spotlight
- Research
- Staff
1970, Prof. em. Niklaus Wirth developed the programming language Pascal and became world famous with it. In this conversation with Prof. em. Friedemann Mattern, Wirth talks about the beginnings of computer science and how he influenced them significantly.
Cornelia Haldemann: “We were a mixed bunch”
- Alumni
- Spotlight
- Careers
- Academia
- Front – Spotlight
- Diversity
As one of the first computer science students at ETH Zurich, Cornelia Haldemann began her studies in 1981 and graduated in 1987. Today, she heads the product data management of an internationally active Swiss company and, after many years of work, meets change with serenity.
"There was an unwritten rule that no first-year student was allowed on the board"
- Spotlight
- Studies
- Topic
- News
- Format
- Initiatives
- Front – Spotlight
- D-INFK
Alexandre de Spindler was an active VIS member from 2001-2003 and is the founder of the Snowdayz. Visionen editor Ricardo Heinzmann asks him in an interview about his time in VIS 20 years ago.
Swiss security policy in an unstable world
- Spotlight
- ZISC - Zurich Information Security & Privacy Center
- Security
- News
- News und highlights
- Topic
- Format
- Research Keywords
- D-INFK
- Research
- Centres
During her visit to ETH Zurich, Defence Minister Viola Amherd sketched a picture of an unstable, unpredictable world to which Swiss security policy must adapt. D-INFK contributes to Swiss cyber security through a number of initiatives and projects, including the secure internet architecture SCION and the Cyber Security Master's programme.