News archive - ETH News for Industry

Physicians examine patient cells under a microscope to aid diagnosis, but preparing slides is challenging with small, scarce samples. To prevent loss, a team from CSEM and ETH Zurich developed a method that maximises sample use. In collaboration with ZHAW, it was refined and tested on cancer microtissues.

The automation company Festo and ETH Zurich are creating soft robotic actuators with muscle-like performance. Scalable, efficient, and flexible, this technology could unlock new possibilities for automation, from grippers to valves—bringing us closer to autonomous machines with muscle-like capabilities.

ETH spin-off a-metal has developed a breakthrough system for metal 3D printers, making them more compact and affordable – tailored to the needs of SMEs.

Internships and thesis projects in industry are a win-win situation for students and companies. For ETH student Markus Metzler, this meant realising his dream of working on the latest developments in aerospace at Aurora Swiss Aerospace.

Imagine a robot that can autonomously monitor a factory, effortlessly navigate stairs, and open doors — meet Milo, developed by ETH spin-off Swiss-Mile. Combining AI with advanced robotics, it boasts a wide range of applications.

Electrical stimulation of specific brain regions is a promising treatment for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. Since everyone's brain is unique, stimulation caps need to be custom-made for each patient. Researchers at Bottneuro and ETH are addressing this challenge by developing automated design and manufacturing processes for the caps.

What is a digital twin, what can it do, and what requirements does it have to meet to be of practical use in the machine industry? ETH researchers and three companies investigated these questions and came up with some surprising results. 

Many fascinating colour effects in nature or in soap bubbles are based solely on the microstructure of the surface. Oris and inspire have developed laser technologies that bring this concept to the watchmaking industry.

ETH spin-off SAEKI’s ground-breaking robot is revolutionising the manufacturing of large components for space shuttles and concrete structures. This all-in-one machine handles everything from 3D printing to milling, saving costs, time, and materials. Welcome to the future of manufacturing.

Fresh sparkling water at the touch of a button, waste-free and always on hand. ETH spin-off bottleplus is making this possible. Co-founder Christian Käser talks about challenges and what comes next.

Key industrial prosses such as cement production require heat at temperatures above 1000°C and are responsible for 10-20% of global CO2 emissions. A novel solar receiver uses concentrated solar energy for these processes and enables the decarbonization of these industries.

Hydrogels support tissue regeneration after an accident or illness. Oncay Yasa and Robert Katzschmann have developed sponge-like hydrogels that can be injected through a cannula, thus offering patients a minimally invasive procedure for implantation.

ETH spin-off AtlasVR offers virtual reality (VR) training solutions for industry, enabling the workforce to train independently and efficiently. Thanks to virtual training, a significant amount of resources like raw materials can be saved.

How to ensure quality in manual assembly processes? Huber+Suhner and Bossard have teamed up with ETH Zurich and inspire to industrialise a camera-based solution.

Synthetic fuels made from solar energy and CO2 are a promising alternative to decarbonize transportation sectors that cannot be electrified yet. The largest Swiss automobile dealer AMAG joined the mobility initiative of ETH Zurich to advance this technology. In the video, AMAG and ETH spin-off Synhelion give insight into their collaboration.

Agriculture is a very labour-intensive business and finding the workforce is increasingly difficult. Wouldn’t it be great to let a robot do the work? 

Recycling disposable medical products is challenging, but pharmaceutical company Janssen found a good partner for this high-risk project in the ETH Feasibility Lab. Thanks to their agile approach, the researchers were able to demonstrate feasibility.

Can a drone drill holes? ETH students prove that it is possible and show potential applications of their technology in the construction industry.

At the ETH Industry Day 2022, you can discover novel research close-up and meet the corresponding scientists. One of them is Tom Kober – he investigates how the industrial and energy sectors could achieve carbon neutrality.

For his doctorate, Johannes Weichart developed an artificial skin that will give robots a sense of touch similar to that of humans. This will make them much more adept at handling objects.

Weeds are traditionally killed either by using herbicides or by a combination of mechanical hoeing and manual weeding. The ETH weeding robot with integrated laser promises to save countless hours of manual labour as well as scalable organic farming without chemicals.

Combining the recycling of precious raw materials from demolition concrete with the storage of CO2? This promising technology has been developed at ETH Zurich and is now being commercialized by Neustark and tested at JURA CEMENT.

Artificial pumps run at constant speed – no matter if the patient sleeps or exercises. In the long run, a mismatch between the patient’s perfusion needs and the pump supply leads to life-threatening complications. The Zurich Heart Group has developed integrated sensors and algorithms that control the pump speed according to the patient’s needs.

Variety is what makes food enjoyable. ETH Spin-off Planted joined forces with the ETH Product Development Group to customise the extrusion process of plant-based meat by using additive manufacturing.

How about having your personal coach and physical therapist with you at all times? ETH Spin-off VAY trains computers to measure and analyze human motion by using a regular camera and artificial intelligence.

Load-bearing, lightweight and now also recyclable: researchers led by Professor Paolo Ermanni were presented with the Spark Award in recognition of an innovative process for production of sustainable composite materials. ETH Zurich awarded the prize to their promising invention, with this year marking the tenth time the award has been given.

Clean water is very valuable and – in many parts of the world – an increasingly rare commodity. The ETH spin-off Oxyle AG provides a novel wastewater-treatment-system that eliminates persistent and toxic organic micro pollutants.

Sniffing your alcoholic beverage and immediately detecting whether it contains toxic methanol? A portable device from ETH spin-off Alivion could prevent many cases of illness and death.

Do robots have to be rigid and clumsy? Prof. Katzschmann and his team from the Soft Robotics Lab have taken inspiration from animals such as fish or snakes and their elegant movements.

Soft robots, cancer cells rendered harmless, computer memories that forget nothing - the range of inventions presented at the ETH Industry Day was wide. The video shows the highlights of the event.

Membranes for filtration and purification of liquids and gases are an important technology in various industries, ranging from drinking water supply to medical technology, and from semi-conductors to sports utility wear and petrochemistry. The graphene membranes developed at ETH Zurich promise more energy-efficient separation.

The ETH Industry Day on 8 September 2021 is the perfect opportunity to get an insight into ETH research and how it is applied in industry. Registration is now open.

ETH spin-off Rimon Technologies has developed a framework to enhance the capabilities of teams and companies to build their own augmented reality (AR) applications such as manuals for complex machines or inspections.

The grinding of railway tracks extends their lifetime and reduces driving noises. Scheuchzer started a collaboration with inspire and ETH Zurich in order to investigate and optimize the grinding process.

A universal bio-ink with superior printing characteristics facilitates the printing of many different types of tissue to replicate injured tissue. In the video, Mark Tibbitt and Elia Guzzi introduce  the patent-pending technology, which paves the way for personalised implants.  

In many countries, there is a lack of affordable medical devices. ETH researchers apply new design methods to tackle this challenge and invented a low-cost ventilator for COVID patients.

ETH Zurich looks back on a very successful year for spin-offs: In 2020, 34 spin-offs were founded, with a striking proportion in the areas of AI and sustainability. Financing rounds totalling more than CHF 400 million and HeiQ's public listing bear witness to the market success of existing ETH spin-offs.

Car or aeroplane components made of carbon fibre composites are much lighter than metal parts. If such components were digitally and cost-effectively mass-produced, the CO₂ emissions of an aircraft could be reduced by several tons. To this end, ETH spin-off 9T Labs provides solutions.

Is electric mobility the future? Will our vehicles soon drive autonomously? Numerous disruptive scenarios are conceivable, which means that companies operating in the mobility sector are facing major challenges. The ETH MAS (Master of Advanced Studies) "Mobility of the Future" provides answers to these questions.

When travelling in the Alps, you might come across an unmanned excavator clearing rockfalls, as if by magic. The video reveals more about this project, a collaboration between the ETH Robotic Systems Lab, SBB and Armasuisse.

Up to 30 spin-offs each year at ETH Zurich – that is impressive. But what is behind this figure? How efficient are these spin-offs and what are the factors for success? A new study reveals surprising facts.

Every year, millions of patients worldwide receive skin grafts because of severe burns, sports injuries or diabetic wounds, often accompanied by detrimental complications. Such treatments are painful for patients and expensive for the healthcare system. A nanoparticle paste is now promising relief.

The grinding process of high-precision cutting tools typically requires supervision and manual intervention. ETH Zurich, inspire and manufacturer Agathon have now achieved a breakthrough in autonomous grinding.

The ETH Industry eWeek 2020 will give you an insight into research at ETH Zurich and its connection to industry. Here is a selection of projects you can expect to see and a link to register for the event.  

Engineers from ETH Zurich have created a platform that determines how the CO2 emissions of diesel engines can be reduced based on engine measurements and tests with various fuels. We talked to project manager Dr. Christophe Barro.

In times of crises, such as the current Corona pandemic, sourcing poses major challenges for companies. ETH start-up Archlet offers a cloud-based optimisation tool. Companies can use it free of charge to adjust their sourcing strategy during and after crises.

In our aging society, more and more people depend on artificial heart valves. PhD candidate Arthur Schlothauer develops a foldable heart valve, which can be placed in the heart by means of a catheter, thus avoiding the need for invasive surgery.

Easy-to-use automated drilling equipment with increased productivity – that is Hilti’s dream. Prof. Melanie Zeilinger and her team make this dream come true.

Swiss manufacturer Nova partnered with inspire and ETH Zurich to develop a new generation of high-pressure valves for hydrogen fuelling stations. Incorporating intelligence into the valve will enable future IoT and industry 4.0 networks.

Clamping workpieces efficiently in machines is challenging and will become even more difficult with increasing automation and additive manufacturing of free-form surfaces. In cooperation with inspire and ETH Zurich, the Gressel company has found an innovative solution with some surprising benefits.

Every year over 5 billion birds migrate between Europe and Africa. In order to reduce the collision risk of these birds with wind farms, a team from the ETH Laboratory of Energy Conversion, led by Dr. Ndaona Chokani, has developed a forecast model for migratory birds.

Navigating and avoiding collisions is not easy when rowing. ETH researchers have now developed a solution.

Scientists at ETH Zurich and EPFL have developed tiny elastic robots that can change shape depending on their surroundings. Modeled after bacteria and fully biocompatible, these robots optimize their movements to get to hard-to-reach areas of the human body. They stand to revolutionize targeted drug delivery.

Alessandro Ofner and Michael Hagander, two ETH Pioneer Fellows, developed the patented technology in the field of microcapsules and microparticles that enables size control, precise dosing and increased stability. The Microcaps team redefines precision standards for daily products in food, cosmetics, and pharma.

Professional and smart cleaning robots at an affordable price? The video shows how the company Wetrok implements this vision in cooperation with ETH Zurich.

Can you imagine a car that changes its shape depending on the speed in order to optimize the airflow? ETH researcher Oleg Testoni shows in the video how this could be possible one day.

Materials for aerospace applications need to be extremely lightweight and strong at the same time. ETH researcher Christoph Karl shows in the video novel structures that outperform existing materials.

The nanoprinting technology of ETH Zurich can revolutionize the fabrication of electronics and enable e.g. flexible displays. The ETH spin-off Scrona is now scaling up the technology for industrial application. Watch the video.