Physical Intelligence

Department News

3D robot navigation could enable multi-site medical procedures

  • 07 November 2024

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany, developed a novel method for deploying several magnetic miniature robots which can easily navigate through a 3D matrix resembling a network of blood vessels. This new method could one day enable the simultaneous treatment of multiple locations in hard-to-reach areas of the human body, which is currently unattainable with conventional tools. This innovative approach could significantly reduce procedure time and increase the effectiveness of minimally invasive therapies.

Chunxiang Wang Tianlu Wang Li Mingtong Rongjing Zhang Metin Sitti


Cyber Valley grants 500K to CELL’n’ROLL via 2023 Innovation Fellowship Program

  • 11 April 2024

Cyber Valley Community is advancing diagnostics for the future

CELL’n’ROLL aims to develop next-generation diagnostic solutions for detecting complex diseases such as cancer.

Alp Can Karacakol Erdost Yildiz Ugur Bozuyuk


Eine Qualle steht Modell

  • 06 October 2023

Test

Sie gelten nicht als Sympathieträger der Meere, doch in puncto Unter- wasserantrieb setzen sie Maßstäbe: Nicht zuletzt weil Quallen besonders effizient schwimmen, hat ein Team des Max-Planck-Instituts für Intelligente Systeme in Stuttgart einen Roboter nach dem Vorbild der Nesseltiere konstruiert. Jellyfish-Bots könnten in Zukunft helfen, besonders empfind- liche Ökosysteme wie Korallenriffe von Plastikmüll zu befreien.

Tianlu Wang Hyeong-Joon Joo


Blog: Shaping the future: Hydrogel muscles empowering advanced information encryption

  • 22 August 2023

Recent research led by Professor Metin Sitti at the Physical Intelligence Department of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has introduced an innovative strategy for achieving precise transformations of microscale metastructures actuated by hydrogel artificial muscles.

Mingchao Zhang Aniket Pal Zhiqiang Zheng Gaurav Gardi Erdost Yildiz Metin Sitti


Soft Robotic Tool provides new 'eyes' in endovascular surgery

  • 18 August 2023

The magnetic device can help visualise and navigate complex and narrow spaces

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have developed a soft robotic tool that promises to one day transform minimally invasive endovascular surgery. The two-part magnetic tool can help to visualise in real time the fine morphological details of partial vascular blockages such as stenoses, even in the narrowest and most curved vessels. It can also find its way through severe blockages such as chronic total occlusions. This tool could one day take the perception of endovascular medical devices a step further.

Yingbo Yan Tianlu Wang Rongjing Zhang Wenqi Hu Metin Sitti


Pangolin the inspiration for medical robot

  • 20 June 2023

Robot is made of metal and yet is soft and flexible

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have developed a magnetically controlled soft medical robot with a unique, flexible structure inspired by the body of a pangolin. The robot is freely movable despite built-in hard metal components. Thus, depending on the magnetic field, it can adapt its shape to be able to move and can emit heat when needed, allowing for functionalities such as selective cargo transportation and release as well as mitigation of bleeding. The research was published in Nature Communications on 20 June 2023.

Ren Hao Soon Zhen Yin Metin Alp Dogan Nihal Olcay Dogan Mehmet Efe Tiryaki Alp Can Karacakol Asli Aydin Pouria Esmaeili-Dokht Metin Sitti


Jellyfish-like robots could one day clean up the world’s oceans

  • 25 April 2023

Roboticists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have developed a jellyfish-inspired underwater robot with which they hope one day to collect waste from the bottom of the ocean. The almost noise-free prototype can trap objects underneath its body without physical contact, thereby enabling safe interactions in delicate environments such as coral reefs. Jellyfish-Bot could become an important tool for environmental remediation.

Tianlu Wang Hyeong-Joon Joo Shanyuan Song Wenqi Hu Christoph Keplinger Metin Sitti


Birgül Akolpoglu selected to join the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

  • 30 March 2023

The doctoral researcher from the Physical Intelligence Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, is one of 635 young scientists from across the world who are given the opportunity to participate in a week of scientific exchange with some of the world’s greatest minds.

Birgül Akolpoglu Metin Sitti


Ziyu Ren wins ETH Silver Medal

  • 30 January 2023

The postdoctoral researcher at MPI-IS was honored for his outstanding doctoral thesis

Ziyu Ren Metin Sitti


Aarushi Bhargava receives Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

  • 09 November 2022

The scientist working in the Physical Intelligence Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart will be supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for two years to continue his soft robotic research in Germany.

Aarushi Bhargava Metin Sitti