News & Awards

Physical Intelligence Press Release 25-02-2026 Magnetic Microrobot Swarms Enable Contactless Manipulation of Objects Through Fluidic Torque The microrobots act as motors to move millimeter-sized passive objects without physical contact In a study, a team of researchers show that groups of magnetic microrobots can generate fluidic forces strong enough to rotate objects in different directions without touching them. These microrobot swarms can turn gear systems, rotate objects much larger than the robots themselves, assemble structures on their own, and even pull in or push away many small objects. The work was now published in Science Advances. Gaurav Gardi Metin Sitti Kirstin Petersen

Press Release 18-02-2026 Max Planck spin-off draws Epic Games to Tübingen The US-based game developer is acquiring Meshcapade and will establish a presence in the Cyber Valley tech hub Meshcapade, the Max Planck startup based in Tübingen’s Cyber Valley, is being acquired by Epic Games – a U.S. game developer and creator of Unreal Engine, a game development technology. Alongside the acquisition, Epic Games is establishing a presence in Cyber Valley. The Meshcapade team will join Epic’s AI Research team, contributing to technologies for Unreal Engine and MetaHuman. Michael Black

Haptic Intelligence Press Release 12-02-2026 Elephant trunk whiskers exhibit material intelligence Scientists discover the secret behind the elephant’s sense of touch In a paper published in Science, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the Humboldt University of Berlin, and the University of Stuttgart have discovered that the secret to the elephant’s amazing sense of touch is in its unusual whiskers. The interdisciplinary team analyzed elephant trunk whiskers using advanced microscopy methods that revealed a form of material intelligence more sophisticated than the well-studied whiskers of rats and mice. This research has the potential to inspire new physically intelligent robotic sensing approaches that resemble the unusual whiskers that cover the elephant trunk. Katherine J. Kuchenbecker Andrew Schulz Lawrence Smith Deepti Philip Hilda David Jelena Zinnanti Gunther Richter

Perceiving Systems Press Release 11-02-2026 Michael J. Black elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering Michael J. Black

Physical Intelligence Press Release 28-01-2026 Beyond Polymers: New state-of-the-art 3D micro and nanofabrication technique overcomes material limitations Method relies on light-driven or optofluidic assembly In a Nature publication, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the National University of Singapore introduce an innovative optofluidic 3D micro- and nanofabrication technique that overcomes the material limitations of traditional two-photon polymerization. Inside a liquid, the team utilizes a femtosecond laser to generate localized thermal gradients and fluid flows that drive a wide range of micro- and nanoparticles into pre-printed microtemplates. This light-driven assembly enables the printing of structures made from a wide range of materials, sometimes even combined, overcoming the previous limitation to polymers. This technology can now be used to construct tiny micro-robots that can be controlled magnetically or by using light. Xianglong Lyu Gaurav Gardi Muhammad Turab Ali Khan Mingchao Zhang Metin Sitti

Physical Intelligence Press Release 14-01-2026 Hydrogel cilia set new standard in microrobotics Scientists create biologically realistic artificial cilia Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Koç University in Istanbul have created hydrogel-based artificial cilia that move almost exactly like real biological cilia – the closest imitation achieved so far. The researchers can program each micrometer-sized cilium to move freely in space – just like cilia in the human body. With their research, the scientists aim to investigate how natural cilia function, how they coordinate their movement, and what role they play in brain development, signal perception, and fluid movement, for example. Because the artificial cilia are soft and easy to control, they could one day be used in medical devices to help people whose natural cilia are damaged or not working properly. The fast, low-voltage motion demonstrated in their study could also inspire a new generation of tiny robots that were previously impossible at such small scales. This milestone work was published in Nature on January 14, 2026. Zemin Liu Ziyu Ren Chunxiang Wang Wenkang Wang Jongkuk Ko Shanyuan Song Chong Hong Wenqi Hu Metin Sitti

CELLnROLL Press Release 25-11-2025 CELLnROLL receives funding from EXIST Research Transfer Start-up develops automated cellular diagnostic devices for detecting diseases such as cancer Alp Can Karacakol Erdost Yildiz Ugur Bozüyük Sarah Scatigna

Organizational Leadership and Diversity Press Release 25-11-2025 The avatar in a wheelchair A call for more diversity in the Metaverse A study by the University of Stuttgart, the California State University at Fullerton, and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has found that there are benefits to representing one’s real-life disability through an avatar in virtual reality. The Metaverse is not just a technical platform, but also one for social interaction. Therefore, all users should be included in its development, including people with disabilities. The researchers appeal to companies to be more courageous in embracing diversity in virtual spaces as authentic self-representation allows people with disabilities to identify more strongly with their work. Ksenia Keplinger Phoenix Van Wagoner Andria Smith

Robotic Composites and Compositions Press Release 16-10-2025 From Stiff to Soft in a Snap Magnetic Jamming Opens New Frontiers for Microrobotics Could tiny magnetic objects, that rapidly clump together and instantly fall apart again, one day perform delicate procedures inside the human body? A new study from researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart and at ETH Zurich introduces a wireless method to stiffen and relax small structures using magnetic fields, without wires, pumps, or physical contact. Buse Aktaş

Physical Intelligence Press Release 15-09-2025 Matryoshka doll-like robot changes its shape in real time and in situ In a paper published in Nature, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany, introduce a method by which they can reprogram a stack of magnetic tubes in real time and in situ. Rearranging and recombining each tube’s magnetic unit enables the nesting doll-like robot to achieve unprecedented shape-shifting capabilities, unlocking new possibilities for soft robots. Such robots could be used for a variety of applications, including medical devices. Metin Sitti Xianqiang Bao Fan Wang Jianhua Zhang

Press Release 15-05-2025 Groundbreaking ceremony marks start of construction work for new Cyber Valley building in Stuttgart Building will become part of the Max Planck Campus in Büsnau 7,400 m² of research space for robotics and artificial intelligence Christoph Keplinger

Haptic Intelligence Robotic Materials Press Release 07-01-2025 Electrohydraulic Wearable Devices Create Unprecedented Haptic Sensations Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems invented compact wearable devices that deliver rich, expressive, and pleasant tactile sensations that go far beyond the buzzing vibrations of today’s consumer devices. The team just published their findings in Advanced Science. Natalia Sanchez-Tamayo Zachary Yoder Philipp Rothemund Giulia Ballardini Christoph Keplinger Katherine J. Kuchenbecker

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