ETH Zurich Autonomous Systems Lab

ETH Zurich Autonomous Systems Lab
Name	Autonomous Systems Lab
Established	1999
Type	Research laboratory
City	Zurich
Country	Switzerland
Parent	ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich Autonomous Systems Lab

The Autonomous Systems Lab (ASL) is a research laboratory at ETH Zurich focusing on robotic systems, aerial vehicles, legged robots, perception, and control. Founded within a European technical university context, the lab combines expertise from researchers with backgrounds connected to Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, ETH Zurich Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, and international centers such as Max Planck Society and Fraunhofer Society. ASL researchers often publish at venues like International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Robotics: Science and Systems, and IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

History

The laboratory emerged during a period shaped by advances at institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania, as well as European hubs like Imperial College London, University of Oxford, and EPFL. Founding activities drew on methodologies pioneered at ETH Zurich and projects funded by agencies such as the European Research Council, Swiss National Science Foundation, and programs linked to the Horizon 2020 framework. Early developments reflected cross-pollination with research groups from Delft University of Technology, Technical University of Munich, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

Research Areas

ASL's portfolio spans multidisciplinary topics including aerial robotics with platforms related to work at DJI Innovations and concepts studied in NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, perception systems influenced by algorithms from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and labs at University of California, Berkeley. Research threads include control theory traditions from Princeton University and California Institute of Technology, state estimation methods tied to approaches from ETH Zurich Professor Roland Siegwart-associated groups, multi-robot coordination in the spirit of projects from MIT CSAIL and UCLA Robotics Lab, and machine learning applications paralleling research at University of Toronto and University College London. Specific emphases include real-time mapping reminiscent of Oxford Visual Geometry Group outputs, sensor fusion similar to work at Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, and human-robot interaction echoing studies at Cornell University.

Facilities and Infrastructure

The lab's infrastructure includes indoor flight arenas comparable to facilities at University of Zurich and outdoor testing ranges akin to those used by European Space Agency-affiliated testbeds. Hardware resources reflect connections to industrial partners such as Intel, NVIDIA, and Bosch, and use instrumentation from manufacturers like FLIR Systems, Velodyne Lidar, and SICK AG. Computational resources employ clusters and GPUs aligned with deployments at ETH Zurich High-Performance Computing Center and research computing practices at Swiss National Supercomputing Centre. Safety and certification activities reference standards applied at Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation and testing protocols seen at German Aerospace Center.

Notable Projects and Demonstrations

ASL has produced demonstrations that resonate with high-profile milestones such as autonomous inspection reminiscent of work by Siemens and delivery trials analogous to experiments by Amazon Prime Air. Public demonstrations have paralleled achievements showcased at events like Consumer Electronics Show, IEEE Robotics and Automation Festival, and academic exhibitions at European Robotics Forum. Project themes include agile flight comparable to results from ETH Zurich Flying Machine Arena-style research, collaborative manipulation with parallels at Toyota Research Institute, and rescue robotics reflecting scenarios investigated by FEMA-associated drills and DARPA Robotics Challenge-inspired competitions.

Collaborations and Industry Partnerships

The lab maintains collaborations with academic partners including University of Cambridge, École Polytechnique, Technical University of Denmark, and consortiums supported by European Commission. Industrial partnerships have involved firms such as ABB, Siemens, Schindler Group, and startups spun out into ecosystems similar to spin-offs from ETH Zurich Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiatives. Funding and joint projects have been coordinated with bodies like Innosuisse and industry consortia linked to Swiss Innovation Park activities.

Academic Programs and Education

ASL contributes to graduate and doctoral programs at ETH Zurich Graduate School, supervising PhD candidates enrolled in structured programs such as those offered by NCCR Robotics and summer schools akin to courses from European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems. Teaching responsibilities intersect with courses in departments like ETH Zurich Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering and ETH Zurich Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, and students engage through internships modeled on exchanges with Google Research and industrial placements with ABB Robotics.

Awards and Recognition

Researchers affiliated with the lab have received honors related to awards historically granted by organizations such as IEEE, ACM, European Research Council Advanced Grant, and national recognitions including Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF awards. The lab's work has been cited in technical prizes at conferences like ICRA Best Paper Award and IROS Best Autonomous Robot Demonstration. Institutional recognition aligns with the reputation of ETH Zurich as reflected in international rankings and award programs sponsored by entities like Royal Academy of Engineering and European Technology Platform.

Category:Research institutes in Switzerland Category:Robotics organizations