Dr. Robert Katzschmann

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Robert Katzschmann is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at ETH Zürich and founder of the Soft Robotics Lab, where he develops novel robotic designs for a future of lifelike robots that can interact seamlessly with humans. He is also a co-founder and scientific advisor of Mimic Robotics, a company that develops autonomous dexterous manipulation solutions. Robert earned his diploma degree in engineering from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in 2013, completed his master's thesis at Stanford University, and received his PhD in 2018 from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Before joining ETH Zürich, Robert worked on robotic-assisted surgery and biopsy systems at Auris Surgical Robotics, developed new technologies for robotic handling as an Applied Scientist at Amazon Robotics, and served as CTO at Dexai Robotics, where he led the development of autonomous kitchen robots. His research encompasses soft robotics, biohybrid systems, musculoskeletal robotics, and dynamic control, with works published in leading journals such as Science Robotics and Nature. Robert's contributions have been recognized internationally, including as an IEEE RAS Senior Member, Ellis Member, and TED Fellow. His TED Talk in 2022 on animal movement-inspired robots has been viewed by millions. He is also an editor for the International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR) and IEEE BioRob and serves on the editorial board of Advanced Robotics Research and npj Robotics. Additionally, he takes leadership roles at notable conferences like RSS, ICRA, IROS, and RoboSoft.

Research Interests

Courses

ORCA Humanoid Zephyr Soft Biohybrid Robotics Robotics, Vision, Controls

Requirements for ETH Zurich

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.4
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:159
Verbal Percentile
Required:80
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:81
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Writing Percentile
Required:85
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field (Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Mathematics) Minimum 180 ECTS credits Subject-specific knowledge equivalent to ETH Bachelor's programs
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree diploma or transcript
  • Official academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Letter of Motivation (1 page)
  • Two academic recommendation letters
  • English language proficiency certificate
  • GRE General Test (for non-EU/EFTA applicants)
Specialization Notes

The GRE is mandatory for students who did not obtain their Bachelor's degree in an EU/EFTA state. Some departments (e.g., Computer Science) have specific ECTS credit requirements in core subjects.