Upcoming Events & Talks

11-06-2026 - 10-07-2026 Event

AI Incubator: Batch 8

Register Now to Join Batch 8 of the AI Incubator!

The AI Incubator is a hands-on program designed for scientists who want to turn cutting-edge AI and robotics ideas into real-world products, while learning practical skills and business strategies. Participants connect with mentors, founders, and investors before pitching their ideas to industry experts. Applications for the next batch in Tübingen are now open!

---

15-06-2026 Talk Haptic Intelligence

Human Skill Augmentation in Robot-Assisted Surgery

Dr. Alaa Eldin Abdelaal , Johnson and Johnson

Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) has gained momentum over the last two decades with more than 3,100,000 RAS procedures performed in 2025 alone using the da Vinci Surgical System, the most widely used surgical robotics platform. RAS enables surgical approaches that reduce patient recovery time and make minimally invasive surgery more accessible and comfortable for surgeons. Yet for all the advances it has brought, RAS basically replicates open surgery, through smaller incisions, ignoring many of the robot’s unique capabilities. For example, robots can have more than one pair of “eyes”, and they can have more than two arms. In this talk, I will present examples of how leveraging these unique capabilities can augment humans’ skills as they use these systems, towards achieving superhuman perfor... Katherine J. Kuchenbecker

---

03-07-2026 Talk Neuromechanics of Movement

Rethinking dynamic muscle function

Kiisa Nishikawa, Northern Arizona University

Muscles have been traditionally viewed as motors that execute force commands from the nervous system. However, this view fails to account for the observation that muscle force is often uncoupled from activation during dynamic movements. An alternative view is that muscles are not only motors, but also tunable viscoelastic actuators with length- and activation-dependent stiffness and damping tuned by the molecular motors. A path forward is to determine how muscle viscoelastic properties vary with muscle length and activation. We have used system identification of ramp stretch experiments in active and passive muscles across the physiological range of lengths to identify the viscoelastic structure of muscles from mice, rats, cats, and frogs. The experimental data suggest that titin functi... Janneke Schwaner

---

03-07-2026 Event Registration

2026 Intelligent Systems Summer Event

The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems is delighted to invite you to its annual scientific summer event & alumni meeting. Katherine J. Kuchenbecker Christoph Keplinger Matthias Tröndle Birgül Akolpoglu Carmela Rianna Barbara Kettemann

---

09-07-2026 Event Registration

CaCTüS — Meet the Campus

We are proud to welcome the 5th generation of CaCTüS interns this year! You are cordially invited to celebrate with us the kickoff of CaCTüS 2026, meet the interns and celebrate over snacks and drinks on July 9 at 5 PM at the lobby of Max Plank House Tübingen. Lea Nagel

---

14-07-2026 Talk Robotic Composites and Compositions

Microrobotics: Millimeter-Scale Mechanisms and Devices

Noah T. Jafferis, UMass Lowell

Millimeter-scale mechanisms, from novel actuators and sensors to insect-inspired flying vehicles, have applications in medical devices, infrastructure inspection, small satellites, and more. At these scales, system optimization is critical, and micro-robot design is often inspired by natural systems, while also providing insights for understanding biological behavior. Here I will discuss a few examples – a new kind of piezoelectric motor, ‘robo-buzzers’ for studying buzz-pollination, and a micro-electrode insertion device: The ‘Delta Motor’ is a 130-mg flexure-based variable-transmission piezoelectric motor whose output can translate and/or rotate at the same frequency as its internal actuators, at up to 30,000 RPM (much faster than typical piezoelectric motors). This may enable new ap... Buse Aktaş

---

31-08-2026 - 11-09-2026 Summer School Empirical Inference

MLSS 2026 - Machine Learning Summer School 2026 in Tübingen

MLSS's are a renowned venue for graduate students, researchers, and professionals. They offer an opportunity to learn about fundamental and advanced aspects of machine learning, data analysis and inference, from intellectual leaders of the field. <br> In the summer of 2026 the MLSS will make its seventh appearance in Tübingen. Bernhard Schölkopf

---

18-09-2026 Symposium Registration

CaCTüS Scientific Symposium 2026

The symposium marks the conclusion of this year’s CaCTüS internship

On Friday, September 18, 2026 interns will present the results of their research projects to the campus community, showcasing the research and scientific soft skills they have developed throughout the internship. Following the presentations, we invite you to join us for food and drinks. Lea Nagel

---

19-10-2026 Event Registration

Responsible Conduct in Research: 2026

Principles of good scientific practice can be challenged in many ways, from improper application of scientific methods to serious scientific misconduct. This training introduces core concepts of responsible conduct in research and promotes shared standards of scientific integrity across our research community. Sarah Danes Ana-Andreea Stoica Vincent Berenz

---