Student projects
Student projects offered by the Institute of Design, Materials and Fabrication.
Plastic wool extrusion system setup and testing
In Blantyre, Malawi, different technologies for recycling PET and HDPE, as well as different recycled plastic products are being investigated. A proof-of-concept of a plastic yarn extruder has been developed by WASTE Advisers (https://www.wasteadvisersmw.org/) and further tested by Kocher (2025), one of ETH master’s students. Both WASTE Advisers and Joel Kocher have looked into technical aspects of plastic wool extrusion and potential beneficiation pathways with insights into business operation of a company/NGO, which could function on a Malawian market. The first DIY machine, studied by Joel Kocher will now be replaced by an industrial size, high-yield setup, which has already been procured and delivered to Blantyre, Malawi.
Keywords
manufacturing, insulation manufacturing, PET, plastic
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Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-21 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Research, Design, Prototyping, and Testing of a Battery-Powered, Non-Contact, Handwashing Device for Use in Low-Resource Settings
Diarrhoeal disease is a leading cause of child mortality and morbidity in the world. It is the third leading cause of death in children under five years old and is responsible for killing around 444,000 children every year [1]. Diarrhoea is usually a symptom of an infection in the intestinal tract which is spread through contaminated food or drinking-water or from one person to another as a result of poor hygiene and sanitation. However, low-cost interventions can reduce the burden of diarrhoeal disease. A 2023 study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases by researchers at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found that washing hands with soap can reduce the risk of diarrhoeal diseases by 42-47%. The potential number of annual diarrhoea deaths that could be averted by widespread handwashing is between 0.5-1.4 million [2]. However, handwashing with soap can be a challenge in communities and households without access to improved water infrastructure. According to the World Bank, there are still around two billion people without access to safely managed water services, including piped water. Many of these people are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa [3]. Without access to piped water, handwashing can prove a challenge. Yet to meet the need of handwashing without access to piped water, many Africans rely on a simple solution: connecting a hand-operated spigot to the base of a water bucket and providing soap as an accessory (see image above). In fact, in some African countries this solution is so widespread that it is called a “Veronica Bucket” after its inventor, Veronica Bekoe, a Ghanaian biologist and public health specialist from the Ghana Health Service [4]. Unfortunately, this technology has limitations. Some spigots can be difficult to open or may be contaminated with infectious bacteria. Soap may not be present near the bucket. Users may not adhere to proper handwashing guidelines [5]. These limitations could be addressed with the research, design, prototyping, and testing of a new product which can replace the traditional hand-operated spigot on a Veronica Bucket with a novel, battery-powered solution.
Keywords
water, sanitation, hygiene, product development, user experience design, global health, renewable energy
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Bachelor Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-21 , Latest end: 2026-02-28
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Testing and improving the open-source plastic scanner
In Blantyre, Malawi, different ways of recycling plastics are investigated. Plastic bottles can be remelted into sheets for desk or table-top construction; manufacturing of insulating wool is also investigated for applications in housing construction. Presently, around 20 tonnes of dirty mixed-type plastic chips are stored on a pile and can be accessed by Malawian NGOs, WASTE Advisers and Art Malawi. However, this large quantity of plastic requires identification, washing and separation before being further used. A number of GHE’s students committed their time to establish technologies for plastic recycling and exploring its beneficiation pathways. Some of those students used an expensive, commercially available device for plastic type recognition. This work intends to contribute to the community-wide efforts in developing an open-source device for plastic type recognition (https://plasticscanner.com/).
Keywords
plastic identification, plastics, plastic scanner, prototyping
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-07-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-21 , Latest end: 2026-05-31
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Design, Construction, and Testing of a Solar Thermal Concentrator for Biogas Effluent Pasteurization
The production of renewable biogas occurs through a biological process called anaerobic digestion. During anaerobic digestion, biogas is produced when microorganisms break down solid organic matter into two primary products: biogas - which is composed primarily of combustible methane gas - and a liquid called effluent. This liquid effluent is rich in nutrients and has high potential to be used as a potent fertilizer. However, when sewage is used as a source of organic matter, harmful disease-causing bacteria can pass through the biogas system and into the liquid effluent, thereby compromising the effluent’s use as a safe and effective fertilizer. In a May 2025 report supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) entitled The Compendium of Solid Waste Management in Humanitarian Contexts, the IFRC listed biogas systems as one of several technologies which can manage solid waste in humanitarian situations. This report also stated that a major drawback of this approach is its inability to completely eliminate pathogens from the effluent [2]. Pasteurization of the liquid effluent is a suitable approach to enhance the efficacy of biogas systems in managing waste in low-resource settings. Philanthropic organizations like the Veolia Foundation have supported the development of technologies which burn the methane produced by the biogas systems to indirectly heat the effluent and eliminate harmful pathogens [3]. However, these approaches are costly and complex. Additional approaches to pasteurization must be explored. One promising technology to sustainably harness thermal energy is solar concentration. Through solar concentration, mirrors and lenses are used to focus sunlight onto a smaller receiver such as a copper water pipe. In 2020, an engineering team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology built a low-cost solar concentrator to generate steam and sterilize surgical equipment in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology of Bombay [4]. However, the use of concentrated solar thermal energy has not yet been used as a method of biogas effluent pasteurization. This promising approach should be explored as an effective and novel solution.
Keywords
renewable energy, pasteurization, biogas, global health, solar thermal concentration, aerogel
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Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-21 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Designing and building injection moulded bicycle lights
In Blantyre, Malawi, different technologies for recycling PET and HDPE, as well as different recycled plastic products are being investigated. WASTE Advisers, one of the Malawian NGOs, specialized in managing and recycling waste (https://www.wasteadvisersmw.org/) is looking for plastic beneficiation pathways, such as insulation manufacturing or small-size injection moulding. WASTE Advisers have recently purchased an injection moulding machine and plan to locally build bicycle lights to improve safety of street users and potentially start a new, small self-sustainable NGO in Blantyre Malawi. At Global Health Engineering, we have tested a manual injection moulding machine to gain basic experience with its usage and mould design. Recently, a GHE’s student developed a standard mould for injection moulding process testing. The mould and the findings are available on Github: https://github.com/Global-Health-Engineering/injection-molding-with-resin-molds
Keywords
manufacturing, plastic, electronic design, PCB
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Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-21 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Thermodynamic optimization of biogas burner and heat exchanger
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is considered one of the oldest and most sustainable biological treatment technologies for stabilizing and reducing organic waste, including food waste, sewage sludge, industrial waste, and farm waste. AD transforms organic matter into biogas (60–70 vol-% of methane), thereby reducing the volume of the waste whilst destroying some of the pathogens present in the waste feedstocks and limiting odor problems associated with waste materials (Appels et al., 2008; Gerardi, 2003). AD is a promising energy, waste management, and sanitation solution in low-resource, low-income settings (Forbis-Stokes et al., 2016; Owamah et al., 2014). However, it does not fully eliminate pathogens for safe environmental discharge. Three ETH students (Hardeman, 2022; Jäggi, 2023; Luz, 2022) iteratively developed and experimentally optimized the biogas reactor and the solution for sludge pasteurization to homogeneously heat the effluent and render the liquid safe for discharge. However, continuous operation was not efficient enough. Imelman (2024) performed process cycle optimization; his work was followed by the most recent master’s thesis on computational design and analysis of all system’s components. Presently, the cycle design is almost finished and ready for manufacturing and testing.
Keywords
thermodynamics, testing, field work, experimental work
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Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-19 , Earliest start: 2025-09-21 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Server setup for data acquisition from IoT devices
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement enables countries to engage in carbon emissions trading. In line with this, Switzerland has entered a carbon trading agreement with Malawi, planning to offset about 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) by providing Malawian dairy farmers with 10,000 biogas digesters. These digesters transform animal waste into methane-rich gas, used as cooking fuel. Methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, is captured in this process, reducing its atmospheric release. To accurately measure the amount of biogas used, and the respective carbon savings, the digesters need to be equipped with flow sensors. At Global Health Engineering, we are developing a solution to measure the amount of carbon credits offset from biogas digesters. This solution relies on 2/3/4G communication with a server, which presently is based on Thingsboard (https://thingsboard.io/). However, scaling up the sensor system is associates with high costs.
Keywords
internet of things, IoT, server, backend, data acquisition
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Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-19 , Earliest start: 2025-09-21 , Latest end: 2026-07-31
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Computer Vision Driven Manufacturing Process Optimazation for Household Appliances
Join a cutting-edge industrial research collaboration between ETH Zurich and V-ZUG AG, Switzerland’s leader in premium household appliances. Apply your skills in computer vision, machine learning, and AI to enable and realize novel manufacturing processes for next-generation production environments.
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-07-17 , Earliest start: 2025-10-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , University of Zurich
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts von Hopffgarten Arne
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Machine Learning for Non-Invasive Smart Temperature Monitoring in High-Vacuum Systems
Join a cutting-edge industrial research collaboration between ETH Zurich and VAT Group, the global leader in high-performance vacuum technology. Apply your skills in machine learning, sensor fusion, and embedded systems to prototype a novel, non-invasive temperature monitoring platform for next-generation vacuum systems.
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-07-17 , Earliest start: 2025-10-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
Applications limited to EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , ETH Zurich , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , University of Zurich
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts von Hopffgarten Arne
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Physics
Development of a control system for solar pasteurization system
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is considered one of the oldest and most sustainable biological treatment technologies for stabilizing and reducing organic waste, including food waste, sewage sludge, industrial waste, and farm waste. AD transforms organic matter into biogas (40–60 vol-% of methane), thereby reducing the volume of the waste whilst destroying some of the pathogens present in the waste feedstocks and limiting odor problems associated with waste materials (Appels et al., 2008; Gerardi, 2003). AD is a promising energy, waste management, and sanitation solution in low-resource, low-income settings (Forbis-Stokes et al., 2016; Owamah et al., 2014). However, it does not fully eliminate pathogens for safe environmental discharge. One way to remove pathogens is to heat up the sludge to temperatures above 65-70 °C using solar energy from conventional solar water heaters. This solution allows taking advantage of solar radiation, a resource widely available in sub-Saharan Africa. Our two master’s students attempted adopting a commercially available solar water heater in the field in Kenya (Grimont, 2024, Cinar, 2024). Their work is presently being continued by another Master's student in Nakuru, Kenya. A follow-up to those three theses is planned to make a full proof-of-concept of the device with the identified critical component: a control valve.
Keywords
thermodynamics, control, pathogen reduction, PID control, solar energy
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Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-15 , Earliest start: 2025-09-22 , Latest end: 2026-06-30
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Efficient Design Optimization of Energy Modulators for Proton-Beam Therapy
Development of an EM modulator optimization framework that covers clinically realistic application scenarios.
Keywords
Computational Design, Structural Optimization, Proton-Beam Therapy, Energy Modulators
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-07-03 , Earliest start: 2025-09-15
Organization Engineering Design and Computing Laboratory
Hosts Stankovic Tino
Topics Mathematical Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Physics
Thesis at the Exploration Lab - join an agile innovation task force; find needs, build prototypes, & more (Multiple industry partners!)
ETH Zürich's Feasibility Lab is partnering with leading industry players to offer a unique thesis opportunity. You'll have the freedom to choose from a diverse range of real-world projects across multiple companies, based on your individual interests.
Keywords
usability, high-tech, rapid prototyping, sustainability, industrial automation, mechanical design, mechanical engineering, automation, process design, robotics, machine learning, applied AI, food processing, advanced materials
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Semester Project , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-07-02 , Earliest start: 2025-10-01 , Latest end: 2026-04-05
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts von Hopffgarten Arne , von Petersdorff-Campen Kai
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Designing the Next Generation of Microcatheter Components
We are designing a new type of soft robotic microcatheter for aneurysm treatment, using integrated microfluidic circuitry to facilitate remote steering control. This circuitry is difficult to optimize using expert knowledge alone, so a Machine Learning (ML)-based design space exploration technique has been proposed. The final circuit design will enable much safer surgical procedures by improving navigation through difficult areas in the brain.
Keywords
3D printing, assembly, design, engineering, physical testing, machine learning
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-07-01 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-01
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Organization Intelligence for Design, Engineering And Learning (IDEAL) Lab
Hosts Drake Arthur
Topics Engineering and Technology
Small-batch produciton automation with Cobot
Most automated production relies on high number and uniformity of produced items, because of prohibiting fixed an programming costs. However, "Industrie 4.0" calls for more flexibility and customizability in the product, necssitating an easy way to transfer tasks to a robot in a short amount of time. To this end, we will explore the usage of a cobot (Franka Research 3) for an indistrial case study.
Keywords
Robotics, Automation, Control, Path Planning, Intelligent Systems
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-07-01 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Gimeno Lucas
Topics Engineering and Technology
Stable Friction Compensation with Impedance/Admittance Control under Virtual Inertia using DeePC
Background: When using Impdeance/Admittance or other control methods allowing (low) virtual inertias (robot feels lighter than it is), noise in the force readout or friction torques accidentally detected as external forces can cause instability. Also integrator-based appraoches can have this problem. The goal of this Thesis is to create a friciton compensation algorithm for the FR3 robot to increase it's precision and stability using Data-Enabled-Predictive Control. The developed Method is contrasted with our current, analytical model and additionally, stability guarantees under virtual inertia control need to be established. The approach should be validated vis-a-vis our existing framework. Further Reading: https://control.ee.ethz.ch/research/theory/data-enabled-predictive-control.html
Keywords
Robotics, Control, Stability, Data-Enabled Predictive Control
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-30 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Gimeno Lucas
Topics Engineering and Technology
Bi-Manual Robotic Assembly of Wooden Pieces
We are developing an AI-driven automated design pipeline for robotic woodworking. To make this vision a reality, we need software for assembling wooden objects from precut wood pieces and screws. This project will involve implementing, improving, and comparing approaches for robot woodworking. The development will occur in simulation and using the physical robots in the lab. The end goal is to demonstrate two physical UR robots assembling an arbitrary wooden object.
Keywords
robotics, assembly, design, engineering
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Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-24 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-01-16
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Organization Intelligence for Design, Engineering And Learning (IDEAL) Lab
Hosts Schlafly Milli
Topics Engineering and Technology
Optimization and Manufacture of Anisotropic Multi-Material 3D printed Assembly Fixtures
We want to make anisotropic, compliant, 3D printed fixtures that emulate a 6 degree-of-freedom stiffness response.This project involves performing topology optimization in ANSYS, 3D printing the fixtures, physically evaluating the stiffness response, then making changes to the simulation to better match reality. Ultimately, the goal is to use these fixtures to improve robot assembly.
Keywords
Topology optimization, 3D printing, robotics, assembly, design, engineering, physical testing
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-24 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-01
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Organization Intelligence for Design, Engineering And Learning (IDEAL) Lab
Hosts Schlafly Milli
Topics Engineering and Technology
Classifying Assemblability for Robotic Manufacturing
We are developing an AI-driven automated design pipeline for robotic woodworking. To make this vision a reality, we need a way to determine whether a given design is possible to assemble using robots without physical testing. This project will involve a literature review, collecting data on which designs are assemblable, building and training your own machine learning classifier, comparing to existing methods, and using the classifier to find nearby assemblable designs.
Keywords
robotics, assembly, design, engineering, machine learning
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-24 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-01
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Organization Intelligence for Design, Engineering And Learning (IDEAL) Lab
Hosts Schlafly Milli
Topics Engineering and Technology
Reinforcement Learning of Robot Woodworking With Probabilistic Failure
This project involves training two robots for assembling a wooden structure using reinforcement learning.
Keywords
robotics, assembly, design, engineering, machine learning
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-24 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-01
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Organization Intelligence for Design, Engineering And Learning (IDEAL) Lab
Hosts Schlafly Milli
Topics Engineering and Technology
Machine Learning for Generating Woodworking Designs
AI tools such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Vision Language Models (VLMs) are remarkably good at interpreting human text and sketches. This project will involve using these tools for early-stage mechanical design, producing and training a pipeline for generating designs for robot woodworking. Extensions involve the consideration of whether a design is assemblable.
Keywords
robotics, assembly, design, engineering, machine learning
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-24 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-03-01
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Organization Intelligence for Design, Engineering And Learning (IDEAL) Lab
Hosts Schlafly Milli
Topics Engineering and Technology
Genetic Algorithm for Composing Woodworking Assemblies
We are developing an AI-driven automated design pipeline for robotic woodworking. To make this vision a reality, we need a way to acquire desirable and physically realizable designs from sparse human inputs. This project involves using genetic algorithms to generate woodworking designs.
Keywords
robotics, assembly, design, engineering, machine learning, genetic algorithms
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Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-24 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01 , Latest end: 2026-01-16
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Organization Intelligence for Design, Engineering And Learning (IDEAL) Lab
Hosts Schlafly Milli
Topics Engineering and Technology
Advancements for Menstrual blood Management in reduced gravITY (AMMITY)
This project aims to tackle a practical issue that has been overlooked in space exploration: managing menstruation in microgravity. Right now, most female astronauts rely on hormonal contraception to stop their periods during missions, but this approach is not sustainable for long-term space travel. As missions extend to destinations like Mars, we need solutions that allow astronauts to manage their natural biology safely and effectively. Beyond just managing periods, menstrual blood itself holds untapped potential. Not only can it be used for its nutrients as fertiliser, but it also contains stem cells that could be used for regenerative medicine onboard spacecraft, which is particularly valuable in the resource-limited environment of space. Developing a system that can collect and transfer menstrual blood for laboratory use could open up new opportunities for on-board medical treatments and resource recycling, which are critical for the future of deep-space missions. In 2022, SpaceshipFR -the French representative of the European Space Agency project to develop human technologies for Moon and Mars- has initiated the development of a reduced gravity adequate menstrual cup. In Spring 2025, two more prototypes have been studied and developed as part of a bachelor thesis in the GHE group.
Keywords
menstruation, space, microgravity
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-19 , Earliest start: 2025-09-22 , Latest end: 2026-03-31
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Developing citizen science methods to measure biogas usage in a Swiss carbon offset project in Malawi
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement promotes international cooperation, allowing high-income countries to meet carbon reduction goals affordably by funding projects in lower-income countries and claiming the resulting offsets. Under its CO₂ Act, Switzerland, through the KliK Foundation, aims to offset 40 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2030—10% of its national emissions—over half of which will occur abroad. One planned collaboration with Malawi involves distributing 10,000 household biogas digesters to dairy farmers2, expected to mitigate 436,000 tonnes of CO₂e. These digesters convert organic waste, primarily animal dung, into methane-rich biogas, replacing wood as a cooking fuel and reducing emissions from deforestation and biomass burning. Dr. Natalie Boyd Williams, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Global Health Engineering group at ETH Zurich, is seeking a student for an exciting Masters thesis project. Dr. Boyd Williams' fellowship focuses on assessing the efficacy of the Malawi biogas project's carbon savings, which hinge on households effectively and consistently using biogas as their primary cooking fuel over firewood. Accurately estimating biogas usage is critical to understanding the project's impact. Traditional methods, such as surveys, often rely on users recalling their cooking habits over long periods, introducing significant uncertainty and error. This thesis aims to address these limitations by developing and trialing a citizen science biogas usage estimation methodology that complements surveys, improving the accuracy of usage data.
Keywords
citizen science, cooking, carbon offsetting, biogas, Malawi, Switzerland
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Semester Project , Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-06-19 , Earliest start: 2025-01-13 , Latest end: 2025-12-31
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Internship at the Exploration Lab - Tackle Real Industry Challenges in Engineering & Innovation
Join a multidisciplinary task force of ETH students in a hands-on internship solving real-world challenges with leading Swiss industry partners like Sauber Motorsports, Bühler, Bossard, V-Zug, and VAT. Gain practical experience in areas such as AI, automation, logistics, UX, and product innovation, all while working in an agile team within a modern maker space environment.
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Internship, Innovation, Industry Collaboration, Engineering, AI, Machine Learning, Automation, Product Development, Logistics, Manufacturing, UX Data Science, Maker Space, ETH Zurich
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Internship , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-06-10 , Earliest start: 2025-10-01 , Latest end: 2026-02-28
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Zurich University of the Arts
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts von Petersdorff-Campen Kai , von Hopffgarten Arne
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Development of an Emission Inventory for Blantyre, Malawi
Air pollution is a significant environmental issue impacting human health and ecosystems worldwide. In Blantyre, Malawi, various sources contribute to the city's air pollution, including industrial activities, vehicular emissions, solid biofuels for cooking, and waste burning. Developing a comprehensive emission inventory is crucial for understanding and managing air quality in the region. This thesis aims to create a detailed emission inventory for Blantyre, identifying and quantifying the pollutants emitted from various sources. Blantyre, Malawi's commercial and industrial hub, lacks detailed emissions data. Existing studies provide insights on ambient air concentration of pollutants but do not offer a comprehensive source emissions inventory. This gap hinders effective air quality management and policy development.
Keywords
air pollution, Python, R, Github, emission, black carbon, CO, NOx, SOx, PM
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Master Thesis , ETH for Development (ETH4D) (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-27 , Earliest start: 2025-02-01 , Latest end: 2025-12-21
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Human-scene interaction reconstruction based on Gaussian Splats
Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of dynamic scenes, particularly those involving humans interacting with their environment, remains a challenging problem in computer vision and graphics. Traditional volumetric and mesh-based methods can struggle with occlusions, complex geometries, and real-time performance. Recent advances in neural rendering—especially Gaussian splatting—offer promising alternatives by representing scenes as clouds of oriented 3D Gaussians (“splats”) that can be rendered extremely efficiently. The goal of this project is to develop a novel pipeline that leverages Gaussian splatting to reconstruct, analyze, and interpret human–scene interactions in 3D.
Keywords
3D reconstruction, Gaussian splats, Human pose estimation
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Semester Project , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-18 , Earliest start: 2025-05-31
Organization pd|z Product Development Group Zurich
Hosts Wang Rui
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
Using BSFL frass as a growth substrate for mushroom production
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are increasingly used for organic waste recycling and animal feed production. They can be used on a broad variety of organic waste products like market or food waste or faeces and manure. BSFL treatment produces two products, larvae which can be used as animal feed and frass which consists of insect excrements and indigestible organic residues. Frass is still rich in nitrogen and carbohydrates and is being composted before being used as a soil amendment. However; the frass might also be usable as a substrate for growing mushrooms and therefore used to create more value for the BSFL facility. The goal of this work is to test if BSFL frass is a good substrate for growing mushrooms or can help as an additive to another substrate increase mushroom yields. This work will take place in cooperation with EAWAG which is a leading institute working on BSFL waste treatment.
Keywords
Mushrooms, fungi, Black Soldier Fly, Organic waste management, Pleurotus
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-02-21 , Earliest start: 2025-06-02 , Latest end: 2026-01-01
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Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology
Pre-treatment of Black Soldier Fly substrate with white rot fungi
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), scientifically known as Hermetia illucens, have emerged as a promising solution for organic waste recycling and sustainable animal feed production. These remarkable insects possess the ability to convert a wide range of organic materials into valuable biomass, rich in proteins and lipids. However, their efficiency is somewhat limited when it comes to processing complex carbohydrates, particularly those found in lignocellulosic waste. In contrast to BSFL, white-rot fungi (WRF) possess a unique set of ligninolytic enzymes that enable them to degrade lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose effectively. The goal of this research is to explore how pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste using white-rot fungi can increase the availability of nutrients for BSFL in the pretreated substrates.
Keywords
Mushrooms, fungi, Black Soldier Fly, Organic waste management, Pleurotus
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-02-21 , Earliest start: 2025-06-02 , Latest end: 2026-02-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Global Health Engineering
Hosts Tkaczuk Jakub
Topics Engineering and Technology