Increasing numbers of ambitious researchers at ETH Zurich are taking the plunge and founding commercial enterprises. Some particularly promising young entrepreneurs have been – or are being – supported by donors to the Pioneer Fellowship programme.
AR for construction projects: the technology combines computer vision and digital models with augmented reality to place building components with precision.
Contactless robot grippers: the use of acoustic levitation forces enables the grippers to manipulate sensitive objects in the micro range such as is required in the watch or semiconductor industry.
Exoskeletons: the spin-off launched by the Rehabilitation Engineering Lab develops wearable solutions for various sectors to reduce the strain on workers lifting and holding heavy weights.
Autonomous construction machines: the technology is used in settings like clearing streets after natural disasters where human lives would otherwise be endangered.
High-precision positioning: the spin-off supplies real-time navigation systems with levels of previously unattainable precision for self-driving cars, robots and industrial drones.