Robotics for a Sustainable Future
Empa researchers are developing robotics and physical AI for environmental monitoring, climate-resilient infrastructure, and autonomous systems in extreme environments—all in the service of a more sustainable future.
Empa conducts research on technologies and materials that are crucial for meeting the challenges of tomorrow. At this booth, visitors can gain insights into current research projects on intelligent robotic systems and materials for applications in aerospace engineering.
Empa’s Competence Center for Sustainability Robotics develops innovative robotics and physical AI systems for environmental monitoring, climate-resilient infrastructure, and autonomous operations in challenging environments. Robot platforms, project posters, and videos demonstrate how the combination of robotics, materials science, artificial intelligence (AI), and sustainable design gives rise to technologies that protect ecosystems and help address real-world challenges.
Innovative materials also play a key role in the technologies of tomorrow. Metallic glasses are among the most exciting materials in modern research. They combine the hardness and scratch resistance of glass with the elasticity of metals and offer great potential for applications in medicine, the watchmaking industry, and aerospace. Together with the European Space Agency (ESA), Empa is studying these materials on the International Space Station (ISS). At the booth, visitors can discover their unique properties and learn the basics of X-ray diffraction and materials analysis through a demonstration.
Further information:
Sustainability Robotics:
Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics, Empa
Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics, EPFL
CCSR LinkedIn
Mirko Kovač’s LinkedIn
Metallic glasses:
ESA activities, Center for X-ray Analytics, Empa
Publication: Partial crystallization in Pd-BMG systems
Publication: Thermophysical properties and solidification behavior of liquid Vit106a in microgravity
Other events by the Competence Centre for Sustainability Robotics at Scientifica:
Short lecture: Toward a More Sustainable Future with Robots
Saturday, 22. August 2026, 14.00
