About RWTH Aachen University

Ethan Kerber serves as a researcher at The Chair of Individualized Production at RWTH Aachen University while simultaneously holding positions as Managing Editor for the Journal on Construction Robotics and CEO of Robots in Architecture Research His academic credentials include a Master's degree in Industrial Design from San Francisco State University and a Master of Engineering in Computational Design and Construction from Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe His expertise spans computational design architecture engineering and construction with practical experience in metalwork and digital fabrication demonstrated through his public sculptures installed in Washington DC and Arlington Virginia His current research focuses on the Optimization and Automation of Steel Structures as part of his doctoral dissertation At the Chair of Individualized Production he contributes to developing innovative methods for human-machine interaction and streamlining digital workflows from design to production His leadership role at Robots in Architecture Research the commercial arm of the Association for Robots in Architecture demonstrates his commitment to advancing robotic applications in construction His work bridges the gap between theoretical research and practical applications in computational design and construction robotics making him a significant figure in shaping the future of automated construction processes.

Sigrid Brell-Cokcan serves as founder and director of the Chair of Individualized Production at RWTH Aachen University bringing extensive expertise in architectural robotics and construction automation Her academic credentials include a Doctorate in Technical Sciences from TU Vienna and a Master in Architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna where she received the Carl Appel Prize Her career spans both industry and academia beginning with work at prestigious firms like Coop Himmelblau and Frank O Gehry before founding II Architects in Istanbul/Vienna in 2003 As President of the Association for Robots in Architecture which she co-founded in 2010 she has pioneered user-friendly industrial robotics applications for creative industries Her innovations include developments in haptic programming and cloud remote control recognized as finalists for KUKA Innovation Awards in 2016 and 2021 In 2018 she co-founded the Center for Construction Robotics at RWTH Aachen Campus establishing partnerships with key industry leaders Her academic leadership extends to launching the scientific Springer Journal Construction Robotics as editor-in-chief in 2017 and initiating the international Master's program in Construction & Robotics in 2020 Her recent achievements include the ROBETON project nomination for the BAUMA Innovation Award 2022 focusing on robot-supported controlled concrete dismantling Her work continues to shape the future of construction automation through innovative human-robot interaction methods and digital workflow optimization

Frank Lohrberg serves as Professor of Landscape Architecture at RWTH Aachen University bringing extensive expertise in landscape architecture and urban agriculture since his appointment in 2009 His academic journey began at Hanover University where he studied landscape architecture and earned the prestigious Peter Joseph Lenné Award in 1990 His doctoral research at the University of Stuttgart completed in 2001 focused on urban agriculture and city planning demonstrating his early commitment to sustainable urban development In 2002 he established lohrberg stadtlandschaftsarchitektur a practice specializing in regional open space and landscape architecture His research contributions include significant work on the Waldlabor Köln project testing new forms of urban forestry and leading initiatives in green infrastructure development His current role involves chairing several national and international research projects focusing on green infrastructure and urban agriculture including sustainable construction initiatives funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia His professional affiliations include membership in the German Werkbund the German Association of Landscape Architects and the German Chamber of Architects His work continues to shape the understanding of urban agriculture and sustainable landscape development particularly through his leadership at RWTH Aachen's Institute for Landscape Architecture.

Alexander Markschies serves as Professor of Art History at RWTH Aachen University bringing extensive expertise in architectural history and planning processes His academic credentials include an MA and PhD from the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn specializing in art history Since his appointment as Chair of Art History at RWTH Aachen in 2006 he has focused his research on architectural planning processes with particular emphasis on ground plans His international teaching experience includes positions at prestigious institutions such as ETH Zürich and UNITEC New Zealand His current research focuses on the relationship between architectural planning and execution particularly examining how architectural drawings and plans influence the final built form His expertise in art history and architectural theory allows him to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical applications in architectural design His contributions to architectural scholarship continue to shape understanding of historical planning processes and their influence on contemporary architectural practice while his teaching helps students develop critical perspectives on architectural history and theory.

Bruno Schindler serves as a Research Assistant at RWTH Aachen University bringing extensive expertise in architectural history and heritage conservation that began with early practical training in building and landscape preservation His academic journey includes studies in mathematics at RWTH Aachen and architecture at both the Instituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice and Institut Superieur d'Architecture St Luc in Liège His significant research experience includes work at the Roman Max Plank Institute Bibliotheca Hertziana from 1985-1986 studying Renaissance palace architecture and Palladio's Quattro Libri under C L Frommel's direction Since 1999 he has led numerous research projects funded by the DFG and Gerda Henkel Foundation collaborating with Prof Jan Pieper focusing on historical building processes and scales His research culminated in the 2017 publication "Thron und Altar – Oktogon und Sechzehneck" presenting comprehensive findings on the Aachen Palatine Chapel

Alexander Mitsos serves as Full Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Process Systems Engineering at RWTH Aachen University bringing extensive expertise in chemical engineering and optimization theory His academic journey includes a Dipl-Ing from University of Karlsruhe in 1999 and a PhD from MIT in 2006 both in Chemical Engineering Before joining RWTH in 2012 he held the Rockwell International Assistant Professorship at MIT and has since established himself as a leading researcher in process systems engineering His research focuses on optimization of energy and chemical systems and development of enabling numerical algorithms with over 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals His leadership extends to managing a team of 40 research and administrative staff while directing both the Process Systems Engineering laboratory at RWTH Aachen and the Energy Systems Engineering division at Forschungszentrum Jülich His academic lineage traces back to Roger WH Sargent often credited as the father of Process Systems Engineering through his doctoral advisor Paul Barton His contributions to the field have earned numerous awards and his work continues to advance the optimization of chemical processes and energy systems through innovative computational methods and theoretical developments.

Johannes M M Faust serves as a doctoral researcher at the Process Systems Engineering Laboratory (AVT.SVT) at RWTH Aachen University bringing expertise in dynamic optimization and polymer engineering His academic background includes a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Chemical Engineering and a Master's in Automation both from RWTH Aachen University enhanced by studies at Carnegie Mellon University through a DAAD ISAP fellowship His research focuses on optimization of dynamic systems particularly in polymerization processes with significant contributions to emulsion copolymerization and particle morphology control His work has been published in prestigious journals including Chemical Engineering Journal and Computers & Chemical Engineering with notable papers on dynamic optimization of polymerization processes and Raman spectroscopy applications His research combines theoretical frameworks with practical applications demonstrated through his work on inline Raman spectroscopy in industrial pilot plants and optimization of hydrogen refueling stations His expertise spans process control polymer engineering and advanced optimization techniques making him a rising expert in the field of dynamic systems optimization.

Ashutosh Manchanda serves as a Scientific Staff member and doctoral researcher at the Process Systems Engineering Laboratory (AVT.SVT) at RWTH Aachen University bringing expertise in mathematical modeling simulation and optimization His academic background includes a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Dhanbad and a Master's degree in Simulation Sciences from RWTH Aachen University His research focuses on process systems engineering with particular emphasis on fermentation processes and sustainable fuel production as evidenced by his recent publications in AIChE journal and other prestigious venues His work includes significant contributions to the simultaneous design of fermentation and microbe processes and the analysis of production potentials for biomass and electricity-based fuels in Europe under uncertain resource availabilities His expertise spans mathematical modeling process optimization and sustainable energy systems demonstrated through his collaborative work with researchers across multiple disciplines at RWTH Aachen University His research combines theoretical frameworks with practical applications in process engineering making him a promising contributor to the field of process systems optimization.

Burkhard Corves serves as Director of the Institute of Mechanism Theory Machine Dynamics and Robotics (IGMR) at RWTH Aachen University where he has been leading research and education in mechanical engineering since 2000 His academic achievements include both a Dr-Ing degree and an honorary doctorate (Dr h c) reflecting his significant contributions to the field His 18-year tenure teaching Machine Dynamics at RWTH Aachen has been marked by exceptional productivity with over 300 published papers demonstrating his expertise in mechanism theory robotics and machine dynamics His leadership extends to chairing major conferences including the European Conference on Mechanism Science (EuCoMeS 2018) in Aachen His industrial experience includes the development and analysis of machine dynamics for various applications combining theoretical knowledge with practical engineering solutions His research focuses on mechanism theory machine dynamics and robotics particularly in the areas of parallel kinematic machines and industrial robotics His contributions to both academia and industry have established him as a leading authority in mechanical engineering and robotics education.

Martin Lankers serves as a research scientist at the Institute of Mechanism Theory Machine Dynamics and Robotics (IGMR) at RWTH Aachen University bringing expertise in multibody dynamics and vibration analysis His academic credentials include a Master's degree with specialization in Research and Development from RWTH Aachen University completed in 2014 Since beginning his scientific career at IGMR he has focused his research on the analysis and optimization of dynamic systems particularly in the areas of multibody dynamics and vibration analysis His work involves developing advanced methods for studying mechanical systems behavior and improving their dynamic performance His teaching responsibilities include courses in machine dynamics and vibration theory while his research contributes to the understanding of complex mechanical systems His expertise combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications in mechanical engineering making him a valuable contributor to the field of dynamic systems analysis.

Jan-Lukas Archut serves as a research scientist at the Institute of Mechanism Theory Machine Dynamics and Robotics (IGMR) at RWTH Aachen University bringing expertise in automotive engineering and real-time simulation His academic credentials include a Master's degree with specialization in Automotive Engineering from RWTH Aachen University completed in 2018 Since joining IGMR his research has focused on machine dynamics vibration technology and real-time multi-body simulation particularly in vehicle engineering and vehicle dynamics His current project involves real-time multibody simulation of elastokinematic wheel suspensions with flexible bodies demonstrating his expertise in advanced automotive systems His teaching responsibilities include machine design while his research contributes to the cross-cutting topic of ApplicationDynamics His work combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications in automotive engineering making him a valuable contributor to the field of vehicle dynamics and simulation technology

Sebastian Trimpe serves as Full Professor and Head of the Institute for Data Science in Mechanical Engineering (DSME) at RWTH Aachen University since 2020 while also serving as founding director and Executive Director of the RWTH Center for Artificial Intelligence His academic journey includes a BSc in General Engineering Science (2005) MSc in Electrical Engineering (2007) and MBA in Technology Management (2007) from Hamburg University of Technology followed by a PhD from ETH Zurich (2013) under Raffaello D'Andrea His career includes significant roles as Max Planck Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen/Stuttgart before joining RWTH His research focuses on fundamental questions at the intersection of machine learning control networked systems and robotics His achievements have been recognized with numerous awards including the IFAC World Congress Interactive Paper Prize (2011) Klaus Tschira Award (2014) Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems (2019) and the Future Prize by the Ewald Marquardt Stiftung (2020)

Paul Brunzema serves as a Research Assistant and PhD candidate at the Institute for Data Science in Mechanical Engineering (DSME) at RWTH Aachen University bringing expertise in automation and control systems His academic credentials include a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Automation Engineering from RWTH Aachen University where his outstanding master thesis earned him the prestigious SEW-EURODRIVE student award Under the supervision of Prof Sebastian Trimpe his doctoral research focuses on the intersection of control theory and machine learning with particular emphasis on reinforcement learning and optimal control His work explores innovative approaches to combining traditional control methods with modern machine learning techniques contributing to the advancement of autonomous systems His research interests span theoretical foundations of control systems practical applications in automation and the integration of machine learning in control engineering making him a promising contributor to the field of intelligent control systems.

Lutz Eckstein serves as Director of the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) at RWTH Aachen University since 2010 bringing extensive expertise from both academia and industry His academic journey began at Stuttgart University where he earned his Dipl-Ing in Automotive Engineering in 1995 and his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering in 2000 His professional experience includes significant roles at BMW AG as General Manager of HMI and Human Factors and at DaimlerChrysler AG as Project Director of Integrated Safety His current leadership extends beyond academia as President of the VDI (Association of German Engineers) Scientific Director of the NRW Competence Network Automated and Connected Mobility and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport His research focuses on connected automated mobility vehicle concepts HMI vehicle structures dynamics energy management and traffic psychology demonstrated through over 80 patents and numerous publications His institute employs more than 350 researchers working on future mobility solutions from concept to prototype development His contributions to automotive engineering and mobility innovation continue to shape the future of transportation through interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration

Bastian Lampe serves as a Research Scientist and Group Leader for Function Development in Automated Driving at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) at RWTH Aachen University bringing extensive expertise in automated and connected vehicle technologies His academic credentials include both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Automotive Engineering and Transport from RWTH Aachen University His research focuses on cloud services for automated driving environment perception and collective learning methods with significant contributions to evidential occupancy grid mapping and cloud-based collective environment models His teaching portfolio includes leading courses on automated and connected driving challenges particularly through the development of the ACDC (Automated and Connected Driving Challenges) module which introduces students to cutting-edge research challenges in automated driving His work has been widely recognized with multiple publications in prestigious conferences and journals including IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium and his research on cloud-based services for automated vehicles has earned significant citations His expertise spans robotics computer vision and C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems) demonstrated through his leadership in projects like UNICARagil and development of innovative approaches to automated vehicle technology.

Till Beemelmanns serves as a Research Scientist at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) at RWTH Aachen University bringing specialized expertise in computer vision applications for automated driving His academic credentials include both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computational Engineering Science from RWTH Aachen University enhanced by international study experiences at Michigan State University USA and Czech Technical University Prague His research focuses on developing advanced computer vision solutions for automated vehicles working within the Vehicle Intelligence & Automated Driving research group His work contributes to the institute's broader mission of developing connected and automated vehicles particularly in the areas of perception systems and environmental understanding His expertise in computational engineering and computer vision makes him a valuable contributor to the development of next-generation automated driving technologies while his international academic background brings a global perspective to his research approach His current work involves implementing and optimizing computer vision algorithms for real-world automated driving applications contributing to the institute's comprehensive research in vehicle automation and intelligence.

Bastian Leibe serves as Full Professor and Head of the Computer Vision Group at RWTH Aachen University bringing extensive expertise in computer vision and machine learning since joining RWTH in 2008 His academic journey includes studies at the University of Stuttgart Georgia Institute of Technology and ETH Zurich where he earned his PhD followed by postdoctoral positions at TU Darmstadt and ETH Zurich His research focuses on visual object recognition tracking self-localization and 3D reconstruction with significant contributions to mobile vision systems and robotic platforms His work has garnered widespread recognition with over 15000 citations including seminal papers on person re-identification object detection and multi-object tracking His leadership extends to serving on the board of directors at RWTH's Center for Artificial Intelligence and his research group has consistently published at top-tier conferences including CVPR ICCV and ICLR His contributions to the field include the development of innovative approaches in video object segmentation visual tracking and scene understanding demonstrated through numerous highly-cited publications and successful research projects His expertise continues to shape the future of computer vision and machine learning through his work at the intersection of visual computing and artificial intelligence

Christian Schmidt serves as a doctoral student at the Computer Vision Group at RWTH Aachen University under the supervision of Prof Bastian Leibe bringing expertise in computer vision and neural rendering His academic credentials include both Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science from RWTH Aachen University completed in 2021 and 2017 respectively His research focuses on 3D reconstruction neural radiance fields and dynamic object segmentation in videos with significant contributions including the development of D2conv3d for video object segmentation His recent work explores novel view synthesis using Gaussian splatting and fine-tuning image-conditional diffusion models as evidenced by his publications in prestigious conferences like IEEE/CVF Winter Conference on Applications of Computer Vision His expertise spans continual learning systems computer vision and natural language processing demonstrated through his collaborative work with researchers across the Computer Vision Group His research continues to advance the field of computer vision particularly in the areas of 3D reconstruction and neural rendering techniques.

Dr.-Ing. Axel Timpe is a research associate at the Institute of Landscape Architecture at RWTH Aachen University where he has been involved in teaching and research since 2010 His academic background includes training as a landscape architect at Leibniz Universität Hannover and the Centre d’études Supérieures d’aménagement of Université François Rabelais de Tours He began his professional career at lohrberg stadtlandschaftsarchitektur in 2003 and completed his doctoral degree at RWTH Aachen in January 2017 His research focuses on the Green Infrastructure functions of Urban Agriculture and Urban Forestry emphasizing co-design and co-production with local stakeholders He coordinates several significant projects including the H2020 IA proGIreg and the national Green Infrastructure research project CoProGrün, as well as having played a key role in COST Action Urban Agriculture Europe His contributions to the field are reflected in his publications, including the reference book "Urban Agriculture Europe" and the forthcoming "Urban Agricultural Heritage" which explore the integration of urban agriculture into landscape planning and policy.

Margot Olbertz serves as a Research Associate at RWTH Aachen University's Institute of Landscape Architecture bringing expertise in productive urban landscapes and green infrastructure development Her academic background includes landscape architecture training at the University of Applied Science Osnabrück and Technical University Berlin completed in 2018 Her professional experience began at the Technical University Berlin's Department of Landscape Architecture where she worked on the "Rapid Planning" project from 2014-2019 focusing on open space planning in future megacities under the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research Currently she contributes to the H2020 IA proGIreg project at RWTH Aachen where her research focuses on transdisciplinary transformation processes in urban and regional green infrastructure and circular urban food systems