Course offerings

Semester: Winter Term 2025/26

Credits: 6 ECTS

Lecturer: Univ. Prof. C. David Remy

Assistant: Iskandar Khemakhem

Language: English

Time and place: 

• • Tuesday: 11:30–13:00, V9.31
  • Thursday: 14:00–15:30, V7.32

Exam: 30 minutes oral exam, 6 pages (3 sheets, A4) notes.

Content: This course covers the description of kinematics and dynamics of multibody systems as they are typical for applications in robotics, mechatronics, and biomechanics.
The course provides the theoretical background to describe such systems in a precise mathematical way, while it also pays attention to an intuitive physical understanding of the underlying dynamics. It discusses the tools and methods necessary to create the governing differential equations analytically and it covers a range of computational algorithms that do so in a numerically efficient way. Special attention is paid to the handling of closed loops, collisions, and varying structure.
As part of the exercises accompanying this course, the students will implement their own multibody dynamics engine in MATLAB, using advanced programming techniques that include recursive formulations and object oriented programming. The gained knowledge will enable a creative approach to the design and control of robotic systems. It will enable the students to debug their own solutions more intuitively and understand what is going on when using off-the-shelf software for design or analysis.

Semester: Summer Term 2026

Credits: 6 ECTS 

Lecturer: Univ. Prof. C. David Remy

Assistant: Philipp Schäfer

Language: English

Time and place: 

• • Tuesday: 11:30–13:00, V9.31
  • Thursday: 11:30–13:00, V47.06

Exam: 30 minutes oral exam, closed book.

Content: The overarching goal of this class is to provide students with an overview of the current state of the art in the field of dynamics and control of legged (robotic) systems.  Subtopics range from basic biomechanics and locomotion in nature to optimal control of robotic systems.  To this end, the course will apply the principles of mechanical dynamics to a specific class of systems and will hence cover a broad range of dynamics topics, including multibody-dynamics, non-smooth dynamics, nonlinear-dynamics, limit cycles, continuation, and bifurcation, as well as a range of different control strategies. For students, this will provide a unique opportunity to experience how their theoretical dynamics knowledge can be put into practice.  A series of hands-on programming exercises and a robotic locomotion competition will round off the class content.

Semester: Summer Term 2026

Credits: 3 ECTS 

Lecturer: Univ. Prof. C. David Remy

Assistant: Philipp Schäfer

Language: English

Time and place: 

• • Tuesday: 11:30–13:00, V9.31
  • Thursday: 11:30–13:00, V47.06

Exam: 30 minutes oral exam, closed book.

Content: This course covers the first half of "Dynamics and Control of Legged Locomotion" and runs until May 21^st.

Semester: Winter Term 2025/26

Credits: 6 ECTS 

Lecturer: Jun.-Prof. Philipp Rothemund

Language: English

Time and place: 

• • Tuesday: 11:30–13:00, V6.01
  • Friday: 14:00–15:30, V9.12

Exam: 40 minutes oral exam, closed book

Content: The goal of this class is to introduce participants to the working principles, design, and fabrication of soft robotic actuators and sensors. At the end of the class, students will be able to explain the basic working principles, understand the design principles, and apply the learned fabrication methods. The course comprises a combination of theoretical lectures, practical exercises, and a design project. The theoretical lectures explain the basic working principles, design rules, fabrication methods, and the advantages and disadvantages of the different technologies. In the laboratory exercises, students will apply the knowledge they have learned. In a small project, students will design, fabricate, and test their own soft robotic device. The discussed technologies include soft sensors, fluid-driven soft actuators, and electrostatic actuators.

Semester: Summer Term 2026

Credits: 6 ECTS 

Lecturer: Jun.-Prof. Philipp Rothemund

Assistant:  Dogan Acar

Language: English

Time and place: 

• • Tuesday 9:45-11:15, V9.12
  • Friday 9:45-11:15, V9.22

Exam: 40 minutes oral exam, closed book

Content:  This course introduces participants to the fundamental working principles of soft robotic devices and functional soft materials. The class focuses on actuators, but also discusses sensors and generators, providing a holistic view of soft systems. Students will learn the underlying physics of the most important types of soft transducers, including fluid-driven soft actuators, electrostatic transducers, and magnetic and hydrogel-based systems. To bridge the gap between material science and robotics, the course covers techniques for modeling the hyperelastic behavior of soft elastomers, multiphysics couplings, and entire soft systems. The class also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of various soft transducer technologies in practical applications.

Semester: Winter Term 2025/26 and Summer Term 2026

Credits: 6 ECTS

Lecturer: Univ. Prof. C. David Remy

Assistant: Maximilian Raff

Language: German

Time and place: 

• • Winter term: tuesday: 9:45–11:15, V9.31
  • Summer term: monday 14:00–15:30, V7.41

Exam: ungraded coursework

Content: This course is offered in German. Further information can be found on the German-language website.

Semester: Winter Term 2025/26

Credits: 6 ECTS

Lecturer: Univ. Prof. C. David Remy

Assistant: Nikola Velimirović

Language: German

Time and place: 

• • Monday: 14:00–15:30, V7.11
  • Wednesday: 14:00–15:30, V55.21
  • Friday: 14:00–15:30, V7.11

Exam: 120 minutes written exam, 6 pages (3 sheets, A4) notes.

Content: This course is offered in German. Further information can be found on the German-language website.

Semester: Summer Term 2026

Credits: 6 ECTS

Lecturer: Univ. Prof. C. David Remy

Assistant: Nikola Velimirović

Language: German

Time and place: 

• • Monday: 17:30–19:00, V9.01
  • Thursday: 09:45–11:15, V07.31 & V55.03
  • Friday: 09:45–11:15, V57.05

Exam: 120 minutes written exam, 6 pages (3 sheets, A4) notes.

Content: This course is offered in German. Further information can be found on the German-language website.

Semester: Summer Term 2026

Credits: 3 ECTS

Language: English

The practical robotics course is only available to mechanical engineering students who are taking the specialization area Robotics (non-industrial).
If you are planning to take the practical course in the summer term 2026, please send an email to Iskandar Khemakhem (khemakhem@iams.uni-stuttgart.de).

Semester: Summer and Winter Terms

Language: English

Location: Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstr. 3, Room Carbon (3P02).

Time: Wednesdays 11:45 - 13:00

To receive updates about our seminar series, please please subscribe to our seminar mailing list here.

To get access to the calendar of upcoming talks, please register for the course on Campus. The Calendar is available on ILIAS