Bionic Intelligence
Tübingen Stuttgart
A collaboration of the University of Stuttgart, University of Tübingen, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, and Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, part of Cyber Valley.
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About Us
The Center for Bionic Intelligence Tübingen Stuttgart (BITS) will
support to establish a radically new approach for the tight integration of intelligent technological systems with humans. At its culmination, we will be able to overcome technical limitations of current treatment and support systems for neural diseases, compensating for deficiencies and restoring intelligent bodily functions. This will markedly reduce the ever-increasing societal burden of psychiatric and neurological diseases.
Human embodied intelligence results from the smart interplay between neural information processing and physical properties of the body, both tightly integrated in a closed-loop fashion. Such an interplay must be extended to systems that integrate humans with technology.
The BITS Center uniquely combines the complementary excellence of the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen and the associated Max Planck Institutes for Intelligent Systems and Biological Cybernetics as ideal setting and fits perfectly in the regional academic-industrial ecosystem.
current news
Why ist Science so important?
Science is essential for understanding the world and finding solutions to pressing problems. This is demonstrated by a recent TV report from SWR Aktuell BW. An innovation from Baden-Württemberg: A biorobotic arm with artificial muscles is designed to help tremor patients.
SWR Aktuell Baden-Württemberg, 19.03.2025, 7.30pm
(Watch the video from minute 16:15 – the relevant topic is dealt with there.)
Artificial Muscles for Tremor Suppression
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the University of Tübingen and the University of Stuttgart under the Bionic Intelligence Tübingen Stuttgart (BITS) collaboration developed a biorobotic arm that can mirror human tremors, such as those experienced by individuals that live with Parkinson’s disease. Artificial muscles on either side of the forearm contract and relax to suppress the involuntary shaking of the wrist and hand. The researchers see their biorobotic arm not only as a platform for other scientists in the field to test new ideas in exoskeleton technology. The arm also serves as a test bed to see how well artificial muscles known as HASELs can one day become the building blocks of wearable devices. The vision is to one day develop a sleeve that tremor patients can comfortably wear to be able to better cope with everyday tasks such as holding a cup.
Date: March 6, 2025
