Sebastian Otte

Sebastian Otte is a Professor at the Institute for Robotics and Cognitive Systems at the University of Lübeck, where he leads the Adaptive AI research group. Prior to this, he was a postdoctoral researcher and substitute professor at the University of Tübingen, contributing significantly to the Cognitive Modeling and Distributed Intelligence groups.

• University of Lübeck, Professor (since 2023)
• University of Tübingen, Postdoc and Substitute Professor (2016–2023)
• Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), Humboldt Fellow (2022–2023)

His research focuses on recurrent and spiking neural networks, bio-inspired computing, efficient learning, and adaptive AI systems. He explores how neural models can perform online learning, handle multiple time scales, and solve complex cognitive tasks such as binding, prediction, and motor control. His work bridges machine learning with cognitive science and robotics.

The recent publications show a strong trend toward physics-informed neural networks, finite volume methods for PDE modeling, and explainable AI via counterfactual reasoning. His work integrates deep learning with scientific computing, emphasizing robust, interpretable, and efficient models for real-world applications.

Scientific awards include:

• Best Paper Award at ICANN 2019
• Humboldt Research Fellowship
• Editor's Highlight in Water Resources Research

He has supervised over 70 bachelor’s and master’s theses and actively mentors students in areas such as spiking neural networks, reservoir computing, and robotics. His teaching includes core computer science and advanced neural network courses. He has been involved in research projects with industry partners like Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.

Otte leads the Adaptive AI research group, which focuses on developing next-generation AI systems that learn efficiently, adapt dynamically, and model complex cognitive and physical processes using biologically inspired architectures.