Auke Jan Ijspeert

Auke Jan Ijspeert is a full professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he serves as head of the Biorobotics Laboratory (BioRob). He holds a primary affiliation with the Institute of Bioengineering and a secondary affiliation with the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. His academic leadership and research excellence have established him as a leading figure in bio-inspired robotics and computational neuroscience.

• B.Sc./M.Sc. in Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1995
• Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh, 1999
• Postdoctoral research at IDSIA/EPFL and University of Southern California (USC)
• SNF Assistant Professor at EPFL, 2002
• Promoted to Associate Professor, October 2009
• Promoted to Full Professor, April 2016

His research lies at the intersection of robotics, computational neuroscience, nonlinear dynamical systems, and applied machine learning. He investigates animal locomotion and movement control using numerical simulations and robotic platforms, aiming to understand biological principles and apply them to novel robot designs and controllers. His work has led to groundbreaking robots like the salamander-inspired Pleurobot and amphibious robotic systems. He also explores applications in assistive technologies such as exoskeletons and smart furniture for people with limited mobility.

The recent publications reflect a strong trend in bio-inspired robotics, neuromechanical modeling, and the use of robots to understand biological locomotion. Key themes include spinal cord modeling for gait control, amphibious and aquatic locomotion, central pattern generators, and the evolutionary transition from swimming to walking. His work integrates neuroscience, biomechanics, and robotics to create physical models that serve both engineering and scientific discovery purposes.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• IEEE Fellow (2020)
• Best Paper Prize, CLAWAR 2019
• Best Conference Paper Award, SAB 2018
• Best Paper Award, IEEE RO-MAN 2014
• Best Paper Award, IEEE Humanoids 2007
• Overall Best Paper Award, IEEE ICRA 2002
• Young Professorship Award, Swiss National Science Foundation
• Marie Curie Scholarship, European Commission

Auke Ijspeert has been actively involved in academic service, serving as an associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2009–2013) and Soft Robotics (2018–2021), and as an associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics and the International Journal of Humanoid Robotics. He has secured major funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, Human Frontier Science Program, European Commission (FP7, H2020), Human Brain Project, and other international agencies. He has organized seven major international conferences and served on over 50 program committees. His laboratory, BioRob, is a hub for interdisciplinary research, training students and researchers in biorobotics, and fostering collaboration across neuroscience, robotics, and biomechanics.