The Robotic Composites and Compositions (RoCoCo) Group, led by Dr. Buse Aktaş, and the Learning and Dynamical Systems Group, led by Dr. Michael Muehlebach, at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS), are seeking a motivated student to join a new collaborative project that combines the groups’ complementary expertise bridging magneto-mechanical material programming and control of dynamical systems for magnetic robots in biomedical applications. The work will be primarily carried out at our Stuttgart site.

We are looking for a:

Student Assistant (f/m/div) or Intern (f/m/div)

Roles & Responsibilities

Magnetic manipulation is a powerful method for controlling untethered microrobots in biomedical environments, with applications in targeted therapy, micro-surgery, and tissue engineering. In this project, we aim to develop new control strategies for soft magnetic robotic systems using real-time visual feedback, advanced modeling tools, and magnetic composite design. The goal is to leverage the ability to remotely change the magnetic properties of soft magnetic materials as an additional degree of freedom, expanding the capabilities of magnetic navigation systems beyond traditional position-and-orientation control toward more sophisticated robotic behaviors (e.g., shape morphing) for future medical and bioengineering applications.

Education & Experience

We are looking for highly motivated Bachelor’s or Master’s students in control engineering, mechatronics, engineering cybernetics, or related fields.

Candidates should have:

• a solid background in control and dynamical systems
• strong analytical skills
• programming experience in Python and/or ROS
• experience with motion capture systems and/or magnetic actuation and control (a plus)

Additional requirements for Student Assistants:

• Be currently enrolled in a German university

Our offer

For Student Assistants:

• Students without a Bachelor’s degree will be paid 13,90€ per hour. Students with a Bachelor’s degree will be paid 14,40€ per hour.
• Working up to 20 hours per week.
• Contracts are given per semester.

For an Internship:

• A full-time internship contract with 39 hours per week.
• With a volunteer internship, you will receive 2358 €/month

Application

Please upload your application files including:

• a CV/resume
• a transcript of records from your current and previous degree, including grades
• a cover letter (written in English, no more than one page long) In this letter, please:
• highlight relevant experiences that match the skills listed above
• explain how your background and interests align with the project’s goals

via our .

For further information or to submit your application, please contact both:

Dr. Buse Aktaş at and Dr. Michael Muehlebach at .

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in its workforce in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

Closing date for applications

February 15th 2026