LokoAssist Tutorials 2026: Insights into Key Research Areas

Lecture series provides PhD students with an overview of the Graduate School’s research fields.

2026/04/29 by Julian Seiler, M. Sc.; Mark Suppelt, M.Sc.

First slide of Prof. Kupnik’s introductory lecture as part of the LokoAssist Tutorials 2026.

Prof. Mario Kupnik bei seinem Einführungsvortrag. — Prof. Mario Kupnik during his introductory lecture.

Mark Suppelt described several applications that utilize ferroelectrets.

Julian Seiler outlined a range of other applications in the field of sensing and actuation on the human body.

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The LokoAssist Tutorials 2026 are a lecture series within the Research Training Group, in which the participating professors present their respective research areas. The aim is to provide PhD students with a structured overview of the interdisciplinary topics within LokoAssist and to foster a shared understanding of the different approaches represented in the program.

On April 29, 2026, the session was delivered by Prof. Kupnik, who provided an introduction to fundamental concepts in electrical engineering as well as the properties and applications of ferroelectric materials and ferroelectrets.

The lecture was complemented by Mark Suppelt and Julian Seiler, who presented specific applications of this sensor technology in the context of LokoAssist and human–machine interfaces. These included sensorized insoles, approaches for muscle activity detection, and concepts for haptic feedback.

The combination of theoretical foundations and practical examples offered valuable insights for the participants and highlighted the importance of functional materials for future assistive systems.