current projects

Low Power Wireless On-Body Communication for Body-attached Sensor Nodes

Wearable, wirelessly connected sensors have become a common part of daily life, evolving step by step from their roots in sports and fitness to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of personalized healthcare. A key challenge in this evolution is designing devices that are unobtrusive, highly integrated, and energy efficient. These design requirements inherently demand smaller batteries, which must also support the significant power consumption of wireless communication interfaces. Capacitive Human Body Communication (HBC) offers a promising, power-efficient alternative to traditional RF-based communication, enabling point-to-multipoint data and energy exchange. By using the conductive properties of the human body, a privacy-preserving wireless personal body area network (WBAN) can be created. Several low-power sensors such as ECG-tracker and insulin pumps can act as leaf devices, sending personal data to a body-central gateway, such as a smartwatch that further processes the data and establishes a connection to the cloud. .

Keywords

Hardware design, Firmware design, analog circuit design, digital circuit design, signal processing, field evaluation

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Energy Harvesting (PBL) , Semester Project , Master Thesis , Microcontroller (PBL) , PCB Design (PBL) , Software (PBL) , Firmware (PBL) , Machine Learning (PBL) , Biomedical (PBL) , Wearables (PBL)

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Published since: 2024-12-12

Applications limited to Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Schulthess Lukas

Topics Engineering and Technology

Miniaturized and lightweight Radars for Autonomous nano-Drones

This project focuses on the Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle class, characterized by a few centimeters in diameter, tens of grams in weight, and a few Watts total power consumption. In this field, Crazyflie (https://www.bitcraze.io/) is one of the best commercial products, providing a versatile quadcopter for research and education.

Keywords

UAV, robotics, nano drones, radars, sensors

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-12-02 , Earliest start: 2024-01-11 , Latest end: 2024-12-31

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Polonelli Tommaso

Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology

Simultaneous Measurement of PPG and Functional MRI

The purpose of this project is to develop a magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible photoplethysmograph (PPG) system which could measure the raw PPG signal during MR image acquisition. The system consists of an optic sensor which measured the optic signal, a fiber optic cable which transmitted a near-infrared optic signal, a signal amplifier, and a filter for noise removal.

Keywords

PPG, PCB design, bio, bio electronics

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-12-02 , Earliest start: 2024-09-01

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Polonelli Tommaso

Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology

Non-invasive remote tracking and vita sign monitoring with low-power and miniaturized FMCW radars

In many applications, from robotics to home and industry automation, localizing objects and people is an essential feature. Outdoor localization is generally performed using GNSS, GPS, which does not work in indoor scenarios. In this applications, systems like BLE and UWB tag-anchor system are commonly implemented. However, these systems involve the necessity of carrying a battery supplied tag together with the tracked object. This limits the applicability to human and/or animals, that are not happy to wear 24/7 electronic devices, or it can increase the system cost for industrial products.

Keywords

Radars, FMCW, Low Power, Sensors, Digital Signal Processing

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-12-02 , Earliest start: 2024-09-01

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Polonelli Tommaso

Topics Engineering and Technology

Exploring Novel Sensors for Wind Turbine Blade Monitoring

Do you want to develop your skills while helping to solve the climate change problem? Are you willing to work on cutting edge technology with multidisciplinary experts in an international context and test the outputs of your labor on the field (on one of the world’s largest wind tunnel or a wind turbine)? Look no further, MISTERY is the right project for you. From novel sensors to machine learning on the edge, including ultra-low power IoT systems, MISTERY packs all the essential tools for becoming an embedded system expert.

Keywords

Wind turbines, sensors, IoT, PCB, Hardware

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-12-02 , Earliest start: 2024-01-12 , Latest end: 2024-12-31

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Polonelli Tommaso

Topics Engineering and Technology

Enhancing Wind Turbine Operation Using Machine Learning

Keywords

Wind turbine, monitoring, machine learning, python

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-12-02 , Earliest start: 2024-01-12 , Latest end: 2024-12-31

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Polonelli Tommaso

Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology

PCB Design for Novel Wind Turbine Monitoring System

Keywords

PCB, wind turbines, hardware design, altium

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-12-02 , Earliest start: 2024-01-12 , Latest end: 2024-12-31

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Polonelli Tommaso

Topics Engineering and Technology

Continual Learning for efficient on-car RL in autonomous racing scenarios

Training Reinforcement Learning (RL) agents on physical platforms, instead of using simula- tors, can be an effective way to skip the sim-to-real gap, which is instead a common problem for policies trained in simulators that than fail to be effectively deployed in reality. However, only using real data has different issues, and this thesis would address them, specifically focusing on the efficiency needed to have an autonomous racing agent that can generalize to different track configurations or vehicle scenarios.

Keywords

Reinforcement Learning, Robotics

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Autonomous Driving (PBL) , Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , Machine Learning (PBL) , Robotics (PBL)

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Published since: 2024-11-29 , Earliest start: 2025-03-01 , Latest end: 2025-08-15

Applications limited to Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering , Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering , Department of Computer Science

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Ghignone Edoardo

Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology

Towards Flexible and Printable Wearables – Analyzing Materials, Fabrication Technologies, and Possible Applications of Printable Electronics

This moonshot project focuses on researching and exploring the potential of flexible and printable electronics, fabrication technologies, and applications in wearables based on the Voltera NOVA printer. Tasks will include ECAD and MCAD design, manufacturing, and prototype testing.

Keywords

flexible electronics, printable electronics, PCB, sensing,

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Energy Harvesting (PBL) , Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , PCB Design (PBL) , Biomedical (PBL) , Wearables (PBL)

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Flexible and printable electronics have emerged as promising technologies with vast potential for revolutionizing various industries. These technologies enable the creation of electronic devices that can be bent, twisted, and seamlessly integrated onto flexible substrates. This opens up new possibilities for applications in wearables, healthcare, smart clothing, and more. The use of flexible and printable materials, such as organic semiconductors, conductive polymers, and nanomaterials, allows for the fabrication of lightweight, thin, and conformable electronic devices. These materials possess inherent flexibility, enabling the development of sensors that can smoothly integrate onto flexible and dynamic surfaces. Additionally, the additive manufacturing processes associated with these technologies enable cost-effective and rapid prototyping, making them highly accessible for experimentation. In this moonshot project, the student will research comprehensive literature to establish a strong foundational understanding of printable electronics. Following the literature research, the student will focus on becoming familiar with the Voltera NOVA printer, a promising tool for additive manufacturing in printable electronics. This printer will serve as a practical platform for the student to explore and experiment with printable materials and their properties. Additionally, the student will delve into possible sensing applications within the realm of printable electronics. By leveraging the unique properties and capabilities of printable materials, the aim is to identify and explore potential sensing applications. This exploration will involve understanding the characteristics, limitations, and possibilities of these materials in the context of sensing. Finally, the project seeks to address one or multiple of the following challenges within the field of printable electronics. These challenges include: *Energy Supply* – Exploring innovative approaches for providing a sustainable and long-term power source for highly integrated flexible devices. This may involve investigating energy harvesting techniques such as RFID/NFC, flexible solar cells, or piezoelectric elements. *Sensing* – Identifying and developing sensing applications using printable materials. This may involve exploring force sensors for human-machine interfaces, ECG electrode tattoos, ultrasound transducers, and other potential sensing applications. *Communication* – Overcoming the limitations of energy and circuit complexity to enable efficient and reliable communication within fully flexible sensing systems. This could involve exploring backscattering techniques or other communication methods suitable for printable electronics. *Hybrid integration* – Addressing the mechanical interface challenges when combining printable devices with conventional circuit manufacturing techniques. Finding ways to seamlessly integrate and ensure the functionality of soft and rigid electronic subsystems. **Prerequisites depending on tasks** (not all required) - Creativity and solid research methodology (highly appreciated) - Circuit design tools (e.g., Altium Designer) - Additive manufacturing know-how and knowledge of MCAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks) **Type of work** - 33% Literature study - 34% System design and implementation - 33% Measurements and validation

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Published since: 2024-11-28 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Mayer Philipp

Topics Engineering and Technology

Testbed Design for Self-sustainable Sensor Nodes

This project focuses on designing testbeds for self-sustainable IoT sensors, specifically targeting solar and thermal energy harvesting. Tasks will include ECAD and MCAD design, firmware development, and prototype testing.

Keywords

Embedded systems, PCB, firmware, MCAD, energy harvesting

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Energy Harvesting (PBL) , Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , Microcontroller (PBL) , PCB Design (PBL) , Software (PBL) , Firmware (PBL)

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Published since: 2024-11-28 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Mayer Philipp

Topics Engineering and Technology

High-Precision Localization in Distributed Sensor Networks

This project aims to develop embedded sensor nodes capable of centimeter-precise localization within a sensor network. The system will consist of multiple GNSS RTK-enabled nodes exchanging information grid-independently via wireless communication. The tasks include circuit design, firmware development, IoT integration, and prototype testing.

Keywords

Embedded System, IoT, PCB, Firmware, Sensing, GNSS, LoRa

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Energy Harvesting (PBL) , Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , Microcontroller (PBL) , PCB Design (PBL) , Software (PBL) , Firmware (PBL) , Wearables (PBL)

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Published since: 2024-11-28 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Mayer Philipp

Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology

TinySAM2 : Segmenting Videos and Images with Sony IMX500

This thesis focuses on adapting state-of-the-art video and image segmentation algorithms for deployment on resource-constrained AI-In-Sensor devices, such as the Sony IMX500.

Keywords

Computer Vision, Segmentation

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2024-11-19 , Earliest start: 2024-11-24 , Latest end: 2025-11-07

Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Empa , CERN , Università della Svizzera italiana , Swiss National Science Foundation , IBM Research Zurich Lab

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Bonazzi Pietro

Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences

Convolutional Differentiable Logic Gate Networks for Object Localization

Building on the advancements of LogicTreeNet, this project aims to extend convolutional differentiable logic gate networks (LGNs) to address object localization in computer vision

Keywords

Neuro-symbolic AI, Object Localization

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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2024-11-19 , Earliest start: 2025-01-06 , Latest end: 2025-12-31

Applications limited to Università della Svizzera italiana , IBM Research Zurich Lab , ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Empa , Swiss National Science Foundation , CERN

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Bonazzi Pietro

Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences

Ultrasound measurement of microbubble stiffness for in situ detection of protease activity in clinical settings

A new kind of gas-filled microbubble enables the detection of protease activity by using ultrasound imaging techniques. The main goal of this work is to develop a setup that can reliably be used to measure the stiffness of microbubbles, first in a microbubble solution, and then in a model built to simulate the vasculature of a mouse.

Keywords

Ultrasound imaging techniques, microbubbles, signal processing, modeling, analog and digital filter design, circuit design

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Semester Project , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-11-13

Applications limited to Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Villani Federico

Topics Engineering and Technology

Development Of An FPGA-Based Optoacoustic Image Reconstruction Platform for Clinical Applications

Optoacoustic (OA) imaging is a hybrid imaging method that enables deep tissue imaging with a high spatial resolution by combining optical illumination with ultrasound detection. The goal of this student project is to devise a parallel HW accelerator and explore different HLS code optimizations to achieve the best performance for OA image reconstruction on an FPGA in real-time.

Keywords

Digital design (HDL), biomedical imaging, image reconstruction, hardware acceleration, Linux

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis

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Optoacoustic (OA) imaging is a hybrid imaging method that enables deep tissue imaging with a high spatial resolution by combining optical illumination with ultrasound detection. OA imaging is based on the OA effect, where the ultrasound (US) waves are generated when incident laser energy is absorbed by different molecules leading to local temperature rise. The acoustic pressure propagating from the molecules is acquired using various ultrasonic transducers. Finally, with the help of different reconstruction algorithms, the initial pressure distribution from the acquired pressure waves is recovered. In practice, most of these reconstructions are carried out on workstations making OA imaging systems bulkier and more complex. Hence realizing OA image reconstruction on FPGAs will enhance the adaptability of OA imaging systems with point-of-care (bedside) applications due to their small size and high computation power. With our MATLAB and C++-based delay and sum-based image reconstruction algorithms, we can successfully reconstruct OA images from pre-acquired raw OA signals. We are currently working on the implementation of FPGA based delay and sum-based image reconstruction algorithm with pre-acquired raw OA signals using high-level synthesis (HLS). Your task includes devising a parallel HW accelerator and exploring different HLS code optimizations to achieve the best performance. The algorithms will be tested on an existing FZ3 Card, a powerful deep-learning accelerator card based on Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ ZU3EG MPSoC. The overall goal will be to streamline the raw OA data and perform accelerated image reconstruction on the FPGA in real-time. **Prerequisites** - FPGA Programming (VLSI 1 course or similar) - C++ Programming - MATLAB or Python for evaluation of results - Image processing algorithms (beneficial) - Knowledge of Linux (beneficial) **Type of work** - 10% Literature study - 20% Algorithm evaluation - 30% Firmware design and optimization - 30% Measurements and validation - 10% Documentation

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Published since: 2024-11-13

Applications limited to ETH Zurich , Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Villani Federico

Topics Engineering and Technology

Development Of A Test Bed For Ultrasonic Transducer Characterization (1 S/B)

The main goal of this work is to develop a modular system for the characterization and tuning of ultrasonic transducers both in hard- and software Due to the intended modularity of the system in soft- and hardware, we can guarantee a high flexibility of the setup. This means that the system can be adapted in operation for a wide variety of transducer types and setups.

Keywords

Ultrasound, Flexible transducers, Mixed signal design, Network theory, Simulation

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis

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Published since: 2024-11-13

Applications limited to Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Villani Federico

Topics Engineering and Technology

A FPGA-based data streaming system that enables real-time monitoring of cell culture and neuroactivities

This project aims to create a FPGA-based interface capable of streaming live data from a ETH-developed CMOS biosensor and monitor neuroactivity and cell cultures in real time

Keywords

Sensing, ADC, FPGA, High-performance computing, biosensing

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Semester Project , Master Thesis

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**Introduction** The physiology of living cells and tissues is of large interest to pharmaceutical industry for new drug development, as important information such as the drug efficacy and toxicity can be readily assessed in vitro. As such, the development of CMOS biosensors for cell monitoring and manipulation is essential. Many existing CMOS cellular sensors, however, suffer from one major limitation: of the many pixels on the sensing platform, only a handful of channels can be read concurrently, limiting our understanding of the cell culture as a whole. A newly developed platform achieves 20k concurrent channel reading, at 20kHz frame rate and 10 bit resolution. However, the vast output data stream that needs to be accessed and monitored calls for a high-speed FPGA/GPU based system with a compact, and incubator-compatible hardware design. **Hardware design** Central to this project is the utilization of a powerful, state of the art Xilinx FPGA. The choice of the FPGA is primarily limited by the choice of interface and by the power consumption due to the lack of active dissipation. Furthermore, depending on the FPGA choice and the student’s interest, the scope of the thesis / project may be either a full custom hardware built upon the FPGA, or a simpler board with mounted system-on-module. **Prerequisites** - Familiarity with FPGA programming (VLSI 1 or similar) - Programming experience in Python and C++ - PCB Design (Helpful but not required) **Possible Project Phases** 1. Proof-of-concept FPGA system: - Reads data from some of the ADC outputs (even just 1 or 2) into the FPGA - Streams dummy data at a speed near to 10 Gbit to a storage device - Streams the ADC output to the PC, and visualizes a selectable subset of data 2. Hardware design: - Developed based on the proof-of-concept system, the hardware system reads from all ADC channels and stream the entire data to a storage device. 3. Hardware design validation: - The hardware design is able to stream at least some ADC outputs to the PC 4. Data compression algorithm design: - The FPGA implements an algorithm that leverages large on-FPGA memory to explore possibilities for data compression

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Published since: 2024-11-13

Applications limited to Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Villani Federico

Topics Engineering and Technology

Cooperative SLAM for enhanced Smart-Glasses controlled robot guidance

Robotic automation represents mankind’s next leap. While the industry has already embraced robotization, robot driven domestic aid is only at the beginning of the revolution. Dealing with unconstrained daily environments is more challenging than automating manufacturing production lines. The growing diffusion of semi-autonomous assistive quadrupedal robots that can handle obstacles triggered the change. Nonetheless, robot control still requires active human supervision, which can be tedious in ordinary surroundings or even impossible in clinical circumstances.

Keywords

Robotics, Computer Vision, SLAM

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Master Thesis , Software (PBL) , Computer Vision (PBL) , Robotics (PBL)

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Published since: 2024-10-30 , Earliest start: 2024-10-31 , Latest end: 2025-07-31

Applications limited to Department of Computer Science , Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Joseph Paul

Topics Engineering and Technology

Design and Implementation of a Fast Steerable Mirror System for Object Tracking Using Event-Cameras on Edge Platforms

We are seeking talented and motivated students for a Semester Thesis, Bachelor Thesis, or Master Thesis to develop a Fast Steerable Mirror (FSM) or Galvomirror system for advanced object tracking applications using event-cameras. This challenging project requires a blend of mechanical engineering, optics, and computer vision skills. The primary objective is to design and implement a system that rapidly scans an area using steerable mirrors to detect and track objects, leveraging cutting-edge edge computing platforms like the NVIDIA Jetson. The project is open-ended, offering ample opportunity for innovation and exploration.

Keywords

event-camera, fast steerable mirror system, Object-Tracking, Machine Learning, Edge Platform, Real-Time Control, Optical Integration, Mechanical Design.

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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2024-09-27 , Earliest start: 2024-09-27 , Latest end: 2025-06-01

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Hosts Mandula Jakub

Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Mathematical Sciences , Engineering and Technology