Nominee
Project-based
Education
"Way of Water" is a Focus Project that uses a high-stakes public spectacle a fleet of 24 autonomous aquatic robots performing a synchronized show as a powerful pedagogical tool. This approach teaches Bachelor's students the uncompromising rigor required to design, build, and deploy robust, real-world autonomous systems from scratch. By making the final "grade" an unforgiving live performance, the project moves learning beyond the classroom, achieving a level of technical mastery validated by an invitation to the 2025 Venice Biennale.
Implementation of the Project
Rooted in playful curiosity, the «Way of Water» project starts with a simple question: «What if robots could dance on water?» This vision creating beauty with a fleet of 24 autonomous robots in a synchronized spectacle challenges students to engage with the real world. They must rely on first-principles thinking, using rigorous math, physics, and computer science to solve complex problems. The project becomes a dialogue with nature, where every test on Lake Zurich provides honest feedback on their understanding of engineering and their system’s ability to handle unpredictable disturbances. The year-long, project-based journey is scaffolded across two semesters, moving from design and development to integration and deployment. Students have access to a dedicated workshop with technicians and collaborate with ETH apprentices by creating manufacturing manuals, learning vital lessons in design for manufacturability. Fluid team roles transform students into capable, full-stack robotics engineers who architect the entire system using ROS2 and implement advanced algorithms like Model Predictive Control (MPC). This collaborative process is supported by weekly check-ins, workshops, peer-to-peer feedback, and an inspiring industry visit to Verity. Ultimately, the project is about rising to an occasion. The live public performance is the final, tangible outcome where their shared vision is tested. The feedback is immediate and unforgiving, demanding a level of robustness and reliability far beyond a typical academic project. This high-stakes moment solidifies their learning, proving they can engineer their vision of beauty into a reliable reality.
Motivation, Project Mission, Vision Statement
Motivation: To teach the single most important lesson in autonomous systems: reliability in the face of uncertainty. We replicate the conditions that spawn real-world innovation by structuring learning around a challenge born from playful curiosity but grounded in the uncompromising laws of physics and first principles.
Mission: To use a high-stakes, tangible deliverable as the ultimate feedback mechanism. By requiring a system to perform flawlessly in a live public event, we teach that for complex systems, 99% reliable is a 100% failure. This unfiltered, real-world feedback instills principles of robust design, rigorous testing, and collaborative problem-solving far more effectively than a traditional grade.
Vision: To establish a permanent, interdisciplinary teaching and research platform at ETH. This is not a one-off project. The robotic fleet is a reusable asset for future student cohorts. We envision a roadmap of projects where D-ARCH students explore kinetic structures, D-USYS students integrate environmental sensors, and D-ITET students develop new communication protocols. This «Lighthouse Project» serves as a sustainable model for project-based education, creating not just art, but future-proof engineers.
Innovative Elements
Pedagogy of the High-Stakes Deliverable: We replace the traditional final exam with an unforgiving, real-world test: a live public performance. This non-negotiable deadline serves as the ultimate motivator for engineering rigor, shifting student focus from grades to achieving flawless reliability.
Full-Lifecycle Engineering for Bachelors: Students manage the entire product lifecycle, from first-principles modeling to public deployment. This is a rare undergraduate experience that includes design-for-manufacturing (writing manuals for apprentices), supply chain management, and series production (24 identical units), mirroring a professional engineering environment.
Sustainable Platform for Future Learning: The project’s innovation lies not just in the spectacle, but in creating a reusable technological platform. This allows future interdisciplinary student teams to build upon existing work, ensuring the project’s long-term pedagogical impact and sustainability.
Effects on Student Learning
Deep Technical Mastery: Students successfully developed a complex autonomous system from scratch, implementing state-of-the-art MPC controllers that function even with simulated thruster failures. Resilience and Problem-Solving: The team overcame significant technical and artistic hurdles. The primary technical challenge was transferring a Model Predictive Controller from simulation to the real world, a complex task requiring extensive field testing. Artistically, they had to develop an entire software simulator to design and visualize complex choreographies, as real-world testing was too costly and time-consuming. From Prototype to Product: As student Janis Weyrich reflected, the project taught the immense challenge of scaling from a single prototype to a reliable, 24-unit fleet. External Validation: The fleet’s successful performance on Lake Zurich and its formal invitation to be featured at the 2025 Venice Biennale serve as ultimate proof of the project’s success.
