RIGI Continues to Grow

The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS), world-renowned for its fundamental research across computational, physical, and social aspects of artificial intelligence and robotics, will host a new batch of bachelor's and master's student interns, all of whom will contribute to the cutting-edge research at the institute's Stuttgart site in summer 2026 through the Robotics Institute Germany Internships (RIGI) program. RIGI is a cornerstone of the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG), a collaborative network of leading robotics research centers across Germany. RIGI provides young students with a springboard to a career in robotics research.

The interns for the summer of 2026 will be selected from 995 applicants from 75 different countries, more than double the number of applicants from last year (466 from 48 countries). The evaluation process will run until January 2026.

Successful applicants will work closely with nine supervising faculty members, and 24 day-to-day mentors, such as MPI-IS directors, research group leaders, scientific facility leads, research scientists, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students. Furthermore, several projects in the 2026 cohort are co-supervised with researchers from the University of Stuttgart, another key RIG partner, thereby strengthening scientific collaboration within the network.

With 18 proposed internship projects, the 2026 cohort marks the largest RIGI program to date. Projects span a wide range of research areas, including biomechanics, control systems, haptics, human–computer interaction, human–robot interaction, materials science, microrobotics, robotics, and soft robotics, among many other exciting topics.

Increasing international visibility, accelerating progress in robotics

RIG is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) to increase international visibility, attract talent and accelerate progress in robotics. Meanwhile, RIGI aims to support bachelor’s and master’s students who may be hindered in their research careers by personal, financial, societal or geographical barriers. The program is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and all aspects of the program are conducted in English.

RIGI internships are paid positions lasting up to 90 days. Beyond research, the program offers a structured set of scientific seminars, skill-building workshops, social events, and engagement opportunities across the MPI-IS and the broader RIG community.

MPI-IS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering a multicultural community of students, faculty and staff to promote diversity and inclusion.