Concept
Dear colleagues,
we invite you to participate at the International Summer School on Haptics and Cognitive Robotics for Music, which will be held in Dresden, Germany, September 2 to 4, 2025. The event mainly targets experts, PhD students, researchers and skilled practitioners and music instrument builders.
Music technologies are evolving rapidly, integrating increasingly complex and efficient technical systems into artistic practice, performance, and everyday musical experiences. Digitization plays a central role in this transformation, influencing how music is created, performed, and perceived. In this context, haptics, robotics, and interactive systems are becoming essential tools – not only in production environments but also in live performance, education, and accessible design.
This summer school places a strong focus on hands-on, research-based learning. In interdisciplinary teams, participants will collaboratively develop practical prototypes and artistic concepts, exploring the dynamic interface between performer, listener, and machine. With music as a medium for innovation and expression, the program emphasizes experimentation, rapid prototyping, and critical reflection on human-centered technology design. The human perspective (human in the loop) is at the core of all activities.
Key topics include:
- tangible music instruments and novel haptic interfaces,
- multimodal audio reproduction setups with haptic or tactile feedback,
- sound and vibration synthesizers,
- innovative hardware controllers,
- sensors and actuators for music applications,
- interactive and adaptive installations using cognitive robotics,
- interdisciplinary exchange between development and artistic practice,
- perceptual and psychological aspects,
- internet of musical things,
- sound and vibration in immersive media,
- media production and composition,
- …
For three days, PhD students and Postdocs from around the world will discuss and elaborate a vision to develop next generation technologies with focus on musical applications. Leading international scientists will share their experience at the highest international level. A mix of keynote speeches and hands-on sessions will stimulate the academic exchange and foster focused, results-oriented, and high quality scientific work and research-based learning.
We offer selected PhD students/PostDocs a travel grant, covering basic financial support for accommodation and travel costs up to several hundred Euros (depending on individual travel costs). Further information regarding the registration and the application for the travel grant can be found here.
To apply or to inquire further information send an email to:
The deadline for in-person registration submission and for application for a grant is July 13, 2025. Because of the strong workshop character, the summer school will be held in presence.
This summer school is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony as part of the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments.
