PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Maarja Kruusmaa

Maarja Kruusmaa is a robotics researcher whose work brings machine learning and fish-inspired sensing to underwater robots. She completed a PhD in computer engineering at Chalmers in 2002, co-founded research on electroactive artificial muscles, and established TalTech’s Centre for Biorobotics. Her work spans a flow-sensing robot paper, a medical training device, reinforcement-learning control, and an EU project for sewer-inspection robotics; she also served as TalTech’s research vice-rector and a European Commission science adviser. As of October 2026, she is a professor of biorobotics and head of the centre at TalTech, and co-founder and CSO of Südi Robotics.

Now at
Tallinn University of Technology and Südi Robotics
Born
1970
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 2002

    Robotics and artificial muscles

    She completes a PhD in computer engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in 2002, with a thesis on repeated path planning for mobile robots. In 2002, she co-founds the Intelligent Materials and Systems Lab at Tartu University of Technology to model and control electroactive-polymer artificial muscles.

  2. 2008

    The Centre for Biorobotics

    She establishes TalTech’s Centre for Biorobotics in 2008. The group develops animal-inspired underwater movement and fish-lateral-line sensing for robots.

  3. 2014

    FILOSE and a kidney phantom

    In 2014, she coauthors “FILOSE for svenning: A flow sensing bioinspired robot,” which presents biomimetic underwater robots as an alternative to propeller-driven vehicles. She also co-founds SafeToAct, a medical-device startup that prototypes a 3D kidney phantom for interventional-medicine training.

  4. 2016

    Estonian Academy membership

    In 2016, the Estonian Academy of Sciences elects her a member in engineering.

  5. 2020–2023

    Research leadership and EU advice

    She serves as TalTech’s Vice-Rector for Research in 2020 and is elected as one of the European Commission’s seven chief scientific advisers. In February 2023, she leaves the vice-rector post to focus on research and continues as a tenured professor at TalTech.

  6. 2025

    Learning to control underwater robots

    She coauthors a 2025 reinforcement-learning controller for cross-platform, fault-tolerant surfacing in underwater robots. By November 2025, she leads TalTech’s team in PIPEON, the Horizon Europe project for robotics and AI in sewer inspection and maintenance.

  7. As of October 2026

    Professor and centre head at TalTech

    She is a professor of biorobotics and head of TalTech’s Centre for Biorobotics, roles she has held since 2008.

  8. As of October 2026

    Co-founding Südi Robotics

    She is co-founder and CSO of Südi Robotics, a TalTech spin-out that licenses PIPEON technology and commercializes it for stormwater and sewer inspection.

Career

  1. Since 2008Tallinn University of TechnologyFounder, Head
  2. NowSüdi RoboticsCo-founder and CSO
  3. From 2020European UnionChief Scientific Adviser
  4. 2014SafeToActCo-founder
  5. 2002Tartu University of TechnologyCo-founder

Education

  1. 2002Chalmers University of TechnologyPhD in computer engineering

From the biography.

  1. 11% of AI doctorate holders from 2010 to 2016 founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduationIncludes Maarja Kruusmaa. We estimate how often AI doctorate holders founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduation, how waiting times compare between founders and top jobs, and which universities trained the most.
  2. Of 216 AI researchers who entered public life, 83 held advisory seats and 58 took public rolesIncludes Maarja Kruusmaa. Of 216 AI researchers who entered public life, 83 held advisory seats and 58 took public roles. Another 97 people moved from public careers into AI organizations or research, with 62% of dated records starting from 2020 on.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes European Union. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIIncludes Chalmers University of Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Maarja Kruusmaa yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Repeated Path Planning for Mobile Robots in Dynamic Environments research.chalmers.se. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Maarja Kruusmaa fet11.ercim.eu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Research at Centre for Biorobotics taltech.ee. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. FILOSE for svenning: A flow sensing bioinspired robot pure.york.ac.uk. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Applications of Centre for Biorobotics taltech.ee. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Maarja Kruusmaa akadeemia.ee. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. The Vice-rector for Research of the Tallinn University of Technology was elected as a chief scientific advisor of the European Commission taltech.ee. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Changes in the TalTech rectorate: Tiit Lukk becomes research vice-rector, Maarja Kruusmaa dedicates herself to research taltech.ee. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. Cross-platform Learning-based Fault Tolerant Surfacing Controller for Underwater Robots arxiv.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  10. Meet the partners – PIPEON pipeon.eu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  11. About. Südi Robotics sudirobotics.com. Checked 20 October 2026.