Bringing autonomous vehicles safely into the real world is one of the major challenges in mobility research. Coburg University is drawing on new expertise in this area: Prof. Dr. Andreas Look has been Professor of Autonomous Systems since July 2026, thereby strengthening the team for the “Autonomous Driving” degree program at the Lucas Cranach Campus (LCC).

Science Meets Practical Experience

Prof. Dr. Andreas Look combines scientific research with industry experience. After earning his master’s degree in engineering from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), he served as a doctoral candidate at the University of Stuttgart from 2015 to 2019. He then conducted research at the Technical University of Darmstadt from 2019 to 2023. This was followed by a position as an AI Research Scientist at Bosch.

Throughout his career to date, Prof. Dr. Look has been involved in more than 20 patents and has published 15 scientific papers. His work combines artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and the practical testing of new technologies.

From Simulation to the Road

A key focus of his research is how algorithms for autonomous systems can be tested safely and reliably under real-world conditions. Among other things, he investigates how AI models can be transferred to full-scale vehicles.

Data collection plays an important role: Vehicle sensors and external tracking systems can be used to capture precise position data as so-called “ground truth.” This allows the results of autonomous systems to be verified as accurately as possible.

In addition, Prof. Dr. Look is researching the interaction between humans and autonomous systems. One of the goals is to connect a driving simulator with multiple monitors to such systems. This allows human steering and intervention to be specifically incorporated into the development and testing process.

Research Under Real-World Conditions

At the university, Prof. Dr. Look aims in particular to further develop the connection between high-performance simulations and real-world applications. Autonomous systems should not only function in virtual test environments but also prove themselves under real-world conditions.

Another focus is therefore on the resilience of autonomous systems against targeted attacks. The goal is to reliably test systems even under difficult and unforeseen conditions. At the same time, Prof. Dr. Look aims to go beyond purely synthetic tests and repeatable open-loop simulations and test new methods directly in practice.

New Impetus for the “Autonomous Driving” Degree Program

Prof. Dr. Christian Zagel, campus director of Coburg University’s Lucas-Cranach Campus, is pleased with the addition to the team: “With Prof. Dr. Andreas Look, we are gaining a proven expert in autonomous systems who combines scientific research with practical industrial experience. His perspective is a valuable addition to our campus and, in particular, to the further development of the ‘Autonomous Driving’ degree program.”
Hans Rebhan, Chairman of the Lucas-Cranach-Campus Foundation, also welcomes the new addition: “We are very pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Andreas Look to the Lucas-Cranach-Campus. With his expertise, he strengthens Kronach as a center of higher education and, at the same time, demonstrates the importance of practice-oriented research and innovative degree programs for the development of our region.”

In addition to his academic work, Prof. Dr. Look also enjoys working with technology in his free time: He builds things himself and is an avid driver of off-road vehicles.

The Lucas-Cranach-Campus extends a warm welcome to Prof. Dr. Andreas Look and looks forward to collaborating with him and to the new impetus he will bring to research and teaching at the Kronach campus!