International award for PhD student Michael Theiler

Michael Theiler, a PhD student in the ELS research group at the Institute of Innovative Mobility (IIMo) at the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, has been awarded the First Prize Paper Award at the International Power Electronics Conference (IPEC-Nagasaki 2026 – ECCE Asia) in Nagasaki, Japan. This prestigious conference is one of the world’s leading specialist events for Power Electronics, energy conversion, and electric drive systems.

There, Theiler presented his scientific work, co-authored with Can Karaali and Professor Christian Endisch, entitled “Fault Detection and Diagnosis Within Battery Systems Using Autoencoders and Explainable AI”, during the “Battery Diagnosis and Estimation” session.

The paper deals with the early detection of safety-critical conditions in battery systems and the reliable identification of faulty battery cells. It investigated the extent to which modern AI methods can complement conventional diagnostic methods and improve their performance.

“The results show that modern AI methods can improve both fault detection and the identification of faulty battery cells, particularly in the case of faults that are difficult to detect. The paper thus makes an important contribution to the development of safe battery systems,” explains Michael Theiler.

With the First Prize Paper Award, IPEC recognises outstanding scientific contributions. The award underlines the international visibility of the research carried out by the Institute for Innovative Mobility.

IPEC-Nagasaki 2026 took place from 31 May to 4 June 2026. Researchers from academia and industry worldwide gathered there to discuss the latest developments in Power Electronics, energy conversion, and electric drive technology. Technical presentations, tutorials, and keynote speeches, as well as accompanying networking events, offered a wide range of opportunities for scientific exchange.