Handle Data Returned from MATLAB to Python

When MATLAB^® functions return output arguments, the MATLAB Engine API for Python^® converts the data into equivalent Python data types.

MATLAB Output Argument Type — Scalar Values Only	Resulting Python Data Type
`double`	`float`
`single`	`float`
Complex (any numeric type)	`complex`
`int8`	`int`
`uint8`	`int`
`int16`	`int`
`uint16`	`int`
`int32`	`int`
`uint32`	`int` (Python 3.x) `long` (Python 2.7)
`int64`	`int` (Python 3.x) `long` (Python 2.7)
`uint64`	`int` (Python 3.x) `long` (Python 2.7)
`NaN`	`float(nan)`
`Inf`	`float(inf)`
`logical`	`bool`
`string`	`string`
`<missing>` value in `string`	`None`
`char` returned to Python 3.x	`str`
`char` returned to Python 2.7	`str` (when MATLAB `char` value is less than or equal to 127) `unicode` (when MATLAB `char` value is greater than 127)
Structure	`dict`
MATLAB handle object (such as the `containers.Map` type)	`matlab.object` MATLAB returns a reference to a `matlab.object`, not the object itself. You cannot pass a `matlab.object` between MATLAB sessions.
MATLAB value object (such as the `categorical` type)	Opaque object. You can pass a value object to a MATLAB function but you cannot create or modify it.

MATLAB Output Argument Type — Array	Resulting Python Data Type
Numeric array	`matlab` numeric array object (see MATLAB Arrays as Python Variables)
`string` vector	`list` of `string`
`char` array (1-by-`N`, `N`-by-1) returned to Python 3.x	`str`
`char` array (1-by-`N`, `N`-by-1) returned to Python 2.7	`str` (when MATLAB `char` array has values less than or equal to 127) `unicode` (when MATLAB `char` array has any value greater than 127)
Row or column cell array	`list`

The MATLAB Engine API for Python does not support these MATLAB data types.

Documentation