Staff

DLR German Aerospace Center
Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics

Fields of Interest

• Space robotics
• Humanoid robots
• Walking robots
• Multi-fingered hands
• Grasp planning
• Dexterous manipulation
• Motion planning
• Passive walking

In case you are interested in an internship, diploma or master thesis in one of these topics, please contact me

 Recent publications

• Bayesian optimization for robust robotic grasping using a sensorized compliant hand. J. Garcia-Lechuz, A. Huezo, A.M. Sundaram, R. Martinez-Cantin, M.A. Roa. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. Vol. 9 (11), pp.10503-10510. Nov 2024. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3475914
• Analysis of Intra-Vehicular Robotic Free-Flyers and Their Manipulation Capabilities. F. Turchetti, M. Ekal, N.Y. Lii, M.A. Roa. 75th Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Milan, Italy, 14-18 Oct. 2024.
• Experiment-Based Performance Analysis of the Motion Suspension System for Space Robot Testing. F. Elhardt, A. Stemmer, A. Shu, M. De Stefano, M. Schedl, M.A. Roa, T. Bruckmann. 75th Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Milan, Italy, 14-18 Oct. 2024.
• Preliminary Test Results of a Relocatable Robotic Demonstrator for In-Space Telescope Servicing and Assembly. M. Deremetz, R. Boitte, M. De Stefano, H. Mishra, B. Brunner. G. Grunwald, M.A. Roa, M. Reiner, M. Zavodnik, M. Komarek, J. D'Amico, F. Cavenago, P. Letier, J. Gancet, M. Ilzkovitz, M. Vilella. 75th Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Milan, Italy, 14-18 Oct. 2024.
• Perception-Aware Full Body Trajectory Planning for Autonomous Systems Using Motion Primitives. M. Kuhne, R. Giubilato, M. Schuster, M.A. Roa. IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems - IROS. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 14-18 Oct 2024.
• CAD-Informed Uncertainty-Aware Sequence and Motion Planning for Robotic Assembly. T. Kiyokawa, I. Rodriguez, K. Nottensteiner, P. Lehner, T. Eiband, M. A. Roa, and K. Harada. IEEE Int. Conf. on Automation Science and Engineering, CASE, pp.418-425. Bari, Italy, Aug 28-Sep 1, 2024. DOI: 10.1109/CASE59546.2024.10711666
• Robotic Tight Packaging using a Hybrid gripper with Variable Stiffness. M. Moroni, A. Huezo-Martin, L. Kluepfel, A. M. Sundaram, W. Friedl, F. Braghin, M.A. Roa. Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems - TAROS. London, UK, 21-23 Aug. 2024.
• Aktive Beseitigung von Weltraumschrott zur Aufrechterhaltung und Weiterentwicklung des Ökosystems Weltraum (Active removal of space debris for maintenance and further development of the space ecosystem). A. Albu-Schäffer, T. Dekorsy, G. Grunwald, W. Riede, S. Scharring, M.A. Roa. In: Strategischer Wettbewerb im Weltraum. Sicherheit, Strategie & Innovation, pp. 409-432. Ed: Nötzold, A., Fels, E., Rotter, A., Brake, M. Springer. 2024. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-42602-6_22
• Comparative Analysis of Connection Interfaces for Space Applications. K. Fujii, I. Rodriguez, F. Elhardt, G. Grunwald, M. A. Roa. Int. Conf. on Space Robotics - ISPARO24, pp.186-193. Luxembourg, 24-27 June 2024. DOI: 10.1109/iSpaRo60631.2024.10688294
• Analysis of Sensor Errors of a Suspension System for Space Robots. F. Elhardt, M. de Stefano, M. Schedl, A. Stemmer, T. Bruckmann, M. A. Roa. Int. Conf. on Space Robotics - ISPARO24, pp. 387-393. Luxembourg, 24-27 June 2024. DOI: 10.1109/iSpaRo60631.2024.10687972
• The Cluttered Environment Picking Benchmark (CEPB) for Advanced Warehouse Automation: Evaluating the Perception, Planning, Control and Grasping of Manipulation Systems. S. D'Avella, M. Bianchi, A.M. Sundaram, C. Avizzano, M. A. Roa, P. Tripicchio. Accepted for: IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine. DOI: 10.1109/MRA.2023.3310861
• EROSS: In-Orbit Demonstration of European Robotic Orbital Support Services. M.A. Roa, A. Beyer, I. Rodriguez, M. Stelzer, M. de Stefano, J.P. Lutze, H. Mishra, F. Elhardt, G. Grunwald, V. Dubanchet, H. Renault, F. Niemeijer, C. Jacopini, P. Atinsounon, J. Bejar-Romero, S. Torralbo, M. Alonso, A. Jakubiec, L. Kozlowski, A. Lukasiak, A. Merlo, M. Lapolla, K. Gregertsen. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 2-9 March 2024. DOI: 10.1109/AERO58975.2024.10521010
• Autonomous Precise Assembly of Segmented Mirror Tiles for a Space Telescope. M.A. Roa, K. Nottensteiner, I. Rodriguez, T. Bachmann, J.P. Lutze, P. letier, A. Ummel, J. Rouvinet, F. Cosandier, D. Nguyen, V. Schaffter, S. Trinh, V. Bissonnette, T. Germa. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 2-9 March 2024. DOI: 10.1109/AERO58975.2024.10521382
• Comparative Analysis of Robotic Gripping Solutions for Cooperative and Non-cooperative Targets. K. Fujii, I. Rodriguez, M. Schedl, G. Grunwald, M.A. Roa. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 2-9 March 2024. DOI: 10.1109/AERO58975.2024.10520942
• Hybrid Motion Planner for a Multi-Armed Robot Performing On-orbit Loco-manipulation Tasks. I. Rodriguez, S. Quintero, J.P. Lutze, P. Lehner, M.A. Roa. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 2-9 March 2024. DOI: 10.1109/AERO58975.2024.10521183
• The Motion Suspension System for On-Ground Tests of Space Robots: Demonstration and Results. F. Elhardt, M. de Stefano, M. Schedl, M. Stelzer, A. Stemmer, M.A. Roa, T. Bruckmann. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 2-9 March 2024. DOI: 10.1109/AERO58975.2024.10521208
• Adaptive Bayesian Optimization for Robotic Pushing on Thin Fragile Deformable Objects. R. Herguedas, A. M. Sundaram, G. Lopez-Nicolas, M. A. Roa, C. Sagues. In: Marques, L., Santos, C., Lima, J.L., Tardioli, D., Ferre, M. (eds) Robot 2023: Sixth Iberian Robotics Conference. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 976, pp. 351-362. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-58676-7_28 
• The Motion Suspension System - MSS: A  Cable-Driven System for On-Ground Tests of Space Robots F. Elhardt, R. Boumann, M. De Stefano, R. Heidel, P. Lemmen, M. Heumos, C. Jeziorek, M.A. Roa, M. Schedl, T. Bruckmann. In: Okada, M. (eds) Advances in Mechanism and Machine Science. IFToMM WC 2023. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 148. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-45770-8_38
• System Requirements Elicitation and Conceptualization for a Novel Space Robot Suspension System. F. Elhardt, R. Boumann, M. de Stefano, R. Heidel, P. Lemmen, M. Heumos, C. Jeziorek, M.A. Roa, M. Schedl, T. Bruckmann. Symposium on Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation - ASTRA. Leiden, Netherlands, 18-20 October 2023.
• CollisionGP: Gaussian Process-Based Collision Checking for Robot Motion Planning. J. Munoz, P. Lehner, L. Moreno, A. Albu-Schaeffer, M.A. Roa. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. Vol. 8 (7), pp.4036-4043. July 2023. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2023.3280820
• Emerging Gaits for a Quadrupedal Template Model with Segmented Legs. L. Boffa, A. Sesselmann, M.A. Roa. J. of Mechanisms and Robotics. Vol. 15 (3), pp. 031011. June 2023. DOI: 10.1115/1.4062388 
• Task-Oriented Stiffness Setting for a Variable Stiffness Hand. A. Huezo, A. Sundaram, W. Friedl, V. Ruiz, M.A. Roa. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation - ICRA, pp. 10275-10281. London, UK. 29 May - 2 June 2023. DOI: 10.1109/ICRA48891.2023.10161053
• Multimodal Grasp Planner for Hybrid Grippers in Cluttered Scenes. S. D'Avella, A. Sundaram, W. Friedl, P. Tripicchio, M.A. Roa. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. Vol. 8 (4), pp.2030-2037. April 2023. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2023.3247221
• Optimization of Multi-Arm Robot Locomotion to Reduce Satellite Disturbances During In-Orbit Assembly. J.P. Lutze, R. Schuller, H. Mishra, I. Rodriguez, M.A. Roa. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 4-11 March 2023. DOI: 10.1109/AERO55745.2023.10115776
• Task-Specific Robot Base Pose Optimization for Robot-Assisted Surgeries. A. Sundaram, N. Budjakoski, J. Klodmann, M. A. Roa. Frontiers in Robotics and AI. Vol.9. Dec. 2022. DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2022.899646
• Influence of Variable Leg Elasticity on the Stability of Quadrupedal Gaits. F. DelFatti, A. Sesselmann, M.A. Roa. IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems - IROS, pp.5869-5876. Kyoyo, Japan. 23-27 Oct 2022. DOI: 10.1109/IROS47612.2022.9982204
• Design and Integration of a Multi-Arm Installation Robot Demonstrator for Orbital Large Assembly. M. Deremetz, M. Debroise, M. De Stefano, H. Mishra, B. Brunner, G. Grunwald, M. A. Roa, M. Reiner, M. Zavodnik, M. Komarek, J. D'Amico, F. Cavenago, J. Gancet, S. Govindaraj, P. Letier, M. Ilzkovitz, L. Gerdes, M. Zwick. 73rd Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Paris, France, 18-22 Sept. 2022.
• Motion Planning for Relocatable Robots Performing On-Orbit Locomotion and Manipulation Tasks. A. Huzynets, I. Rodriguez, M. Deremetz, P. Letier, G. Grunwald, M. A. Roa. 73rd Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Paris, France, 18-22 Sept. 2022.
• PULSAR: Testing the Technologies for On-Orbit Assembly of a Large Telescope. M.A. Roa, C. E. Koch, M. Rognant, A. Ummel, P. Letier, A. Turetta, P. Lopez, S. Trinh, I. Rodriguez, K. Nottensteiner, J. Rouvinet, V. Bissonnette, G. Grunwald, T. Germa. Symposium on Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation - ASTRA. Noordwijk, Netherlands, 1-2 June 2022.
• Design and Development of a Relocatable Robotic Arm for Servicing On-Orbit Modular Spacecraft. M. Deremetz, P. Letier, B. Brunner, G. Grunwald, M.A. Roa, A. Ferran, M. Szydelko, J. Gancet, M. Ilzkovitz. Symposium on Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation - ASTRA. Noordwijk, Netherlands, 1-2 June 2022.
• Kinematic Transfer Learning of Sampling Distributions for Manipulator Motion Planning. P. Lehner, M.A. Roa, A. Albu-Schaeffer. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation - ICRA, pp. 7211-7217. Philadelphia, USA, 23-27 May 2022. DOI: 10.1109/ICRA46639.2022.9811915
• Hybrid Planning to Minimize Platform Disturbances during In-Orbit Assembly Tasks. I. Rodriguez, J.P. Lutze, H. Mishra, P. Lehner, M.A. Roa. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 5-12 March 2022. DOI: 10.1109/AERO53065.2022.9843530
• Learning to Teleoperate an Upper-limb Assistive Humanoid Robot for Bimanual Daily-living Tasks. M. Connan, M. Sierotowicz, B. Henze, O. Porges, A. Albu-Schaeffer, M. A. Roa and C. Castellini. Biomedical Physics and Engineering Express, Vol. 8, 2022. DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ac3881
• Research Challenges and Progress in the Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competitions. Y. Sun, J. Falco, M. A. Roa, B. Calli. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. Vol. 7 (2), pp.874-881. April 2022. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2021.3129134
• OCRTOC: A Cloud-Based Competition and Benchmark for Robotic Grasping and Manipulation. Z. Liu, W. Liu, Y. Qin, F. Xiang, M. Gou, S. Xin, M.A. Roa, B. Calli, H. Su, Y. Sun, P. Tan. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. Vol. 7 (1), pp. 486-493. Jan 2022. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2021.3129136
• Learning Teleoperation of an Assistive Humanoid Platform by Intact and Upper-Limb Disabled Users. M. Conan, M. Sierotowicz, B. Henze, O. Porges, A. Albu-Schaeffer, M.A. Roa, C. Castellini. In: Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation IV. ICNR 2020, pp. 165-169. Ed: D. Torricelli, M. Akay, J. Pons. Springer. 2022. ISBN: 978-3-030-70315-8. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-70316-5_27
• Automatic Generation of Realistic Training Data for Learning Parallel-jaw Grasping from Synthetic Stereo Images. J. Drögemüller, C. Garcia, E. Gambaro, M. Suppa, J. Steil, M.A. Roa. IEEE Int. Conf. Advanced Robotics – ICAR, pp.730-737. 7-10 Dec. 2021. DOI: 10.1109/ICAR53236.2021.9659350
• Planning Fail-Safe Trajectories for Space Robotic Arms. O. Porges, D. Leidner, M.A. Roa. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Vol.8. Nov. 2021. DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.710021
• Editorial: On the Planning, Control and Perception of Soft Robotic End-Effectors. G. Averta, C. Della Santina, F. Ficuciello, M. A. Roa, M. Bianchi. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Nov. 2021. DOI: frobt.2021.795863
• Experimental Evaluation of Tactile Sensors for Compliant Robotic Hands. W. Friedl, M.A. Roa. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Vol. 11. October 2021. DOI:10.3389/frobt.2021.704416
• Guest Editorial: Introduction to the Special Issue on Benchmarking Protocols for Robotic Manipulation. B. Calli, A. Dollar, M.A. Roa, S. Srinivasa, Y. Sun. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Vol. 6 (4), pp. 8678-8680. October 2021. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2021.3114936
• MOSAR-WM: Integration and Test Results of a Relocatable Robotic Arm Demonstrator for Future On-Orbit Servicing Missions. M. Deremetz, P. Letier, G. Grunwald, M.A. Roa, B. Brunner, A. Ferran, M. Szydelko, J. Gancet, M. Ilzkovitz. 72nd Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Dubai, UAE, 25-29 October 2021.
• Concept of Operations and Preliminary Design of a Modular Multi-Arm Robot using Standard Interconnects for On-Orbit Large Assembly. M. Deremetz, G. Grunwald, F. Cavenago, M.A. Roa, M. de Stefano, H. Mishra, M. Reiner, S. Govindaraj, A. But, I. Sanz, J. Gancet, P. Letier, M. Ilzkovitz, L. Gerdes, M. Zwick. 72nd Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Dubai, UAE, 25-29 October 2021.
• Embedding a Nonlinear Strict Oscillatory Mode into a Segmented Leg. A. Sesselmann, F. Loeffl, C. Della Santina, M. A. Roa, A. Albu-Schaeffer. IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems - IROS, pp.1370-1377. 27 Sep - 1 Oct 2021. DOI: 10.1109/IROS51168.2021.9636605
• Quadrupedal Template Model for the Parametric Stability Analysis of Trotting Gaits. L. Boffa, A. Sesselmann, M. A. Roa. IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems - IROS, pp.916-922. 27 Sep - 1 Oct 2021. DOI: 10.1109/IROS51168.2021.9635974
• Mobile Manipulation Hackathon: Moving into Real World Applications. M.A. Roa, M. Dogar, J. Pages, C. Vivas, A. Morales, N. Correll, M. Goerner, J. Rosell, S. Foix, R. Memmesheimer, F. Ferro. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine. Vol. 28 (2), pp. 112-124. June 2021. DOI: 10.1109/MRA.2021.3061951
• Emerging Paradigms for Robotic Manipulation: from the Lab to the Productive World. M. Pozzi, V. Ruiz, A. Ajoudani, K. Harada, M. Malvezzi, L. Rozo, M.A. Roa. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine. Vol. 28 (2), pp. 10-11. June 2021. DOI: 10.1109/MRA.2021.3067685
• Automated Planning of Workcell Layouts Considering Task Sequences. T. Bachmann, K. Nottensteiner, M.A. Roa. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation - ICRA, pp. 12662-12668. Xi'an, China, 30 May - 5 June, 2021. DOI: 10.1109/ICRA48506.2021.9561831
• Efficient and Goal-Directed Oscillations in Articulated Soft Robots: the Point-to-Point Case. L. Bonacchi, M.A. Roa, A. Sesselmann, F. Loeffl, A. Albu-Schaeffer, C. Della Santina. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Vol. 6 (2), pp. 2555-2562. April 2021. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2021.3061345
• Autonomous Robot Planning System for In-Space Assembly of Reconfigurable Structures. I. Rodriguez, A. Bauer, K. Nottensteiner, D. Leidner, G. Grunwald, M. A. Roa. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 6-13 March 2021. DOI: 10.1109/AERO50100.2021.9438257
• Hybrid Planning System for In-Space Robotic Assembly of Telescopes using Segmented Mirror Tiles. J. Martinez, I. Rodriguez, K. Nottensteiner, J. Lutze, P. Lehner, M. A. Roa. IEEE Aerospace Conference - AEROCONF. Montana, USA, 6-13 March 2021. DOI: 10.1109/AERO50100.2021.9438399
• Using Task-Specific Workspace Maps to Plan and Execute Complex Robotic Tasks in a Flexible Multi-Robot Setup. T. Bachmann, K. Nottensteiner, I. Rodriguez, A. Stemmer, M. A. Roa. Int. Symposium on Robotics - ISR, pp. 161-168. Munich, Germany, 8-11 December 2020. ISBN: 978-3-8007-5428-1
• Environment-Aware Grasp Strategy Planning in Clutter for a Variable Stiffness Hand. A. M. Sundaram, W. Friedl, M.A. Roa. IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems - IROS, pp. 9377-9384. Las Vegas, USA, 25-29 October 2020. DOI: 10.1109/IROS45743.2020.9340689
• HOTDOCK: Design and Validation of a New Generation of Standard Robotic Interface for On-Orbit Servicing. P. Letier, T. Siedel, M. Deremetz, E. Pavlovskis, B. Lietaer, K. Nottensteiner, M.A. Roa, J. Sanchez, J. Corella, J. Gancet. 71st Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Cyberspace Edition, 12-14 October 2020.
• MOSAR-WM: A Relocatable Robotic Arm Demonstrator for Future On-Orbit Applications. M. Deremetz, P. Letier, G. Grunwald, M.A. Roa, B. Brunner, B. Lietaer, M. Ilzkovitz. 71st Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Cyberspace Edition, 12-14 October 2020.
• Vision enabled smart manipulations for in-space construction. X. Yan, N. Oumer, M. Li, C. Ran, M.A. Roa, B. Zhao, A. Bianco, Y. Li, P. Letier. 71st Int. Astronautical Congress - IAC. Cyberspace Edition, 12-14 October 2020.
• CLASH - A Compliant Sensorized Hand for Handling Delicate Objects. W. Friedl, M.A. Roa. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Vol. 6. January 2020. DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2019.00138
• Benchmarking Protocol for Grasp Planning Algorithms. Y. Bekiroglu, N. Marturi, M.A. Roa, M. Adjigble, T. Pardi, C. Grimm, R. Balasubramanian, K. Hang, R. Stolkin. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Vol.5 (2), pp. 315-322, April 2020. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2019.2956411
• A Bin-Picking Benchmark for Systematic Evaluation of Robotic Pick-and-Place Systems. H. Mnyusiwalla, P. Triantafyllou, P. Sotiropoulos, M.A. Roa, W. Friedl, A.M. Sundaram, D. Russell, D. Deacon. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Vol. 5 (2), pp. 1389-1396, April 2020. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2020.2965076
• Benchmarking Hand and Grasp Resilience to Dynamic Loads. F. Negrello, W. Friedl, G. Grioli, M. Garabini, O. Brock, A. Bicchi, M.A. Roa, M. Catalano. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Vol. 5 (2), pp. 1780-1787, April 2020. DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2020.2969180
• Visual and Tactile Fusion for Estimating the Pose of a Grasped Object. D. Alvarez, M.A. Roa, L. Moreno. In: ROBOT 2019: Fourth Iberian Robotics Conference, pp. 184-198. Ed: M. Silva, J. Lima, L. Reis, A. Sanfeliu, D. Tardioli. Series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, Vol. 1093, Springer. 2020. ISBN: 978-3-030-36150-1. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-36150-1_16
• Humanoid Robots in Aircraft Manufacturing: The Airbus Use Cases. A. Kheddar, S. Caron, P. Gergondet, A. Comport, A. Tanguy, C. Ott, B. Henze, G. Mesesan, J. Englsberger, M.A. Roa, P.B. Wieber, F. Chaumette, F. Spindler, G. Oriolo, L. Lanari, A. Escande, K. Chapellet, F. Kanehiro, P. Rabate. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, Vol.26 (4), pp. 30-45, December 2019. DOI: 10.1109/MRA.2019.2943395. Best Paper Award IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 2020.

A more detailed list of older publications (including links to download them).

 Recent Awards

• Senior Scientist Award - DLR. June 2021.
• Best Paper Award 2020, IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine. Paper: Humanoid Robots in Aircraft Manufacturing: The Airbus use cases. A. Kheddar, S. Caron, P. Gergondet, A. Comport, A. Tanguy, C. Ott, B. Henze, G. Mesesan, J. Englsberger, M.A. Roa, P.B. Wieber, F. Chaumette, F. Spindler, G. Oriolo, L. Lanari, A. Escande, K. Chapellet, F. Kanehiro, P. Rabate. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, Vol.26 (4), pp. 30-45, December 2019.
• DLR Idea Award 2018 - Smart Farming. Feinfühlinge Roboterhände zum greifen von Lebensmitteln (Sensitive robotic hands for gripping food). W. Friedl, F. Schmidt, A.M. Sundaram, T. Wuesthoff, H. Hoeppner, M.A. Roa. November 2018.
• Finalist, Best Paper Award on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics, at the IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems - IROS. Paper: Humanoid teleoperation using task-relevant haptic feedback. F. Abi-Farraj, B. Henze, A. Werner, M. Panzirsch, C. Ott, M.A. Roa. Madrid, Spain, October 2018. 
• Finalist, Best Paper Award on Safety, Security, and Rescue Robotics at the IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. Intelligent Robots and Systems - IROS. Paper: Multi-contact balancing of humanoid robots in confined spaces: utilizing knee contacts. B. Henze, A. Dietrich, M. A .Roa, C. Ott. Vancouver, Canada, September 2017. 
• Best Video Award - WBC 2016 of the IEEE-RAS Technical Comittee on Whole-Body Control. Video from the paper: Passivity-based whole-body balancing for torque-controlled humanoid robots in multi-contact scenarios. B. Henze, M.A. Roa, C. Ott. Int. J. Robotics Research, 2016.
• IEEE Senior Member. July 2015.
• Best Video Award at the IEEE-RAS Int. Conf. on Humanoid Robots. Paper: Control Applications of TORO - a Torque Controlled Humanoid Robot. B. Henze, A. Werner, M.A. Roa, G. Garofalo, J. Engelsberger, C. Ott. Madrid, Spain, 18-20 Nov. 2014.
• Distinguished Reviewer, IEEE Trans. Robotics, 2013.
• Best Paper Award-Cotesys at the IEEE Int. Symp. Robot and Human Interactive Communication - RO-MAN. Paper: Toward a Task Space Framework for Gesture Commanded Telemanipulation. N.Y. Lii, Z. Chen, M.A. Roa, A. Maier, B. Pleintinger, C. Borst. Paris, France. 9-13 Sept. 2012.
• Best Paper Award at the IEEE-RAS Int. Conf. on Humanoid Robots. Paper: Posture and Balance Control for Biped Robots Based on Contact Force Optimization. Ch. Ott, M.A. Roa, G. Hirzinger. Bled, Slovenia, 26-28 Oct. 2011.

Videos with research results

• Robotic Manipulation for Space Applications (in Spanish)
• PULSAR: dissemination video
• MOSAR project: final demonstration
• Robotics for On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (in Spanish)
• PULSAR project: Prototype of an Ultra Large Structure Assembly Robot
• MOSAR: A Modular and Reconfigurable Future for Space Missions
• Robotics for space exploration (in Spanish)
• CLASH: A Compliant Sensorized Hand for Handling Delicate Objects
• COMANOID: Multi-contact Collaborative Humanoids in Aircraft Manufacturing
• A wearable, ultra-light interface for teleoperation of a compliant, whole-body controlled humanoid robot
• Torque-based balancing of a humanoid robot performing high-force interaction tasks
• Evaluating the quality of non-prehensile balancing grasps
• EU H2020 Project SOMA - Soft Manipulation
• Overview of SOMA - EU H2020 Project on Soft Manipulation
• TORO on IEEE Spectrum
• Humanoid Teleoperation using Task-Relevant Feedback
• Multi-contact Balancing of Humanoid Robots in Confined Spaces: Utilizing Knee Contacts
• The DLR Clash hand - a soft gripper for commercial food handling
• Multi-Contact Balancing for Torque-Controlled Humanoid Robots
• Multi-contact planning and control for a torque-controlled humanoid robot
• Control Applications of TORO - a Torque Controlled Humanoid Robot
• Aufstieg der Roboter: Humanoide (auf Deutsch, TORO ab 15:00)
• Myoelectric Control of a Hand Prosthesis
• Automation of assembly tasks - SMErobotics
• DLR shows humanoid robot at ILA 2014
• Virtual reality support for teleoperation using online grasp planning
• Torque-based balancing robot

Recent Invited Talks

• From Ground to Space Robotic Manipulation. XI Seminar on Automation. Sep 18, 2024. Popayan, Colombia.
• Toward In-Space Operations and Services. II Central American Space Conference CEC 2024. Sep 10, 2024. Guatemala City, Guatemala.
• Design and control of multi-purpose functional hands. 2nd Doctoral School on Robotics and Intelligent Machines - DRIMS2. 6 Sep 2024. Volterra, Italy.
• Robotic Manipulation, Assembly and Servicing in Space. Assembling Large Infrastructures in Space using Intelligent Robots. IROS Workshop, 1 Oct 2023. Detroit, USA.
• Design, control and performance of multi-fingered robotic hands. Integrated Systems in medical Technologies. Sep 14, 2023. Erlangen, Germany.
• Robotic Manipulation for On-Orbit Servicing. IEEE FISAT India. 3 April 2023. Kerala, India.
• Application of Benchmark Protocols to the Design of the CLASH Hand. Benchmarking in Robotic Manipulation. CoRL 22 Workshop, 15 December 2022, Auckland, New Zealand.
• Robotic Manipulation for Space Applications. Colombia in Space 2022. 7 December 2022. Online.
• Environment-Aware Manipulation Strategies for a Variable Stiffness Hand. The Role of Uncertainty and How it is tackled in Robotic Grasping and Manipulation. IROS Workshop, 27 October 2022. Kyoto, Japan.
• Mobile Manipulation for In-Space Assembly and Servicing Operations. Mobile Manipulation and Embodied Intelligence (MOMA). IROS Workshop, 23 October 2022. Kyoto, Japan.
• Robotic Manipulation In and From Space: Challenges and Perspectives. Control Estimation and Modelling Practice for Robotic Applications in Challenging Environments. ECC Workshop, 12 July 2022. London, UK.
• Robotics for On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing. Colombia in Space 2021. 2 December 2021. Online.
• Compliant grasping: Exploiting Mechanical Intelligence and Environmental Constraints. 14th Int. Workshop on Human-Friendly Robotics. 29 October 2021. Online.
• Influence of benchmark protocols in the design of a novel end effector. Benchmarking of Robotic Grasping and Manipulation: protocols, metrics and data analysis. IROS Workshop. 27 Sep 2021. Online.
• Environment-aware manipulation planning for a variable stiffness hand. Bridging the gap between data-driven  and analytical physics-based grasping and manipulation II. ICRA workshop. 31 May 2021. Online
• Compliant end-effectors for food handling: the CLASH hand. Task-Informed Grasping: Agri-Food Manipulation. ICRA workshop. 31 May 2021. Online.
• Robotics for space exploration: Past and current developments. Colombian Space Marathon 2020. National University of Colombia. 15 Dec 2020. Online.
• Industry 4.0 for Ground- and Space-Based Applications. 5th Conference on Science and Applied Technology. TecnNM/CENIDET, Mexico. 18 Nov 2020, Online.
• In-situ assembly of a large space telescope. Robotic In-situ manufacturing, structural assembly and servicing. IROS workshop. 25 October 2020. Online.
• Synergies between ground- and space-based assembly. Workshop on Space: The next flexible assembly line. European Robotics Forum - ERF. 3 March 2020. Malaga, Spain.
• Compliant multi-contact interactions in real-world applications. KTH. 17 February 2020. Stockholm, Sweden.

Recent organized events / academic activities  

• IAC 2024 Workshop. In-Space Servicing, Assembly & Manufacturing (ISAM) - Shaping a Future Safe, Secure and Sustainable Space Ecosystem. October 14, 2024. Milan, Italy.
• OPEN: Special Issue IEEE/ASME Transaction on Mechatronics. Focused section on Smart Actuation and Multi-Modal Sensing Systems for Mechatronics Applications. Deadline for paper submission: September 15, 2024.
• ISPARO 2024 Workshop: Advances in Orbital Robotics: In Orbit Manipulation, Servicing and Assembly. June 27, 2024. Luxembourg.
• ISPARO 2024: Int. Conf. on Space Robotics. Conference Board. June 24-27 2024, Luxembourg. 
• ICRA 2024. 9th Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition. May 13-15, 2024. Yokohama, Japan.
• ICRA 2023 Workshop: Emerging Paradigms for Assistive Robotic Manipulation: From Research Labs to the Real World. June 2, 2023.
• ICRA 2023 Workshop: Compliant Robot Manipulation: Challenges and New Opportunities. June 2, 2023.
• IROS 22 Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition. Oct 23-27, 2022.
• ICRA 2022 Workshop: Compliant Robot Manipulation - Challenges and New Opportunities. May 23, 2022.
• ICRA 2022 Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition. May 23-27, 2022.
• Special Issue: IEEE RA-L Special Issue on Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Challenges and Progress. Publication: Dec. 2021.
• IROS 2021 Forum: Robotic Grasping and Manipulation - Challenges and Progress. Virtual Forum. October 1, 2021.
• Special Issue: IEEE RAM Special Issue on Emerging Paradigms for Robotic Manipulation: from the Lab to the Productive World. Published: June 2021.
• ICRA 2021 Workshop: Emerging Paradigms for Robotic Manipulation: From the Lab to the Productive World II. Virtual Workshop. May 31, 2021.
• ICRA 2021 Workshop: Cloud-based competitions and benchmarks for robotic manipulation and grasping. Virtual workshop. June 4, 2021.
• ERF 2021 Workshop: Towards Applied AI in Agile Production, Logistics and Lab Automation. April 14 2021, Online.
• Special Issue: Frontiers in Robotics and AI - Special Issue on the Planning, Control and Perception of Soft Robotics End-Effectors. Published: Q2 2021.
• IROS 2020. Open Cloud Robot Table Organization Challenge (OCRTOC). Aug. 15-Oct. 27 2020.
• IROS 2020 Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition. October 25-26, 2020.
• ICRA 2020 Virtual Workshop: Shaping the quality metric of a grasp with the manipulation task, June 30, 2020.
• Special Issue: IEEE RA-L Special Issue on Benchmarking Protocols for Robotic Manipulation. Published: February 2020.
• IROS 2019. 3rd Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition. Macau, China, November 4-5, 2019.
• RSS 2019 Workshop: Emerging Paradigms for Robotic Manipulation: From the Lab to the Productive World. 23 June 2019, Freiburg, Germany.
• ERF 2019 Workshop: World Perception for Autonomous Applications in Agile Manufacturing. March 22 2019, Bucharest, Romania.
• ERF 2019 Workshop: The Overlooked Barrier: Change Management during Robotization. March 22 2019, Bucharest, Romania.
• IROS 2018 Mobile Manipulation Hackathon. October 1-5 2018, Madrid, Spain.
• CASE 2018 Workshop: Robotic Assembly - Recent Advancements and Opportunities for Challenging R&D, August 20 2018, Munich, Germany.

 EU Projects

• EROSS IOD: European Robotic Orbital Support Services In-Orbit Demonstration (Horizon Europe, 2023-2025)
• ASCEND: Advanced Space Cloud for European Net Zero Emission and Data Sovereingty (Horizon Europe, 2023-2024)
• INTELLIMAN: AI-Powered Manipulation System for Advanced Robotic Service, Manufacturing and Prosthetics (Horizon Europe, 2022-2026)
• SOFTENABLE: Towards Soft Fixture-Based Manipulation Primitives Enabling Safe Robotic Manipulation in Hazardous Healthcare and Food Handling Applications (Horizon Europe, 2022-2026)
• EROSS+: European Robotic Orbital Support Services (H2020, 2021-2023).
• PULSAR: Prototype of an Ultra-Large Structure Assembly Robot (H2020, 2019-2021)
• MOSAR: Modular Spacecraft Assembly and Reconfiguration (H2020, 2019-2021)
• COMANOID:  Multi-contact Collaborative Humanoids in Aircraft Manufacturing (H2020, 2015-2019)
• SOMA:  Soft Manipulation (H2020, 2015-2019)
• SMErobotics: European Robotics Initiative for Strengthening the Competitiveness of SMEs in Manufacturing (FP7, 2012-2016)
• GeRT: Generalizing Robot Manipulation Tasks (FP7, 2010-2013)
• DEXMART: DEXterous and autonomous dual-arm/hand robotic manipulation with sMART sensory-motor skills: A bridge from natural to artificial cognition (FP7, 2010-2012)