Projects per year
Organisation profile
Introduction / mission
Our mission is to inspire and educate the next generation of engineers to advance the field of robotics at national and international level. We research the fundamentals of autonomous and collaborative robotics in man-made environments. We develop flexible, robust, and safe robots that can interact with people and other machines.
Highlighted phrase
DESIGNING AUTONOMOUS AND COLLABORATIVE ROBOTS FOR THE INDUSTRY AND SOCIETY
Organisation profile
We actively engage in collaborative research focused on robotics with academic and industrial partners to create pioneering, innovative robotic solutions with strong societal and scientific impact.
Collaborative mobile robots in dynamic man-made environments, surgical robots, and soft robots for medical and logistics applications are key examples of the application domain of the Robotics section.
The design and realization of these robotics systems requires a multi-disciplinarity approach. We strive for a fine balance between theoretical and practical aspects, aiming at developing systems to be used in realistic scenarios with realistic constraints, and tackling relevant industrial and societal needs. Our expertise covers advanced sensing, control, planning, perception, knowledge representation, and hardware development for mobile robots and manipulators, both rigid and soft.
The research lines of the Robotics sections are
1. multimodal robot perception and world modeling
2. robot control, planning, and learning
3. teleoperation, haptics, soft robotics, and human-robot interaction
4. robot modeling, simulation, and experimental validation
5. robotic and autonomous systems design
The research of the Robotics section is targeted to a variety of robot types, including wheeled robots, legged robots, manipulators, and teams of robots.
The domains of application include care and cure, construction, logistics, manufacturing, agri-food, services, and entertainment.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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Aron J. Aertssen
- Mechanical Engineering, Group Van de Molengraft - Doctoral Candidate
Person: Prom. : doctoral candidate (PhD)
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Ömür Arslan
- Mechanical Engineering, Robotics - Assistant Professor
- EAISI High Tech Systems - Assistant Professor
- EAISI Mobility - Assistant Professor
- Mechanical Engineering, Group Van de Molengraft - Assistant Professor
Person: UD : Assistant Professor
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Dharshan Bashkaran Latha
- Mechanical Engineering, Group Van de Molengraft - Doctoral Candidate
Person: Prom. : doctoral candidate (PhD)
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Zorgrobotica over de grenzen heen
van de Molengraft, M. J. G. (Project Manager), Kuling, I. A. (Project member), Elfring, J. (Project member) & Kuijpers, W. J. P. (Project Manager)
1/04/26 → 31/03/29
Project: Third tier
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101100707 AI-matters; "AI MAnufacturing Testing and experimenTation network for EuRopean Industries"
van de Molengraft, M. J. G. (Project Manager), Senden, J. P. F. (Project member), Kolodko, I. (Project member), Deogan, A. S. (Project member), Bindels, B. H. T. (Project member), van den Brandt, G. (Project member), Steinbuch, M. (Project member), van Beek, F. (Project member), Torta, E. (Project member), Teurlings, P. (Project member), Meulendijks, D. (Project member), Hameeteman, D. (Project member), van Steen, J. J. (Project member), Saccon, A. (Project member), Arslan, Ö. (Project member), Elfring, J. (Project member) & Verhees, E. D. T. (Project member)
1/01/23 → 31/12/27
Project: Third tier
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TOWR: 22.0024 TOWR CST
den Ouden, J. H. V. (Project communication officer), van de Molengraft, M. J. G. (Project Manager), de Vos, K. (Project member), van Rhijn, G. (Project member) & Steinbuch, M. (Project member)
1/01/21 → 30/04/27
Project: Third tier
Research output
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An end effector and a method for manipulating an object using the end effector
Hacking, L. J. N. (Inventor) & Saccon, A. (Inventor), 14 Jan 2026, IPC No. B25J 15/ 00 A I, Patent No. NL2038004B, Priority date 20 Jun 2024, Priority No. NL20242038004Research output: Patent › Patent publication
Open Access -
Apparent Motion Induced with Soft Pneumatic Actuators
Plaisier, M. A. (Corresponding author), Beeks, L. P. V., Ou, C., Kommuri, K. D. & Kuling, I. A., 28 Jul 2026, Haptics: Understanding Touch; Technology and Systems; Applications and Interaction: 15th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2026, Siena, Italy, July 6–9, 2026, Proceedings. Pacchierotti, C., MacLean, K. E. & van Erp, J. B. F. (eds.). Berlin: Springer Nature, Vol. 1. p. 126-135 10 p. ( Lecture Notes in Computer Science; vol. 16593).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review
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A robust strain-based Cosserat rod finite element formulation for modeling soft robots
Mitterbach, P. (Corresponding author), Kuling, I. A., Pogromsky, A. Y. & Eugster, S. R., 21 May 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Multibody System Dynamics. XXResearch output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access
Equipment
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Motion Control Laboratory
Teurlings, P. (Manager), Knippenberg, S. C. M. (Manager), Hanselaar, C. A. J. (Manager) & Oomen, T. A. E. (Manager)
Dynamics and ControlFacility/equipment: Research lab
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Robotics Laboratory
van de Loo, H. C. T. (Manager), Knippenberg, S. C. M. (Manager) & Hanselaar, C. A. J. (Manager)
Control Systems TechnologyFacility/equipment: Research lab
Datasets
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Impact-Aware Robotics Archives Collection
Saccon, A. (Creator) & Jongeneel, M. (Creator), 4TU.Centre for Research Data, 30 Jan 2023
DOI: 10.4121/c.5405187, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/7 and 16 more links, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/6, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/8, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/20, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/19, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/18, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/17, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/16, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/15, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/14, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/12, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/13, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/11, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/10, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/_/5405187/9, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/c46f0d20-c62d-407b-8355-6737243d11c9/22, https://data.4tu.nl/collections/c46f0d20-c62d-407b-8355-6737243d11c9/21 (show fewer)
Dataset
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Impact Aware Manipulation (I.AM.) archive containing box impact recordings
Jongeneel, M. (Creator) & Saccon, A. (Creator), 4TU.Centre for Research Data, 13 Jun 2022
DOI: 10.4121/17122553, https://data.4tu.nl/articles/_/17122553/3
Dataset
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Impact Aware Manipulation (I.AM.) archive containing suction cup recordings
Jongeneel, M. (Creator), Peeters, G. J. H. (Contributor) & Saccon, A. (Contributor), 4TU.Centre for Research Data, 9 Jun 2022
DOI: 10.4121/17041043, https://data.4tu.nl/articles/dataset/Impact_Aware_Manipulation_I_AM_archive_containing_suction_cup_recordings/17041043
Dataset
Prizes
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2020 EurAgEng Outstanding Paper Awards
Kuijpers, W. J. P. (Recipient), 2020
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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Dutch Data Prize 2024 (Natural and Engineering Sciences)
Saccon, A. (Recipient), 2024
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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Eurohaptics Society PhD award 2016
van Beek, F. (Recipient), 9 Jun 2017
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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15th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, Eurohaptics 2026
van Beek, F. (Organiser)
6 Jul 2026 → 9 Jul 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Conference › Scientific
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2026 Eurohaptics conference (Event)
Kappers, A. M. L. (Editorial board member)
24 Jan 2026 → 30 May 2026Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity › Scientific
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2026 Eurohaptics conference (Event)
van Beek, F. (Editorial board member)
2026Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity › Scientific
Press/Media
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"What can you get a Pick and Place robot to do?"
Kunnen, R. P. J., van Hattum, G. P. M. & Postema, M.
6/03/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Podcast episode on the Haptics Club "Making sense of haptics"
27/06/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
Research areas
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Computational Robotics Research (CORE)
Arslan, Ö. (Researcher) & Mulders, P. (Administrative support)
Impact: Research Topic/Theme (at group level)
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Haptics and Soft Robotics
Kuling, I. (Researcher), Mulders, P. (Administrative support), van Beek, F. (Researcher), Kommuri, K. D. (Researcher), van Laake, L. (Researcher), Proper, B. (Researcher) & Mitterbach, P. (Researcher)
Impact: Research Topic/Theme (at group level)
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Medical Robotics
Legrand, J. (Content manager) & Mulders, P. (Content manager)
Impact: Research Topic/Theme (at group level)
Student theses
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2D Detection of Carton Boxes from RGB images
Schipper, V. J. V. (Author), Saccon, A. (Supervisor 1) & De Queiroz Mendes, R. (Coach), Jun 2023Student thesis: Bachelor
File -
Accelerating MRI with a Quiet Wireless Insert Gradient Coil
Weersink, H. P. (Author), Raaijmakers, A. J. E. (Supervisor 1), Scannell, C. (Supervisor 2), Huberts, W. (Supervisor 2), Vermeulen, G. N. J. P. (Supervisor 2), van Keulen, T. A. C. (Supervisor 2) & Cortes Garcia, I. (Supervisor 2), 25 Apr 2024Student thesis: Master
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Accuracy of Single Camera Pose Estimation with ArUco Fiducial Markers
Schouten, R. (Author), Arslan, Ö. (Supervisor 1) & Işleyen, A. (Supervisor 2), Feb 2022Student thesis: Bachelor
File