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All people Faculty / No. 01
Kaspar Althoefer

Professor · Principal Investigator

Kaspar Althoefer

Dipl.-Ing. Aachen, PhD, IEEE Fellow

Robot autonomy, soft robotics, systems engineering, modelling of tool-environment interaction dynamics, tactile sensing and haptic perception with applications in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, rehabilitation, assistive technologies and human-robot interactions in the manufacturing environment.

Output

Selected publications

  1. A Multi-Vine Soft Robot Enabling Accessible Working Channel and Steering

    Kashef R, Suulker C, Sheikhsofla M, Althoefer K

    Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics · 2026

    Reza Kashef Reza Kashef Cem Süülker Cem Süülker Mohammad Sheikhsofla Mohammad Sheikhsofla Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  2. A Soft Robotic Interface for Chick-Robot Affective Interactions

    Chen J, Mielke A, Althoefer K, Versace E

    arXiv preprint · 2026

    Jue Chen Jue Chen Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  3. Buoyancy Actuation of an Underwater Soft Robot Arm through Inflation with Incompressible Fluids

    Kaleel D, Lalitharatne TD, Baker AG, Wurdemann HA, Clément B, Althoefer K

    SSRN preprint · 2026

    Danyaal Mohamed Kaleel Danyaal Mohamed Kaleel Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  4. Enabling High-Curvature Navigation in Eversion Robots through Buckle-Inducing Constrictive Bands

    Suulker C, Haimus MA, Mack T, Sheikhsofla M, Dei NN, Kashef R, Sadati H, Barontini F, Ficuciello F, Arezzo A, Siciliano B, Althoefer K

    arXiv preprint · 2026

    Cem Süülker Cem Süülker Thomas Christopher Mack Thomas Christopher Mack Mohammad Sheikhsofla Mohammad Sheikhsofla Neri Niccolò Dei Neri Niccolò Dei Reza Kashef Reza Kashef Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  5. Hyperelastic Characterisation of Silicone Tissue Phantoms: A Parametric Database with Model Selection and Inverse Design Framework

    Dawood AB, Zhang Z, Osman D, Suulker C, Abdulali A, Angelmahr M, Althoefer K

    2026

    Abu Bakar Dawood Abu Bakar Dawood Dalia Osman Dalia Osman Cem Süülker Cem Süülker Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    Link ↗

  6. Layered e-skin for Shear Sensing

    Cong Q, Devillard A, Dawood AB, Zhang X, Fan W, Dei NN, Suulker C, Althoefer K, Burdet E, Zhang D

    arXiv preprint · 2026

    Qingzheng Cong Qingzheng Cong Abu Bakar Dawood Abu Bakar Dawood Neri Niccolò Dei Neri Niccolò Dei Cem Süülker Cem Süülker Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  7. Learning-Based Soft Robotic Grasping: Recent Progress and Remaining Challenges

    Majumder A, Konstantinova J, Deacon G, Althoefer K

    Advanced Robotics Research · 2026

    Arnab Majumder Arnab Majumder Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  8. Magnetic-Based Variable-Stiffness Sensor for Robotic Palpation for Tissue Characterisation in Minimally Invasive Surgery

    Osman D, Nadipineni S, Dawood A, Lalitharatne T, Althoefer K

    Proceedings of the 18th Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics (HSMR 2026) · 2026

    Dalia Osman Dalia Osman Abu Bakar Dawood Abu Bakar Dawood Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  9. Smart Illuminated Touch: Integrated AI for Improved Optical Tomography-Based Soft Sensors

    Dawood AB, Rajalakshmi JP, Majumder A, Althoefer K

    IEEE Sensors Journal · 2026

    Abu Bakar Dawood Abu Bakar Dawood Arnab Majumder Arnab Majumder Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  10. Soft Eversion Robots for Colonoscopy: Challenges, Open Problems, and Emerging Solutions

    Suulker C, Mack T, Cong Q, Dei NN, Kashef R, Sheikhsofla M, Althoefer K

    arXiv preprint · 2026

    Cem Süülker Cem Süülker Thomas Christopher Mack Thomas Christopher Mack Qingzheng Cong Qingzheng Cong Neri Niccolò Dei Neri Niccolò Dei Reza Kashef Reza Kashef Mohammad Sheikhsofla Mohammad Sheikhsofla Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  11. State of the art in soft eversion robots for colonoscopy: a review

    Suulker C, Mack T, Distefano G, Chan CH, Zhang K, Sadati SMH, Mecozzi L, Sulaiman S, Thaha MA, Ficuciello F, Siciliano B, Arezzo A, Althoefer K

    Progress in Biomedical Engineering · 2026

    Cem Süülker Cem Süülker Thomas Christopher Mack Thomas Christopher Mack Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  12. TacEva: A Performance Evaluation Framework for Vision-Based Tactile Sensors

    Cong Q, Oh S, Fan W, Luo S, Althoefer K, Zhang D

    Advanced Intelligent Systems · 2026

    Qingzheng Cong Qingzheng Cong Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  13. Efficient Manufacturing of Steerable Eversion Robots with Integrated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles

    Mack T, Suulker C, Dawood AB, Althoefer K

    Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing · 2025

    Thomas Christopher Mack Thomas Christopher Mack Cem Süülker Cem Süülker Abu Bakar Dawood Abu Bakar Dawood Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  14. Fiber Bragg grating-based tactile sensing tool for minimally invasive surgery

    Zhang Z, Violakis G, Dawood AB, Abdalwareth A, Althoefer K, Polygerinos P, Angelmahr M, Schade W

    Proceedings of SPIE · 2025

    Abu Bakar Dawood Abu Bakar Dawood Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗

  15. Flexible Sensor Foil Based on Polymer Optical Waveguide for Haptic Assessment

    Zhang Z, Dawood AB, Violakis G, Abdalwareth A, Flachenecker G, Polygerinos P, Althoefer K, Angelmahr M, Schade W

    Sensors · 2025

    Abu Bakar Dawood Abu Bakar Dawood Kaspar Althoefer Kaspar Althoefer
    DOI ↗