Ben Klaassens

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About

Ben Klaassens is a robotics engineer whose work bridges the gap between theoretical control systems and real-world construction automation. His primary research focuses on the design and implementation of robotic manipulators for heavy civil engineering, particularly in the challenging environment of shield tunneling machines. Klaassens’s most significant contribution is the development of a hybrid control design for a robot manipulator used in a novel tunneling method, where the tunnel lining is extruded continuously as the shield advances. This work, cited 9 times, addresses the complex task of precisely assembling steel segment rings to form the tunnel’s support structure while the boring machine is in motion. To support this research, he also created a specialized MATLAB design environment for robotic manipulators, cited 7 times, which provides a simulation and development platform for similar control challenges. Klaassens’s work is notable for its direct application to infrastructure projects, demonstrating how advanced robotics can solve practical problems in underground construction. His research remains a reference point for engineers seeking to automate the assembly of tunnel linings in mechanized excavation.