Micha Schaaf

ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Dr. Micha Schaaf is a leading roboticist whose work focuses on advancing autonomous mobility and logistics across complex, unstructured terrains. His primary research areas include legged locomotion, field robotics, and the design of high-payload transport systems for agricultural and industrial applications. Schaaf’s most notable contribution is the development of LEVA (Legged Electric Vehicle for Autonomy), a groundbreaking high-mobility logistic robot introduced in his 2025 paper. LEVA features a novel legged suspension system that combines the payload capacity of wheeled vehicles with the terrain adaptability of legged robots, enabling autonomous material transport over challenging surfaces like mud, slopes, and uneven fields. This work addresses a critical gap in agricultural automation, where traditional vehicles often fail. With 4 citations in its first year, the paper is already influencing the design of resilient field robots. Schaaf’s achievements include demonstrating LEVA’s ability to carry heavy loads while maintaining stability and energy efficiency, a breakthrough that promises to reduce labor costs and improve logistics in remote environments. His research is paving the way for a new generation of versatile, all-terrain robotic transporters.