Papers
23
Total Citations
1,431
H-Index
16
About
Florian Petit is a leading figure in the development of variable stiffness actuation for anthropomorphic robots, a field in which his work has fundamentally advanced the safety, robustness, and dynamic performance of human-robot interaction. His research centers on the design, modeling, and control of compliant actuators, with a major contribution being the bidirectional antagonistic variable stiffness (BAVS) joint, which allows robots to independently modulate torque and stiffness. This concept is brought to life in the DLR Hand Arm System, a highly-cited (430 citations) anthropomorphic hand and arm that approaches human size, weight, and performance. Petit’s impact is further demonstrated by his work on optimal control under actuation constraints (166 citations) and backstepping control for variable stiffness robots (99 citations), which address the significant control challenges posed by these highly nonlinear systems. He has also advanced whole-body impedance control for mobile manipulators and generalized torque control methods for variable stiffness robots, moving these technologies toward practical application in service robotics. With over 1,100 total citations across his most-cited papers, Petit’s research is essential reading for anyone working on the next generation of safe, agile, and human-friendly robots.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1The DLR hand arm system430 citations · 2011
- 2
- 3Backstepping Control of Variable Stiffness Robots99 citations · 2015
- 4Whole-body impedance control of wheeled mobile manipulators97 citations · 2015
- 5
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- 7State feedback damping control for a multi DOF variable stiffness robot arm69 citations · 2011
- 8
- 9Variable impedance actuators: Moving the robots of tomorrow49 citations · 2012
- 10