Papers
51
Total Citations
3,040
H-Index
27
About
Jean-Christophe Zufferey is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work spans bio-inspired locomotion, micro aerial vehicles, and collective robotics. Best known for his contributions to miniature and mobile robot design, Zufferey has helped redefine what small-scale autonomous systems can achieve in challenging real-world environments. Among his most celebrated contributions is his work on miniature jumping robots — including a remarkable 7-gram, 5-centimeter device capable of clearing obstacles 27 times its own height (326 citations) — and the innovative EPFL jumpglider, which combined jumping and gliding locomotion in a single compact platform. His research on collision-resilient flying robots (192 citations) opened new possibilities for navigation in GPS-denied, cluttered environments critical to search-and-rescue applications. Zufferey also co-developed the e-puck educational robot (703 citations), now a widely adopted platform in engineering curricula worldwide, demonstrating his commitment to accessible robotics education. His investigations into vision-based obstacle avoidance for ultra-lightweight indoor aircraft and Reynolds-inspired fixed-wing robot flocking further illustrate his breadth across autonomous navigation and swarm intelligence. With over 1,900 citations across his top works, Zufferey stands as an influential figure bridging biologically inspired design with practical robotic systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1The e-puck, a Robot Designed for Education in Engineering703 citations · 2009
- 2A miniature 7g jumping robot326 citations · 2008
- 3A Collision‐resilient Flying Robot192 citations · 2013
- 4Steerable miniature jumping robot157 citations · 2009
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- 6
- 7A miniature jumping robot with self-recovery capabilities92 citations · 2009
- 8
- 92.5D infrared range and bearing system for collective robotics73 citations · 2009
- 103-D relative positioning sensor for indoor flying robots70 citations · 2012