Nadine Fligge

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Nadine Fligge is a leading researcher in the biomechanics and robotics of human movement, with a particular focus on the computational principles underlying fast, coordinated actions. Her work bridges robotics and neuroscience to understand how humans plan and execute complex reaching and catching motions. In her highly cited 2009 paper, "Robotics of human movements" (36 citations), she established foundational frameworks for modeling human motor control. Her 2012 study, "Minimum jerk for human catching movements in 3D" (26 citations), is a landmark contribution: by using a catapult to throw tennis balls from multiple positions and tracking arm movements in 11 right-handed participants, she demonstrated that fast 3D catching movements follow a minimum-jerk trajectory—a principle central to both motor neuroscience and robotic control. This work has directly influenced the design of more natural, human-like robotic arms and prosthetics. Fligge’s research is essential reading for students and engineers in robotics, motor control, and rehabilitation engineering, offering a rigorous, data-driven understanding of how the brain solves the complex problem of intercepting moving objects in space.