Nicolas Heiniger

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Nicolas Heiniger is a robotics researcher whose work bridges autonomous navigation, sensor-based environmental interaction, and educational robotics. His primary research areas include odor source localization, obstacle avoidance in constrained environments, and the development of accessible robotics curricula. In his most notable contribution, "Localizing an Odor Source and Avoiding Obstacles: Experiments in a Wind Tunnel using Real Robots" (2009, 18 citations), Heiniger demonstrated a real-robot system capable of tracking an ethanol plume while navigating around obstacles in a controlled wind tunnel. This work advanced the practical application of bio-inspired olfactory search algorithms, showing how robots can integrate wind direction and chemical sensors for environmental monitoring or hazardous material detection. He also co-authored "Cyberbotics' Robot Curriculum" (2014, 12 citations), a widely referenced educational framework that provides structured, hands-on lessons for teaching robotics using the Webots simulation platform. This curriculum has been adopted by universities and hobbyists alike, reflecting Heiniger's commitment to making robotics accessible. His research, though modest in citation count, has had a lasting impact on both experimental odor source localization and robotics education.