Stefanie Völker

Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Stefanie Völker is a rising researcher at the forefront of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) and industrial robotics, with a particular focus on the intersection of workplace design, human perception, and immersive learning. Her work critically examines how the physical arrangement of collaborative robots influences human perceptions of dominance and trust, directly informing safer and more intuitive factory floor layouts. In her highly cited 2022 paper, "Collaborating eye to eye," Völker demonstrates that robot design and positioning are not merely technical choices but powerful social signals that shape worker psychology and acceptance. Beyond physical interaction, she pioneers virtual reality (VR) as a transformative tool for robotics education. Her 2022 work, "VIPER: A Virtual Platform to Experience Robots," introduces a VR-based learning platform that enables students to safely experiment with complex industrial manipulators in scenarios impossible to replicate in traditional classrooms. By bridging cognitive ergonomics with accessible simulation, Völker is shaping how future engineers learn to design and trust their robotic coworkers. Her contributions are laying the groundwork for more human-centered, psychologically informed industrial automation.