Thomas Villgrattner
Technical University of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Papers
7
Total Citations
137
H-Index
5
About
Thomas Villgrattner is a leading figure in the development of high-dynamic, bio-inspired camera orientation systems, with his work bridging the gap between human oculomotor performance and robotic vision. His primary research areas include the design and control of compact, multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) camera platforms, piezo-driven actuation, and agricultural robotics. Villgrattner’s major contributions are exemplified by his pioneering work on a 2-DOF camera-orientation system (47 citations), which achieves dynamics exceeding those of the human eye while remaining lightweight enough for head-mounted use. He further advanced the field with a 3-DOF system (14 citations) utilizing ultrasonic piezo-actuators and parallel kinematics for pan, tilt, and roll control. His most cited paper (48 citations) extends these principles to a redundant modular multipurpose agricultural manipulator, demonstrating how autonomous robots can alleviate demanding fieldwork. Notably, his systems have been applied as artificial eyes in humanoid robots and as gaze-driven devices, with simulation experiments replicating natural eye movements like saccades and smooth pursuit. With a cumulative citation count exceeding 130, Villgrattner’s work is instrumental in creating vision systems for wearable and robotic applications, offering both high performance and compact form factors.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Design and Control of a Compact High-Dynamic Camera-Orientation System47 citations · 2010
- 3Piezo-driven two-degree-of-freedom camera orientation system18 citations · 2008
- 4
- 5Vision system for wearable and robotic uses5 citations · 2008
- 6Modeling and simulation of a piezo-driven camera orientation system3 citations · 2009
- 7