Axel Graeser

About

Axel Graeser has dedicated his career to restoring independence for individuals with severe physical disabilities through intelligent rehabilitation robotics. As the lead developer of the FRIEND system (Functional Robot arm with user-friendly interface for Disabled people) at the University of Bremen’s Institute of Automation, he has pioneered wheelchair-mounted manipulators that enable semi-autonomous execution of daily living tasks. His foundational work on FRIEND-I and FRIEND-II, each garnering over 30 citations, established a reference platform for dependable, user-centered assistive technology. Graeser’s contributions extend to motion planning, where he introduced the CellBiRRT algorithm—a bi-directional RRT approach that handles pose constraints in cluttered environments—and to system calibration for reliable object grasping. He also advanced overground gait rehabilitation with the MOPASS system, addressing precise joint trajectory generation and control. His research on ambient intelligence integration underscores a necessary symbiosis for robust operation in unstructured settings. With a career spanning two decades, Graeser’s work has directly shaped the field of rehabilitation robotics, offering tangible solutions that enhance quality of life and autonomy for users with quadriplegia.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Rehabilitation Robots FRIEND-I and FRIEND-II with the dexterous lightweight manipulator

   31 citations · 2005
2. 2
   The Rehabilitation Robots FRIEND-I & II: Daily Life Independency through Semi-Autonomous Task-Execution

   28 citations · 2007
3. 3
   A RRT based path planning algorithm for Rehabilitation robots

   14 citations · 2010
4. 4
   Applications of a Fluidic Artificial Hand in the Field of Rehabilitation

   4 citations · 2007
5. 5
   Camera Calibration for Reliable Object Manipulation in Care-Providing Robot FRIEND

   4 citations · 2010
6. 6
   Joint Trajectory Generation and Control for Overground Robot-based Gait Rehabilitation System MOPASS

   3 citations · 2016
7. 7
   Ambient intelligence and rehabilitation robots — A necessary symbiosis for robust operation in unstructured environments

   3 citations · 2010
8. 8
   Book Detection and Grasping in Library Scenario

   3 citations · 2012
9. 9
   FRIEND - A Dependable Semiautonomous Rehabilitation

   3 citations · 2010
10. 10
    Comparison of sampling based motion planning algorithms specialized for robot manipulators

    2 citations · 2012

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links