Christian Hofner

Papers

Total Citations

187

H-Index

About

Christian Hofner is a pioneering researcher in the field of autonomous mobile robotics, with a particular focus on path planning and navigation systems for service robots. His most significant contribution came in 1995 with his landmark work on path planning and guidance techniques for autonomous mobile cleaning robots, a paper that has accumulated nearly 190 citations and remains a foundational reference in the field. This research addressed the critical challenge of enabling robots to navigate complex, real-world environments efficiently and autonomously — a problem that sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, control systems, and practical robotics engineering. Hofner's work arrived at a formative moment in service robotics, helping to lay the conceptual and technical groundwork for what would eventually become a thriving industry of autonomous cleaning and household robots. By developing structured approaches to both path planning and real-time guidance, his research influenced generations of engineers and researchers working on domestic and industrial automation. For students entering the field of mobile robotics or autonomous systems, Hofner's 1995 study represents an essential early reference that helped transform theoretical robotics into practical, deployable technology.