H. Schafer

University of Kaiserslautern, Iowa State University

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

H. Schafer is a pioneering researcher in off-road robotics and autonomous navigation, with a particular focus on perception-driven systems for unstructured environments. Their most influential work, “3D obstacle detection and avoidance in vegetated off-road terrain” (2008, 36 citations), introduced a laser-based obstacle detection system for the mobile platform RAVON. By equipping the robot with a 3D laser scanner and developing evaluation routines for individual vertical scans, Schafer enabled robust terrain identification and safe traversal in vegetated, off-road settings—a critical challenge for field robotics. This contribution laid foundational methods for real-time environmental perception in complex outdoor terrains. Schafer further advanced the field with their action/perception-oriented software design approach (2008, 9 citations), which tightly couples sensor requirements with navigational tasks, improving efficiency in behavior-based robot control. Earlier in their career, Schafer also contributed to robotic manipulation, studying the motion economy and versatility of two-finger grippers (1983, 3 citations). Through these works, Schafer has shaped how robots perceive and act in challenging, natural environments, making their research essential reading for students and engineers working on autonomous off-road navigation and field robotics.