Karl Stol

About

Karl Stol is a robotics and autonomous systems researcher whose work spans mobile robot dynamics, control, and energy-efficient navigation. He is perhaps best known for his influential 2013 review of two-wheeled robot modelling and control, which has accumulated over 227 citations and stands as a key reference in the field. His early research laid important groundwork in two-wheeled mobile robot (TWMR) stability and performance, including pioneering investigations into how terrain inclination affects robot behaviour and developing practical balancing platforms for autonomous applications. A significant thread of Stol's career concerns Mecanum-wheeled omnidirectional robots, where he has made notable contributions to heavy-duty system design, energy consumption modelling, and power-minimizing trajectory planning. His extension of the dynamic window approach to incorporate energy efficiency criteria reflects a forward-thinking integration of robotics and sustainability. Earlier in his career, Stol also advanced robotic driver technology, developing systems capable of automating vehicle dynamometer testing and autonomous vehicle following — work that bridged industrial testing needs with emerging autonomous systems research. Across his portfolio, Stol demonstrates a consistent commitment to translating theoretical modelling into experimentally validated, practically impactful robotic systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Review of modelling and control of two-wheeled robots

   227 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Heavy-duty omni-directional Mecanum-wheeled robot for autonomous navigation: System development and simulation realization

   44 citations · 2015
3. 3
   Power-minimization and energy-reduction autonomous navigation of an omnidirectional Mecanum robot via the dynamic window approach local trajectory planning

   44 citations · 2018
4. 4
   The Effect of Terrain Inclination on Performance and the Stability Region of Two-Wheeled Mobile Robots

   39 citations · 2012
5. 5
   Development of a robotic driver for vehicle dynamometer testing

   26 citations · 2006
6. 6
   Experimental validation of energy consumption model for the four-wheeled omnidirectional Mecanum robots for energy-optimal motion control

   23 citations · 2016
7. 7
   Performance enhancement of a statically unstable Two Wheeled Mobile Robot traversing on an uneven surface

   18 citations · 2010
8. 8
   Development of a Mobile Two-Wheel Balancing Platform for Autonomous Applications

   17 citations · 2008
9. 9
   Autonomous Vehicle Following Using a Robotic Driver

   16 citations · 2008
10. 10
    Development of a robotic driver for autonomous vehicle following

    15 citations · 2009

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links