Papers
3
Total Citations
31
H-Index
3
About
Thorsten Knoll is a pioneer in the engineering of miniature robotic systems, with a primary focus on the extreme miniaturization of communication and sensing technologies for swarming microrobots. His foundational work addresses the critical challenge of enabling coordination at the millimeter scale, where conventional components are too large. Knoll’s most influential contribution is the demonstration of feasible inductive data transmission between robots as small as 2×2×1 mm³, a landmark study that has garnered 13 citations and established the physical limits of wireless communication in micro-robotic swarms. He further advanced the field by developing an optical system for both communication and sensing, providing a dual-purpose solution for autonomous micromachines. Beyond communication, Knoll has made notable contributions to sensing hardware, including the realization of an airborne ultrasound phased array using cellular polymer film—a novel material with a high piezoelectric effect of up to 150 pC/N. This work, cited 7 times, enables object recognition and scanning without moving parts. Knoll’s research sits at the intersection of robotics, materials science, and wireless engineering, providing the essential building blocks for future autonomous microsystems.
Research Focus
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