A. Frank van der Stappen

About

A. Frank van der Stappen is a leading figure in algorithmic robotics, whose work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of motion planning in complex environments. His research centers on computational geometry and its application to robot path planning, manipulation, and medical robotics. Van der Stappen’s seminal contributions include pioneering the analysis of motion planning amidst "fat obstacles," where he introduced efficient paradigms that exploit geometric properties to dramatically reduce computational complexity—a concept explored in his highly cited 1993 paper (77 citations). He has also made significant strides in multi-robot coordination, as evidenced by his 1999 work on motion planning for multiple robots (55 citations), and has extended his geometric insights to practical domains like surgical automation, developing algorithms for robotic tissue retraction (30 citations). With over 350 citations across his top ten papers, his work on geometric eccentricity and manipulation plans (26 citations) remains a cornerstone in the field. Van der Stappen’s ability to bridge theoretical rigor with real-world applications—from satellite imaging to compliant pushing—marks him as a transformative researcher whose algorithms continue to influence modern robotics.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   The complexity of the free space for a robot moving amidst fat obstacles

   77 citations · 1993
2. 2
   Motion Planning for Multiple Robots

   55 citations · 1999
3. 3
   Motion planning amidst fat obstacles (extended abstract)

   45 citations · 1994
4. 4
   Motion Planning in Environments with Low Obstacle Density

   41 citations · 1998
5. 5
   Surgical retraction of non-uniform deformable layers of tissue: 2D robot grasping and path planning

   30 citations · 2009
6. 6
   Geometric Eccentricity and the Complexity of Manipulation Plans

   26 citations · 2000
7. 7
   Exact algorithms for single frame selection on multiaxis Satellites

   25 citations · 2006
8. 8
   Motion planning for multiple robots

   19 citations · 1998
9. 9
   Path planning for pushing a disk using compliance

   18 citations · 2005
10. 10
    Exact and Distributed Algorithms for Collaborative Camera Control

    14 citations · 2004

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links