Astrid M. L. Kappers

About

Astrid M. L. Kappers is a leading figure in the fields of haptic perception and sensorimotor control, with a career dedicated to understanding how the human hand interacts with the world. Her most impactful contribution is the highly cited 2016 paper, "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands" (297 citations), which bridges robotics and neuroscience to reveal how the brain simplifies hand control through coordinated movement patterns. This work has profound implications for designing more natural prosthetic and robotic hands. Kappers is also renowned for her fundamental discovery that local surface orientation is the dominant cue for haptic curvature discrimination, a finding she confirmed for both static and dynamic touch in her 2009 study (107 citations). Her research extends to practical applications, including the evaluation of robotically controlled endoscopic instruments (2013), demonstrating her commitment to translating basic science into improved surgical tools. Through her rigorous psychophysical experiments and interdisciplinary collaborations, Kappers has shaped our understanding of touch, leaving a lasting impact on both neuroscience and robotics.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands

   297 citations · 2016
2. 2
   Local Surface Orientation Dominates Haptic Curvature Discrimination

   107 citations · 2009
3. 3
   Towards a synergy framework across neuroscience and robotics: Lessons learned and open questions. Reply to comments on: “Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands”

   15 citations · 2016
4. 4
   Evaluation of robotically controlled advanced endoscopic instruments

   10 citations · 2013

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links