Bernd Gombert

About

Bernd Gombert is a robotics researcher whose career has been shaped by pioneering work at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), where he contributed significantly to the development of advanced light-weight robotic systems. His research spans mechatronics, space robotics, and modular robot design — areas in which he helped define foundational frameworks that influenced an entire generation of robotic technology. Gombert's most impactful contribution, "On a unified concept for a new generation of light-weight robots" (1990, 31 citations), established an integrated design philosophy for multisensory, lightweight robotic systems that balanced performance with structural efficiency. This work seeded a sustained research program at DLR, with follow-on publications throughout the 1990s and early 2000s refining modular and mechatronic approaches to robot architecture. His involvement in the ROTEX space robot experiment (1992, 12 citations) demonstrated a rare ability to bridge theoretical robotics with real-world, high-stakes applications — ROTEX flew aboard the Spacelab D2 mission in 1993 and showcased autonomous and teleoperated robotic control in space. Gombert further explored how such space technologies could benefit terrestrial applications, reinforcing the translational value of his research across domains.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   On a unified concept for a new generation of light-weight robots

   31 citations · 1990
2. 2
   Modular concepts for a new generation of light weight robots

   14 citations · 2002
3. 3
   The sensory and telerobotic aspects of the space robot technology experiment ROTEX

   12 citations · 1992
4. 4
   Transferring space robot technologies into terrestrial applications

   7 citations · 1994
5. 5
   Modular concepts for the new generation of DLR’s light weight robots

   3 citations · 1995
6. 6
   Mechatronic concepts in the design of new multisensory light-weight-robots

   2 citations · 1993

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links