Dominik Mannhart

About

Dominik Mannhart is a leading roboticist whose work sits at the intersection of mechanical design, dynamics, and control for agile locomotion. His primary research focuses on wheeled bipedal robots—machines that combine the speed of wheels with the stability and jumping capability of legs. Mannhart’s most significant contribution is the creation of **Ascento**, a two-wheeled jumping robot introduced in a 2019 paper that has garnered **243 citations**. This work demonstrated a compact platform capable of navigating complex indoor environments with unprecedented agility, making it highly valuable for inspection tasks. He further advanced the field with a 2020 paper on **LQR-Assisted Whole-Body Control** (179 citations), which provided a rigorous, hierarchical control framework for managing the complex dynamics of wheeled bipedal systems with kinematic loops. Beyond these landmark publications, Mannhart has explored novel actuation concepts, including a force-compliant variable cam system for multi-legged locomotion. His research is distinguished by its seamless integration of innovative mechanical design with sophisticated control theory, establishing him as a key figure in the development of next-generation, highly mobile ground robots.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Ascento: A Two-Wheeled Jumping Robot

   243 citations · 2019
2. 2
   LQR-Assisted Whole-Body Control of a Wheeled Bipedal Robot With Kinematic Loops

   179 citations · 2020
3. 3
   Design Optimization of a Four-Bar Leg Linkage for a Legged-Wheeled Balancing Robot

   4 citations · 2022
4. 4
   CAMI - Analysis, Design and Realization of a Force-Compliant Variable Cam System

   4 citations · 2020

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links