Emanuel Vonach
Papers
7
Total Citations
98
H-Index
3
About
Emanuel Vonach is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of virtual reality, haptics, and human-computer interaction, with a particular focus on developing immersive physical feedback systems for VR environments. His work centers on encountered-type haptic devices — systems that deliver tangible, prop-based physical sensations within virtual spaces — and their applications in architectural design, education, and beyond. Vonach's most influential contribution, "VRRobot" (2017, 62 citations), introduced a groundbreaking robotic arm system capable of delivering haptic feedback across an infinite virtual environment, establishing him as a leading voice in VR haptics research. Building on this foundation, his "CoboDeck" project (2023, 22 citations) scaled this vision further, deploying a collaborative mobile robot to enable free-walking haptic VR experiences specifically tailored for architectural design workflows. His more recent work demonstrates remarkable creative breadth, incorporating action-origami-inspired mechanisms as lightweight haptic interfaces and exploring stiffness simulation for material-informed design. His 2025 research on safety frameworks for mobile haptic robots reflects a growing maturity in the field, addressing critical real-world deployment challenges. Across his career, Vonach has consistently bridged cutting-edge robotics with practical creative applications, making VR haptics more accessible, scalable, and meaningful for designers and researchers alike.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1VRRobot: Robot actuated props in an infinite virtual environment62 citations · 2017
- 2CoboDeck: A Large-Scale Haptic VR System Using a Collaborative Mobile Robot22 citations · 2023
- 3Action-Origami Inspired Haptic Devices for Virtual Reality6 citations · 2023
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