Hans Georg Bock

About

Hans Georg Bock is a distinguished researcher whose work bridges computational mathematics, optimal control, and robotics. His primary contributions span nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC), real-time optimization, and robot trajectory planning — fields in which he has helped establish foundational algorithmic frameworks now widely adopted in both academia and industry. Bock's most influential contribution explores open-loop stable locomotion, demonstrating that monopedal and bipedal robots can achieve stable periodic running without any sensory feedback — a counterintuitive and theoretically significant result that has garnered 68 citations. His development of direct multiple shooting algorithms for optimal robot control provides practitioners with computationally efficient tools for solving complex nonlinear optimal control problems in real time, reflecting his sustained commitment to bridging theory and application. His earlier work on time-optimal trajectories for elbow and SCARA robots, dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s, positioned him as a pioneer in robot motion planning. Later contributions addressing satellite-mounted robotic systems demonstrate his versatility across domains, including space robotics. Through edited volumes such as *Modeling, Simulation and Optimization of Complex Processes*, Bock has also shaped the broader research community. Collectively, his body of work underscores a career dedicated to making advanced optimization methods practically viable for complex dynamical systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Open-loop stable running

   68 citations · 2005
2. 2
   Nonlinear Model Predictive Control of Robots Using Real-time Optimization

   23 citations · 2004
3. 3
   Fast Direct Multiple Shooting Algorithms for Optimal Robot Control

   22 citations · 2005
4. 4
   Time optimal trajectories of elbow robots by direct methods

   16 citations · 1989
5. 5
   The method of orienting curves and its application to manipulator trajectory planning

   15 citations · 1997
6. 6
   Computer-aided motion planning for satellite mounted robots

   13 citations · 1998
7. 7
   Time optimal control of SCARA robots

   9 citations · 1990
8. 8
   Modeling, Simulation and Optimization of Complex Processes HPSC 2015

   5 citations · 2017
9. 9
   Open-loop Stable Control of Periodic Multibody Systems

   2 citations · 2005
10. 10
    Computer‐aided motion planning for satellite mounted robots

    2 citations · 1998

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links