Papers
12
Total Citations
437
H-Index
8
About
Harald Staab is a robotics researcher whose work spans in-hand manipulation, human-robot collaboration, and industrial automation. His most influential contribution, "Extrinsic dexterity: In-hand manipulation with external forces" (279 citations), redefined how robotic hands can reposition objects by leveraging environmental contacts rather than relying solely on complex finger coordination—a paradigm shift that made dexterous manipulation simpler and more robust. Staab also advanced safe human-robot interaction, quantifying injury risks in collaborative industrial settings (21 citations) and designing structured behaviors that balance productivity with safety. His practical innovations include a two-phase gripper (45 citations) that passively reorients objects during pickup, and a flexible gripper for shared human environments (8 citations). Beyond manipulation, he developed a rail-guided robotic vehicle for conveyor inspection in mining (17 citations) and the DOHELIX technical muscle (11 citations), a scalable, low-cost artificial muscle for bionic robots. Staab’s work is distinguished by its focus on real-world applicability—bridging theoretical kinematics, safety quantification, and deployable hardware—making him a key figure in bringing dexterous, collaborative robotics from the lab to industrial floors.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Extrinsic dexterity: In-hand manipulation with external forces279 citations · 2014
- 2A two-phase gripper to reorient and grasp45 citations · 2015
- 3
- 4Service Robots and Automation for the Disabled/Limited21 citations · 2009
- 5
- 6A Robotic Vehicle System for Conveyor Inspection in Mining17 citations · 2019
- 7
- 8
- 9Applying differential geometry to kinematic modeling in mobile robotics3 citations · 2005
- 10Studies and guidelines on the design of the DOHELIX technical muscle3 citations · 2007