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About

Jens Liedke is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of swarm robotics, modular self-reconfigurable systems, and evolutionary robotics. Drawing inspiration from biological symbiosis — the cooperative relationships observed in bacteria and fungi — Liedke has dedicated much of his career to developing robotic platforms capable of collective morphogenesis, where individual autonomous agents physically unite to form larger, functionally richer "robotic organisms." His most influential contribution, "Symbiotic Robot Organisms" (2008, 82 citations), laid conceptual groundwork for how competition and cooperation among swarm agents can elevate collective fitness. This vision was realized mechanically through the CoSMO platform (2013, 42 citations), a computationally powerful modular robot developed under the European REPLICATOR and SYMBRION projects, and reinforced by practical innovations such as the CoBoLD docking mechanism, which enables reliable physical bonding between modules. His evolutionary robotics platform (2009, 38 citations) further advanced the field by enabling on-board, on-line artificial evolution within reconfigurable structures. Beyond large collaborative systems, Liedke demonstrated versatility by introducing Wanda, a compact robot designed for research, education, and the arts. With over 250 cumulative citations, his body of work represents a sustained and imaginative contribution to the future of intelligent, adaptable robotic systems.