Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Kathrin Hoffmann is a rising leader in the field of collaborative robotics, with a focused expertise in the control and optimization of fluid-driven, particularly pneumatic, actuation systems. Her research addresses a critical challenge in modern automation: enabling robots to be both safe for human interaction and capable of high-precision tasks. Hoffmann’s major contributions lie in developing advanced nonlinear model-based control strategies for pneumatically driven robots, leveraging the inherent compliance of compressed air to create inherently safe, lightweight, and direct-drive systems. Her work on quasi time-optimal path tracking, which considers third-order actuator constraints, pushes the boundaries of performance for these compliant robots without sacrificing safety. Beyond control theory, she has also tackled the practical challenge of robot accuracy by optimizing camera placement for external tracking systems, a cost-effective solution for error compensation in high-accuracy applications like milling. With her most-cited paper, "On trajectory tracking control of fluid-driven actuators," garnering 7 citations, and a steady stream of recent publications from 2021 to 2024, Hoffmann is establishing herself as a key voice in the next generation of safe, high-performance industrial robotics.