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About

Lukas Hann is a leading figure in space robotics, specializing in force-feedback telemanipulation and human-robot interaction for planetary exploration. His research focuses on enabling astronauts in orbit to remotely control rovers and robotic arms on celestial bodies, performing complex geology tasks in real-time. Hann’s most cited work, “Exploring planet geology through force-feedback telemanipulation from orbit” (45 citations), demonstrates how haptic feedback allows operators to “feel” rocks and terrain from space, overcoming the challenges of communication delays and unstructured environments. He played a pivotal role in the European Space Agency’s ANALOG-1 experiment, a culmination of 12 METERON experiments that validated the technical and operational framework for teleoperating a robotic asset from the ISS (16 citations). Notably, Hann contributed to the design and testing of a robotic avatar controlled by astronaut Luca Parmitano, who successfully performed moon-analog geology tasks from orbit—a landmark achievement in space-to-ground teleoperation. His work bridges robotics, geology, and human factors, directly supporting ESA’s roadmap for lunar exploration and in situ resource utilization. With a growing citation record, Hann’s insights are shaping the future of remote planetary science.