Manuel Schlegel

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Papers

Total Citations

249

H-Index

About

Manuel Schlegel is a pioneering roboticist whose work focuses on bio-inspired locomotion, particularly the design and control of miniature jumping robots. His major contributions lie in creating highly agile, lightweight machines capable of navigating unstructured and rough terrain—a challenge that has long limited small-scale robotics. Schlegel’s most influential work, "Steerable miniature jumping robot" (2009, 157 citations), introduced a 7-gram robot that could not only leap but also steer mid-air, dramatically expanding its potential for search-and-rescue and environmental monitoring. Building on this, his second most-cited paper, "A miniature jumping robot with self-recovery capabilities" (2009, 92 citations), addressed a critical limitation: after landing, many small robots become stuck or overturned. By studying how animals like fleas and grasshoppers right themselves, Schlegel developed mechanisms that allow his robot to autonomously upright and jump again, enabling sustained, repeated locomotion. This work has been highly influential in the field of micro-robotics, inspiring further research into resilient, autonomous systems. Schlegel’s achievements demonstrate a rare ability to translate biological principles into practical, robust engineering, making him a key figure in the development of next-generation, terrain-adaptive robots.