Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Marko Franc is a robotics researcher specializing in haptic teleoperation and sliding mode control, with a focus on advancing master-slave robotic systems for applications like robotic surgery. His work addresses the critical challenge of providing intuitive haptic feedback—the sense of touch—to human operators, moving beyond mere visual cues to enable more precise and immersive remote control. Franc’s major contributions include developing novel sliding mode control algorithms for bilateral teleoperation, as demonstrated in his most-cited paper (2011, 12 citations), which proposes a control scheme to enhance stability and transparency in scaled teleoperation. He further advanced the field by implementing these algorithms on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), as seen in his 2013 study (7 citations), which widens control bandwidth and improves haptic fidelity. Franc also tackled the practical issue of sensor dependency by introducing a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) αβ-tracker for pseudo-sensorless position and velocity estimation (2014, 3 citations). His cumulative work, totaling over 30 citations, underscores his impact on making teleoperated systems more responsive and reliable, paving the way for safer, more intuitive robotic surgery and remote manipulation.