Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Martin Plank’s research sits at the critical intersection of urban planning, robotics, and infrastructure assessment, focusing on the operational feasibility of autonomous delivery robots (ADRs) in complex city environments. His work challenges the assumption that robots can simply be scaled-down versions of autonomous cars, arguing instead that sidewalks, footpaths, and cycle tracks present fundamentally different spatial, regulatory, and behavioral challenges. Plank’s most cited paper, “Ready for robots? Assessment of autonomous delivery robot operative accessibility in German cities” (2022, 25 citations), provides a pioneering framework for evaluating how local infrastructure and regulation affect ADR deployment. He further advanced this field by developing methods to identify potential conflict zones between pedestrians and mobile robots (2023, 5 citations), highlighting the need for robot-specific environmental data rather than relying on car-centric models. Plank’s work is notable for its practical, policy-relevant approach, offering planners and engineers actionable tools to assess robot accessibility before deployment. With a growing citation footprint, his research is shaping how cities prepare for the arrival of urban service robots, bridging the gap between technological capability and real-world infrastructure constraints.