Robert Kratz

About

Robert Kratz is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of biomechanics, actuator design, and humanoid robot control. His research has focused primarily on the development and application of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators — innovative, lightweight, and silent alternatives to conventional robotic drives — and their integration into humanoid robotic systems. Kratz's most significant contributions include the design of macroscopic SMA actuator systems scalable in both force and length, making them particularly promising for personal assistance and home-help robots where compactness and power-to-weight ratio are critical. His work on biologically inspired reflex-based stabilization control, his most cited contribution with 8 citations, addressed the challenging problem of compensating for unexpected disturbances during bipedal locomotion — a key safety concern in human-robot interaction environments. Alongside his actuator research, Kratz contributed to applied humanoid robotics through the Darmstadt Dribblers project, a competitive RoboCup platform that served as a testbed for locomotion and behavioral control research. Through a focused body of work, Kratz has helped advance the field of compliant, biologically inspired robotic actuation and stabilization.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Biologically Inspired Reflex Based Stabilization Control of a Humanoid Robot with Artificial SMA Muscles

   8 citations · 2006
2. 2
   Design, Measurement Experiments and Application of a Macroscopic Shape Memory Alloy Actuator System

   5 citations · 2006
3. 3
   Control approach for a novel high power-to-weight robotic actuator scalable in force and length

   4 citations · 2007
4. 4
   Control approach for a novel high power-to-weight ratio SMA muscle scalable in force and length

   3 citations · 2007
5. 5
   Darmstadt Dribblers 2005: Humanoid Robot (Team Description Paper)

   2 citations · 2005

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links