Roel Pieters

About

Roel Pieters is a robotics researcher whose work spans human-robot collaboration (HRC), industrial safety systems, and microrobotics. Best known for his contributions to safe and intuitive human-robot interaction in manufacturing environments, Pieters has helped shape how collaborative robots — or cobots — can work alongside human operators without compromising safety or productivity. His 2019 paper on augmented reality-based interaction for HRC (243 citations) introduced a depth-sensor model for real-time monitoring of protective distances between robots and operators, while his widely cited 2018 review of vision-based safety systems (143 citations) systematically mapped the landscape of collision-avoidance technologies emerging in collaborative manufacturing. Beyond industrial robotics, Pieters has made notable contributions to microrobotics, developing RodBot — a magnetically controlled rolling microrobot capable of precise micromanipulation and even protein crystal harvesting. His research extends into robotics education, open-source deep learning toolkits for robotics (OpenDR), and user experience design for cobot interfaces, reflecting a holistic vision of human-centered robotics. With over 600 citations across his key works, Pieters stands as a significant voice in making robotic systems safer, smarter, and more accessible for both industrial practitioners and the next generation of robotics engineers.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   AR-based interaction for human-robot collaborative manufacturing

   243 citations · 2019
2. 2
   Review of vision-based safety systems for human-robot collaboration

   143 citations · 2018
3. 3
   RodBot: A rolling microrobot for micromanipulation

   42 citations · 2015
4. 4
   Sensor-based human–robot collaboration for industrial tasks

   39 citations · 2023
5. 5
   Coordinating Shared Tasks in Human-Robot Collaboration by Commands

   32 citations · 2021
6. 6
   Learning environment for robotics education and industry-academia collaboration

   27 citations · 2019
7. 7
   OpenDR: An Open Toolkit for Enabling High Performance, Low Footprint Deep Learning for Robotics

   24 citations · 2022
8. 8
   User Experience Goals for Designing Industrial Human-Cobot Collaboration

   21 citations · 2020
9. 9
   Non-contact Manipulation for Automated Protein Crystal Harvesting using a Rolling Microrobot

   18 citations · 2014
10. 10
    Architecture for Safe Human-Robot Collaboration: Multi-Modal Communication in Virtual Reality for Efficient Task Execution

    13 citations · 2019

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links