Stefan Langerman

About

Stefan Langerman is a computational geometry researcher whose work spans modular robotics reconfiguration and combinatorial geometry. He is perhaps best known for his foundational contributions to the theoretical study of cube-style and crystalline modular robots — self-reconfiguring systems composed of unit-cube atoms capable of expanding, contracting, and attaching to neighbors to achieve arbitrary shapes. Langerman's most influential work, "Linear Reconfiguration of Cube-Style Modular Robots" (2008, 39 citations), established efficient algorithms for transforming one robot configuration into another, a problem central to making modular robotics practically viable. Complementary research demonstrated that reconfiguration could be achieved using only O(log n) parallel moves, dramatically reducing time complexity and advancing the field's understanding of scalable robotic systems. His 2011 work on constant-velocity reconfiguration of crystalline robots further refined these algorithms for greater physical realism. Beyond robotics, Langerman has contributed to discrete geometry, notably investigating how point set order types can be reconstructed from partial radial ordering information — work with implications for computational geometry's foundational problems. With citations accumulating across multiple venues and collaborative international research, Langerman has established himself as a rigorous theoretician bridging abstract combinatorics and real-world robotics challenges.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Linear reconfiguration of cube-style modular robots

   39 citations · 2008
2. 2
   Reconfiguration of Cube-Style Modular Robots Using O(logn) Parallel Moves

   32 citations · 2008
3. 3
   Efficient constant-velocity reconfiguration of crystalline robots

   9 citations · 2011
4. 4
   Realistic Reconfiguration of Crystalline (and Telecube) Robots

   9 citations · 2009
5. 5
   Reconstructing Point Set Order Types from Radial Orderings

   5 citations · 2016
6. 6
   Reconstructing Point Set Order Typesfrom Radial Orderings

   4 citations · 2014
7. 7
   Linear Reconfiguration of Cube-Style Modular Robots

   4 citations · 2007
8. 8
   Reconfiguration of 3D Crystalline Robots Using O(log n) Parallel Moves

   2 citations · 2009

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links