Thilo Weigel

About

Thilo Weigel is a robotics researcher whose work has made significant contributions to autonomous multi-robot systems, robot self-localization, and competitive robotic game-playing environments. He is best known as a key figure behind CS Freiburg, one of the most successful robotic soccer teams in RoboCup history, having claimed the middle-size league championship in 1998, 2000, and 2001. His landmark 2002 paper documenting the team's coordination strategies has accumulated 132 citations, reflecting its lasting influence on the multi-robot systems community. A central thread throughout Weigel's research is the problem of robot self-localization in polygonal environments — developing fast, accurate, and robust methods using laser range finders that proved essential for real-time gameplay. These contributions, cited over 130 times collectively across multiple publications, addressed critical gaps in existing approaches and established practical benchmarks for autonomous navigation. Beyond soccer robotics, Weigel extended his expertise to autonomous table soccer, leading the development of KiRo — a commercially viable robot capable of challenging skilled human players. This project showcased his breadth, incorporating computer vision, opponent modeling, and adaptive behavior recognition. His body of work exemplifies how competitive game environments can drive meaningful advances in core robotics research.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   CS Freiburg: coordinating robots for successful soccer playing

   132 citations · 2002
2. 2
   Fast, accurate, and robust self-localization in polygonal environments

   67 citations · 2003
3. 3
   A fast, accurate and robust method for self-localization in polygonal environments using laser range finders

   63 citations · 2001
4. 4
   The CS Freiburg Robotic Soccer Team: Reliable Self-Localization, Multirobot Sensor Integration, and Basic Soccer Skills

   30 citations · 1999
5. 5
   Fast Accurate and Robust Self-Localization in the RoboCup Environment

   22 citations · 2000
6. 6
   The CS Freiburg Team: Playing Robotic Soccer Based on an Explicit World Model

   18 citations · 2000
7. 7
   KiRo – An Autonomous Table Soccer Player

   17 citations · 2003
8. 8
   KiRo – A Table Soccer Robot Ready for the Market

   12 citations · 2006
9. 9
   Behavior Recognition and Opponent Modeling for Adaptive Table Soccer Playing

   8 citations · 2005
10. 10
    Adaptive Vision for Playing Table Soccer

    6 citations · 2004

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links