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About

Thomas Kordik is an emerging robotics researcher specializing in the dynamics, control, and optimization of parallel kinematic manipulators (PKM) equipped with series elastic actuators (SEA). His work sits at the intersection of rigid-body dynamics, trajectory planning, and energy-efficient robot design — areas of growing importance as industrial automation demands both precision and sustainability. Kordik's most recognized contribution, "A Recursive Lie-Group Formulation for the Second-Order Time Derivatives of the Inverse Dynamics of Parallel Kinematic Manipulators" (2023, 8 citations), advances the theoretical foundations of model-based trajectory tracking control by deriving efficient algorithms for computing higher-order dynamics — a technically demanding challenge central to real-time robot control. His follow-up work on time-optimal trajectory planning for redundantly actuated parallel robots explores how actuation redundancy can be leveraged to prestress elastic drive components, unlocking new degrees of freedom in motion planning. More recently, his research has turned toward simultaneous stiffness and trajectory optimization for pick-and-place operations, targeting long-term energy minimization in repetitive industrial tasks. Though early in his career, Kordik's focused contributions position him as a promising voice in compliant, energy-aware parallel robotics research.