Thomas Westfechtel
Papers
11
Total Citations
174
H-Index
8
About
Thomas Westfechtel is a robotics researcher specializing in autonomous navigation, perception, and mapping for mobile robots operating in challenging environments. His work focuses on enabling robots to function in degraded visual conditions, such as fog-filled rooms, where he pioneered a method using laser beam penetration and geometric features for 3D LIDAR measurements—a contribution that has garnered 31 citations. He has made significant advances in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for firefighter robots in petrochemical complexes, achieving consistent map building by integrating GPS and LIDAR, cited 24 times. Westfechtel also developed robust stairway detection and localization techniques using graph-based models, with two papers each accumulating 23 citations, enabling multi-floor navigation. His research extends to semantic mapping of construction sites from airborne LIDAR data, path smoothing for firefighting robots, and stable spiral stair climbing for tracked vehicles. With over 170 total citations across his top-cited works, Westfechtel’s contributions are critical for disaster response robotics, industrial inspection, and autonomous systems in complex, real-world settings.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 43D graph based stairway detection and localization for mobile robots23 citations · 2016
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- 7Two-stage Hybrid A* path-planning in large petrochemical complexes9 citations · 2017
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- 9Motion control of tracked vehicle based on contact force model8 citations · 2016
- 10Parking Spot Estimation and Mapping Method for Mobile Robots6 citations · 2018