Tobias Thoma
Papers
1
Total Citations
2
H-Index
1
About
Tobias Thoma is a robotics researcher whose work centers on the control of flexible-joint manipulators, with a particular focus on discrete-time control theory and experimental validation. His key contribution lies in the application of symplectic integration methods to robot control—specifically, using the implicit midpoint rule to design discrete-time controllers that preserve the geometric structure of mechanical systems. This approach, which he terms "symplectic discrete-time control," offers improved numerical stability and energy conservation compared to standard discretization techniques. His most-cited paper, "Symplectic Discrete-Time Control of Flexible-Joint Robots: Experiments with Two Links" (2021), demonstrates the practical feasibility of these methods through real-world experiments on a two-link flexible-joint robot, bridging the gap between theoretical control theory and applied robotics. While his citation count is still growing, Thoma's work represents a novel intersection of geometric numerical integration and robot control, offering a promising pathway for more accurate and stable control of compliant robotic systems. His research is particularly relevant for applications requiring high-precision manipulation, such as surgical robotics and human-robot interaction.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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