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About

Ulrich Hermann is a construction engineering researcher whose work sits at the intersection of automation, robotics, and heavy industrial construction — particularly the planning and simulation of complex mobile crane operations. His research addresses one of the most persistent challenges in industrial megaprojects: the safe and efficient execution of heavy lifts in congested, high-stakes environments where errors can result in costly delays, overruns, and serious safety incidents. Hermann's most influential contributions apply robotics-inspired algorithms — including obstacle avoidance and path planning techniques — to automate crane lift trajectory planning, replacing error-prone manual processes with systematic, collision-aware solutions. His 2020 paper on lift path planning in modular industrial plants has garnered 57 citations, establishing him as a leading voice in this niche but critical field. Subsequent work refined these methods using discretized polar space optimization and extended planning capabilities to full crane walking operations on congested sites. Beyond path planning, Hermann has explored gaming-engine-based simulation for critical lift analysis and multi-point construction surveying. Collectively, his research has accumulated over 145 citations, reflecting meaningful influence on how the construction industry approaches the digitization and automation of heavy lift engineering — work of growing relevance as industrial facilities become increasingly compact and technically demanding.