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About

Ulrich Seibold is a pioneering researcher in minimally invasive robotic surgery (MIRS), whose work has fundamentally advanced the integration of force sensing, haptic feedback, and intelligent instrumentation into surgical robotics. Based at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Seibold has been a central contributor to the acclaimed DLR MiroSurge system — a versatile robotic platform enabling both minimally invasive and open surgery — which alone has garnered over 330 citations across two landmark publications. His research addresses one of the most persistent challenges in minimally invasive surgery: the loss of tactile sensation and dexterity imposed by long-reach instruments and spatial barriers between surgeon and patient. To overcome this, Seibold developed actuated, sensor-integrated forceps and pioneered 6-axis force-torque sensing instruments, including an innovative fiberoptic solution using fiber Bragg gratings. His work on force feedback telemanipulation and the MICA instrument platform has pushed robotic surgery toward greater adaptability and cost-effectiveness. With a body of work accumulating over 1,000 citations, Seibold's contributions span sensor design, teleoperation, and system-level surgical robotics, making him an influential figure for any researcher working at the intersection of robotics, mechatronics, and surgical technology.