Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Waltraut Hoheneder is a leading researcher in space exploration technologies, with a primary focus on additive manufacturing for extraterrestrial environments and human-robot collaboration. Her most impactful work, "Solar Sintering for Lunar Additive Manufacturing" (2019, 125 citations), pioneers the use of concentrated sunlight to sinter lunar regolith into solid structures, offering a groundbreaking, energy-efficient method for on-site construction on the Moon. This research is critical for establishing a permanent lunar base, as it eliminates the need to transport heavy building materials from Earth. Hoheneder also contributed significantly to the European Space Agency's Moonwalk project, where she developed and evaluated mission scenarios for human-robot collaboration (2015, 9 citations). Her work in this area explored how astronauts and robots can work together effectively in simulated lunar environments, testing technologies and evaluation methods for future missions. By advancing both *in situ* resource utilization and collaborative robotics, Hoheneder is helping to lay the practical and operational groundwork for sustainable human presence beyond Earth.