Project 02 · Dynamic mobile manipulation
Balancing locomotion and manipulation as one system.
A two-wheeled, dynamically stable robot with manipulators for receiving, transporting and transferring loads.
The platform
evoBOT is based on the compound inverted-pendulum principle. Its compact chassis and lateral manipulators combine agile transportation with active pickup and handover of loads. Published performance figures vary between prototype generations, so this page does not mix version-specific speed claims.
Attribution
The prototype brought together mechanics, electronics, sensing, actuation, control, navigation and manipulation. It was built by a Fraunhofer IML team. Subsequent platform generations and later field trials involved additional contributors.
I developed the initial idea and concept sketch, then built the prototype with the team. I led the first two years of core development and kept an eye on integration across the full system. My main technical contribution was motion control and state estimation.
Technical focus
The chassis is inherently unstable. Useful manipulation therefore depends on treating balance, locomotion and arm motion as connected dynamics.
Stabilize the two-wheeled chassis while producing purposeful translational and rotational movement.
Estimate the robot’s dynamic state reliably enough for balance and motion control.
Coordinate sensing, actuation, mechanics and software as one working prototype rather than isolated subsystems.
Public evidence
I am the first author of the 2023 IROS paper on the robot’s design and learning-based control. The German evoBOT patent family covers receiving, transferring and transporting load carriers. After the first two years of core development under my leadership, the platform continued to evolve through later air-cargo trials.
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