Portrait_Sven_DualArm 4-2

FRANKA RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

WEBINARS

Discover the future of robotics and AI with our webinar series, hosted by Sven Parusel, Senior Vice President for Academia and Research of Franka Robotics.

With an extensive global network of top researchers, Sven Parusel brings together groundbreaking discoveries and influential insights in robotics.

Each month, he spotlights leading researchers whose work with Franka robots is transforming today’s innovations into tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

Join us to explore cutting-edge advancements and connect with the minds shaping the future of robotics!

Webinar Fei Chen

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2025

BIMANUAL MANIPULATION AND TELEOPERATION OF CURI HUMAN-LIKE ROBOT

by Prof. Fei Chen

Prof. Fei Chen, Head of the Collaborative and Versatile Robots Laboratory at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, focuses his research on humanoid bimanual manipulation and human-robot collaboration. Prior to joining CUHK, he led research efforts at the Italian Institute of Technology and contributed to numerous European, Italian, and Hong Kong projects. With more than 100 publications, he is also deeply engaged in the IEEE community, serving in key leadership roles across major international robotics conferences and technical committees. In his talk on Bimanual Manipulation and Teleoperation of the CURI Human-like Robot, he highlights how advanced control and interaction strategies are shaping the next generation of intelligent, versatile robotic systems.

Webinar Webpage images (4)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2025

THE DYNAMICS OF FLUID INTERACTION: SAFE, ADAPTIVE AND COMPLIANT ROBOT INTELLIGENCE

by Prof. Nadia Figueroa

In this talk, Prof. Nadia Figueroa presented how her research on dynamical-systems-based learning, viability theory, and adaptive control enabled Franka robots to interact safely and naturally with humans and their environment. By combining concepts from control theory, machine learning, and human biomechanics, her work advanced the development of robotic systems that could adaptively respond to uncertainties and dynamic conditions during physical interaction. These approaches established a foundation for achieving fluid human-robot collaboration with formal guarantees of safety, efficiency, and robustness — key capabilities for the next generation of intelligent, human-centered robots.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2024

UNLOCKING GENERALIZATION FOR ROBOTICS VIA MODULARITY AND SCALE

by Murtaza Dalal

In the recent webinar, Murtaza, a final-year PhD Candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, focused on building generalist robot systems by integrating modularity with large-scale learning. He explained how combining modular planning, learned control, and scene generation enables robots to perform complex, multi-stage tasks from text instructions. This approach addressed key challenges in robotics, such as multimodality, limited data, and safety concerns, pushing the limits of robot capabilities for diverse, real-world applications.

Robin Jeanne Kirschner

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2024

HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND IF ROBOTS ARE SAFE FOR PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS?

by Robin Jeanne Kirschner

In our latest webinar, together with our guest speaker Robin Jeanne Kirschner, Research Assistant at the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) at the Technical University of Munich, we shared insights from her research on concepts for physical and cognitive safety in human-robot interaction and assessing robots' ability for tactile interaction. Robin provided an in-depth look at how databases can be developed to understand human safety and evaluate robots' features and application designs for physical interactions, ensuring safe interaction with the environment.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

DESIGNING CONTACT-RICH ROBOT CONTROL FRAMEWORKS FOR HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION

by Idil Özdamar

In this webinar, Idil Özdamar, a Ph.D. student at the Human-Robot Interfaces and Interaction Lab (HRI²) at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) will share insights into the latest advancements in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) and explore the impact of Franka robots on enhancing human-machine collaboration. The discussion will also cover how these cutting-edge technologies are tackling real-world challenges with innovative and effective solutions.

Dr. Sylvain Calinon

MONDAY, MAY 27, 2024

FRUGAL LEARNING OF MANIPULATION SKILLS IN ROBOTICS

by Dr. Sylvain Calinon

In a recent webinar, Dr. Sylvain Calinon, a Senior Research Scientist at Idiap Research Institute and Lecturer at EPFL, shared his expertise on teaching robots manipulation skills—an ability that comes naturally to humans but is complex for machines. He explored how robots can learn from limited training data and emphasized the importance of developing versatile data and geometric structures to enable robots to perform a wide range of tasks.

Prof. Dr. Cosimo Della Santina

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2024

ROBOT MODELING & CONTROL IN THE ERA OF MACHINE LEARNING

by Dr. Cosimo Della Santina

Professor Cosimo Della Santina from Delft University of Technology and Guest Scientist at the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. delved into the challenges of robotics research, focusing on the modeling and control of complex mechanical systems. His presentation provided valuable insights into the intricate work required to advance robotic technology.

FOLLOW US