DLR Logo
DLR Portal
Thursday, 27 01 2011
 
Fontsize: [-] Text [+]
Department of Robotic Systems

Dr.-Ing. Ulrike Thomas

Address:

Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics

German Aerospace Center (DLR e.V.)

P. O. Box 1116, 82234 Wessling, Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 8153 28 1891

Fax:      +49 (0) 8153 28 1134

E-Mail: Ulrike.Thomas-at-dlr.de

Scientific Interests:

  • Assembly and task planning,
  • Sensors and sensor feedback
  • 3D Scenen analysis,
  • Robot motion planning,
  • Grasp planning,
  • Co-operating robots,
  • Mathmatical methods for solving forward kinematics of parallel robots,
  • Software engineering in robotics.

 

Past and Current Projects:

  • SMErobotics 
  • New Robot Programming Paradigms
  • Scenen Analyser
  • Automatic Camera Calibration
  • Modeling Contact Formations for Compliant Motions
  • Assembly Sequence Planning in Industrial Applications (since 2000 still ongoing)
  • Robotic Systems for Handling and Assembly ( at TU Braunschweig SFB 562; 2000 - 2007)
  • Decomposition of Robot Tasks into Skill Primitives for Force Controlled Robots (at TU Braunschweig 2000-2003)

 

Open Student Projects:

  • In robot path planning. We are still building up a comprehensive path planning library including many new efficient approaches in probabilistic path planning. 
  • In assembly planning. In the past, I have developed a powerful assembly planning system, which still is under improvement. Here, you can help to develop efficient geometric algorithms.
  • Robot programming by modelling robot actions. With force controlled robots, we are able to deal with uncertainties in manipulation and assembly. Modelling dexterous robot behavior instead of erroneous old fashion robot programming is one of my aim.

We offer interesting work in an inspiring environment. If you like to do your Master/Bachelor project in the above mentioned research areas or any other close topic, please contact me by e-mail.

 

Teaching

 

Awards:

  • Heinrich-Büssing-Preis 2009 for excellent dissertation
  • Emerald Literati Network Award 2009
  • My PhD-thesis was nominated for the GI-Dissertationspreis 2008
  • Best Paper Award, IEEE Smyposium on Assembly and Task Planning 2003

 

Publications

  • U. Thomas, G. Hirzinger, B. Rumpe, C. Schulze, A. Wortmann; A New Skill Based Robot Programming Language Using UML/P Statecharts, Accepted for IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Karlsruhe 2013.
  • U. Thomas; Real Time Localization of Objects in Time-of-Flight Depth Images, In: Proceedings of International Conference on Theory and Application (VISAPP), Rom, Italien, 2012.
  • U. Thomas und F. M. Wahl; A Unified Notation for Serial, Parallel and Hybrid Kinematic Structures. In: Robotic Systems for Handling and Assembly, Series: Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, Vol. 67, Schütz, Daniel; Wahl, Friedrich M. (Eds.), ISBN: 978-3-642-16784-3, November, 2010
  • U.  Thomas und F. M. Wahl; Assembly Planning and Task Planning—Two Prerequisites for Automated Robot Programming: In: Robotic Systems for Handling and Assembly, Series: Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, Vol. 67, Schütz, Daniel; Wahl, Friedrich M. (Eds.), ISBN: 978-3-642-16784-3, November, 2010
  • U. Thomas, R. Iser; A new Probabilistic Path Planning Algorithm for (Dis)assembly Tasks:  In Proc. of ISR/Robotik 2010, München, pp 467-472, 2010
  • O. Meynberg, D. Rosenbaum, F. Kurz, J. Leitloff, U. Thomas; Efficient Image Data Processing based on an Airborne Distributed System Architecture. In: Canadian Geomatics Conference 2010, ISPRS Commission I, Calgary, Kanada, 2010
  • F. Kurz, D. Rosenbaum, U. Thomas, J. Leitloff, G. Palubinskas, K. Zeller, P. Reinartz; Near real time airborne monitoring system for disaster and traffic applications. ISPRS Hannover Workshop, Deutschland, 2009
  • U. Thomas, D. Rosenbaum, F. Kurz, Franz, S. Suri, P. Reinartz;  A new Software/Hardware Architecture for Real Time Image Processing of Wide Area Airborne Camera Images. Journal of Real-Time Image Processing, 4 (3), pp. 229-244. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s11554-008-0109-6. ISSN 1861-8200 , 2009
  • U. Thomas; Automatisierte Programmieren von Robotern für Montageaufgaben. In: Ausgezeichnete Informatikdissertationen 2008, D. Wagner (Ed), GI-Edition, Lecture Notes in Informatics, 2009
  • U. Thomas;  Automatisierte Programmierung von Robotern für Montageaufgaben. Dissertation, TU Braunschweig, Shaker Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-8322-7101-5, Aachen, 2008
  • J. Mass, S. Molkenstruck, U. Thomas, J. Hesselbach, F. M. Wahl; Definition and Execution of a Generic Assembly Programming Paradigm. Assembly Automation Journal, Emerald, 2008.
  • D. Rosenbaum, F. Kurz, U. Thomas, S. Suri, P. Reinartz; Towards Automatic Near Real-Time Traffic Monitoring with an Airborne Wide Angle Camera System. European Transport Research Review, 1. Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s12544-008-0002-1. ISSN, 1867-0717, 2008.
  • D. Rosenbaum, C. Baptiste, F. Kurz, S. Suri, U. Thomas, P. Reinartz;  Automatic Traffic Monitoring from an Airborne Wide Angle Camera System. In: XXI ISPRS Congress. ISPRS 2008, Peking, China, 2008.
  • U. Thomas, F. Kurz, D. Rosenbaum, R. Müller, Rupert, P. Reinartz; GPU-based Orthorectification of Digital Airborne Camera Images in Real Time. In: Proceedings of the XXI ISPRS Congress. ISPRS Congress 2008, Peking, China 2008
  • F. Kurz,  V. Ebner, D. Rosenbaum, Dominik, U. Thomas, P. Reinartz; Near Real Time Processing of DSM from Airborne Digital Camera System for Disaster Monitoring. In: Proceedings, XXXVII Comm. IV. XXI Congress of the ISPRS, Peking, China, 2008.
  • S. Molkenstruck, U.  Thomas, F. M. Wahl;   Towards Automated Robot Programming. 3nd International Conference of the Collaborative Research Center 562, Braunschweig, April, 2008.
  • U. Thomas, S. Molkenstruck, F. M. Wahl; Automated Generation of Skill Primitive Nets for Assembly. In:VDI/ Robotik 2008, München, 2008.
  • U. Thomas, S. Molkenstruck, R. Iser, F. M. Wahl; Sensor Fusion in Robot Assembly Using Particle Filters: In Proc. of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Rom, 2007.
  • U. Thomas, A. Movshyn, F. M. Wahl; Autonomous Execution of Automatically Planned Robot Tasks based on Force Torque Maps. In Proceedings of International Symposium Robotics Research/Robotik 2006, Munich, Germany, May, 2006
  • U. Thomas, F. M. Wahl, J. Maaß, J. Hesselbach; Towards a New Concept of Robot Programming in High Speed Assembly Applications. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Edmonton, Canada, pp. 3932-3938, 2005.
  • U. Thomas, F. M. Wahl; Towards Automated Robot Programming. In: P. Last, C. Budde, F. M. Wahl: 2nd International Conference of the Collaborative Research Center 562, Braunschweig, May, 2005
  • U. Thomas and F. M. Wahl ; A General and Uniform Notation for any Kinematic Structure. Mechatronics and Robotics, Aachen, Part II, pp. 175-180, 2004.
  • N. Kohn, M. Kolbus, T. Reisinger, K. Diethers, J. Steiner, U. Thomas; PROSA - A Generic Control Architecture for Parallel Robots. Mechatronics and Robotics, Aachen, Part I, pp. 56-61, 2004.
  • T. Kröger, B. Finkemeyer, U. Thomas, F. M. Wahl; Compliant Motion Programming: The Task Frame Formalism Revisited Mechatronics and Robotics, Aachen, Part III, pp. 1029-1034, 2004.
  • U. Thomas, J. Flörke, S. Detering, F. M. Wahl; An Integrative Approach for Multi-Sensor based Robot Task Programming. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, New Orleans, USA, pp. 1149-1154, 2004
  • U. Thomas, M. Barrenscheen, F. M. Wahl; Efficient Assembly Sequence Planning Using Stereographical Projections of C-Space Obstacles. In Proceedings of the 2003 IEEE International Symposium on Assembly and Task Planning (ISATP 2003), Besancon, France, pp. 96-102, July 2003
  • U. Thomas, B. Finkemeyer, T. Kröger, F. M. Wahl; Error-Tolerant Execution of Complex Robot Tasks Based on Skill Primitives. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Taipei, Taiwan, pp. 3069-3075, 2003.
  • K. Diethers, T .Fireley, T. Kröger, U. Thomas ; A New Framework for Task Oriented Sensor Based Robot Programming and Verification. IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics, Portugal, pp. 1208-1214, Juni 2003.
  • U. Thomas, I. Maciuszek, F. M. Wahl; A Unified Notation for Serial, Parallel and Hybrid Kinematic Structures, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Washington D.C., USA, pp. 2868-2873, May 2002
  • U. Thomas, W. An, F. M. Wahl; Sensorbasierte Ausführung von Roboteraufgaben auf der Basis von Aktionsprimitiven. Robotik 2002, Ludwigsburg, Germany, pp.71-77, Juni 2002.
  • U. Thomas, I. Maciuszek, F. M. Wahl; Eine Systematik zur universellen Beschreibung für serielle, parallele und hybride Roboterstrukturen Robotik 2002, Ludwigsburg, Germany, pp. 101-106, Juni, 2002
  • F. M. Wahl, U. Thomas; Robot Programming - From Simple Moves to Complex Robot Tasks; In: M. Krefft, F. M. Wahl: Proceedings of the First International Colloquium 'Collaborative Research Centre 562 - Robotic Systems for Modelling and Assembly', Braunschweig, Germany, May 2002
  • U. Thomas, F. M. Wahl; A System for Automatic Planning, Evaluation and Execution of Assembly Sequences for Industrial Robots. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems 2001, Maui, Hawaii, USA, pp. 1458-146, 2001.

 


Copyright © 2011 German Aerospace Center (DLR). All rights reserved.