Katja Mombaur (AM’04-M’05) Prof. Dr. Katja Mombaur joined the University Waterloo in March 2020 as Full Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) for Human-Centred Robotics & Machine Intelligence. Her research focuses on understanding human movement by a combined approach of model-based optimization and experiments and using this knowledge to improve motions of humanoid robots and the interactions of humans with exoskeletons, prostheses and external physical devices. Her goal is to endow humanoid and wearable robots with motion intelligence that allow them to operate safely in a complex human world. Prior to coming to Canada, she has been a Full Professor at the Institute of Computer Engineering of Heidelberg University and head of the Optimization, Robotics & Biomechanics group, as well as coordinator of the Heidelberg Center for Motion Research. She holds a diploma degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Stuttgart and a PhD In Applied Mathematics from Heidelberg. She has coordinated the European project KoroiBot, has been part of several other European projects such as Spexor, MOBOT and ECHORD, and still is a partner in the ongoing European projects Eurobench and Agilis, and one of the directors of the HeiAge project in Heidelberg.

Primary Keywords: Human Detection and Tracking; Humanoid and Bipedal Locomotion; Humanoid Robots; Optimization and Optimal Control; Physical Human-Robot Interaction; Physically Assistive Devices; Prosthetics and Exoskeletons; Rehabilitation Robotics; Simulation and Animation; Wearable Robots

Secondary Keywords: Biologically-Inspired Robots; Biomimetics; Dual Arm Manipulation; Dynamics; Gesture, Posture and Facial Expressions; Human Factors and; Human-in-the-Loop; Human Performance Augmentation; Human-Centered Robotics; Model Learning for Control; Motion Control; Natural Machine Motion; Passive Walking

July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2028