AF (Frank) van der Stappen

Prof. AF (Frank) van der Stappen is a Professor of Robotics and Automation at Utrecht University's Faculty of Science, Department of Information and Computing Sciences. He also holds a position at University College Roosevelt. His research focuses on robotics (grasping, manipulation, motion), algorithmic automation, simulation, computational geometry, and computer animation. He has been an IEEE Fellow since 2017. His work emphasizes geometric computing and its applications in automation, with contributions to form-closure grasping, path planning, and virtual character animation.

Education: PhD in Motion Planning from Utrecht University (1994), MSc in Distributed Data Structures from Eindhoven University of Technology (1988).

Research Interests: Robotics (manipulation/grasping), algorithmic automation, geometric algorithms, computer animation, and crowd simulation. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in manufacturing, virtual environments, and agricultural robotics.

Awards: IEEE Fellow (2017).

Advisees/Grants: No explicitly listed students, but extensive collaborative work with researchers like Elon Rimon, Ken Goldberg, and Mark Overmars. His research includes grants related to motion planning, caging, and automation.

Labs/Teams: Involved in geometric computing and robotics teams at Utrecht University, contributing to Game Research themes and interdisciplinary projects.