Kai Junge

Kai Junge is a robotics researcher at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with CREATE-LAB in the School of Engineering. His work focuses on developing advanced robotic systems with emphasis on compliant interactions, biomimetic design, and applications in agriculture and food systems.

Dr. Junge's research interests span several cutting-edge domains in robotics:

• Soft robotics and compliant manipulation systems
• Biomimetic design of anthropomorphic robotic hands
• Variable stiffness actuation for improved dexterity
• Agricultural robotics with focus on delicate fruit harvesting
• Tactile sensing and multi-modal perception for contact-rich tasks
• Human-robot interaction and imitation learning

His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward developing robotic systems that leverage compliance and biomimetic principles to achieve human-like or even superior manipulation capabilities. The work spans from fundamental research on compliance in robotic hands to practical applications in agriculture and food safety. A notable pattern is the development of the ADAPT Hand, which incorporates spatially distributed compliance to enhance robustness in manipulation tasks, achieving 93% success rate across 24 objects with varying geometries. His research also extends to agricultural applications where soft robotic grippers have demonstrated 95.4% picking success rate for blackberries while improving shelf life by 30-150%.

Dr. Junge has been involved in several research projects funded by various organizations including the European Union's Horizon 2020 program, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, and Berry Gardens Ltd. His collaborative work with Josie Hughes and other researchers has resulted in numerous publications in top robotics conferences and journals.

He is actively involved with CREATE-LAB at EPFL, where his team develops innovative robotic systems for manipulation, agricultural applications, and food safety testing. The lab's work on the ADAPT Hand, closed-structure soft grippers for agriculture, and robotic swallowing simulators demonstrates a commitment to translating robotics research into practical applications that address real-world challenges.