Jan Baumgärtner

Jan Baumgärtner

Head of Research Industrial Robotics & Scientific Coordinator of CRC 1574

wbk Institute of Production Science KIT

Professional Summary

Hi I am Jan! I am a researcher working at the intersection of robotics and manufacturing. My work focuses on intelligent robotic manufacturing systems, where reconfigurable hardware and autonomous reasoning systems meet to enable autonomous and circular production. I also coordinate the Industrial Robotics research at wbk Institute of Production Science, KIT, as well as the Collaborative Research Centre 1574 Circular Factory for the Perpetual Innovative Product.

Education

PhD Computer Science

2022-04-01
Summer 2026

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

M.Sc. Computer Engineering

2019-09-01
2021-03-31

Heidelberg University

B.Sc. Physics

2016-09-01
2019-08-30

Heidelberg University

Interests

Task and Motion Planning Circular Manufacturing Hardware Design Automation Robotic Assembly and Disassembly Robotic Manufacturing
📚 My Research

Most robotics research deploys intelligent algorithms on simple hardware. Manufacturing researchers often do the opposite: build specialized machines to avoid complex reasoning systems. I am interested in exploring what can be achieved when you combine the adaptability of intelligent algorithms with the robustness of industrial hardware. My ultimate vision is to enable robotic manufacturing systems that can autonomously produce or repair arbitrary parts. To achieve this, I work on the algorithmic design of robotic manufacturing systems, the development of algorithms for planning and control, and the integration of these into real-world systems.

If any of this sounds interesting, please reach out to collaborate 😃

Recent Featured Works
Beyond proxies: A direct time-optimal approach to robot cell layout optimization featured image

Beyond proxies: A direct time-optimal approach to robot cell layout optimization

Cycle time is critical in robotic cells where material handling often presents a bottleneck and in turn depends on the cell layout. Optimizing robot cell layouts is therefore …

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Jan Baumgärtner
From CAD to POMDP: Probabilistic Planning for Robotic Disassembly of End-of-Life Products featured image

From CAD to POMDP: Probabilistic Planning for Robotic Disassembly of End-of-Life Products

To support the circular economy, robotic systems must not only assemble new products but also disassemble end-of-life (EOL) ones for reuse, recycling, or safe disposal. Existing …

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