# Hendrik Kolvenbach

> Dr. Hendrik Kolvenbach is a Zurich-based robotics scientist and deep-tech founder. He is co-founder and CEO of UpCircle Technology AG, an ETH Zurich spin-off that uses AI and computer vision to measure the quality of recycled materials, with deployments in paper mills in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. From 2016 to 2026 he worked at ETH Zurich's Robotic Systems Lab, most recently as Senior Scientist and Lead Space Robotics, after two years as a robotics engineer at the European Space Agency. He speaks about AI in recycling and space robotics, and is open to advisory board roles and research collaborations.

- Location: Zurich, Switzerland. Languages: English, German.
- Contact: via https://hendrik.kolveng.com/contact/ (email button) or https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-kolvenbach/
- Education: Dr. sc. in Robotics, ETH Zurich (2021); M.Sc. and B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University.
- Expertise: Robotics, Legged robots, Space robotics, Planetary exploration, Field robotics, Mechatronics, Robotic system design, Reinforcement learning for locomotion, Haptic sensing, Multi-robot systems, Computer vision, Artificial intelligence, AI for recycling, Circular economy, Waste management technology, In-situ resource utilization, Lunar exploration, Deep-tech entrepreneurship, Technology transfer.
- Research record: 2,298 citations, h-index 23, 68 publications on Google Scholar (updated 2026-10-29).
- Selected roles: Principal investigator of Team GLIMPSE (winner, ESA-ESRIC Space Resources Challenge), ESA Topical Team LEAP, and the PLATE payload for the Rashid-1 lunar rover; initiator of LunarLeaper (https://www.lunarleaper.space/), a legged-robot mission concept to explore lunar lava tubes; co-founder of the Autonomous River Cleanup project.
- Open to: speaking engagements, advisory board roles, research collaborations and academic roles in robotics. Outside commitments are limited because of UpCircle.

## Pages

- [Home](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/): Overview, current roles and key numbers
- [Contact](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/contact/): Speaking, advisory boards and research collaborations; contact details
- [CV](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/cv/): Full experience, education, awards and academic service
- [Ventures](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/ventures/): UpCircle Technology AG, Autonomous River Cleanup, Kolvenbach Engineering
- [Research](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/research/): LunarLeaper Moon mission concept, research topics and projects (PLATE, SpaceHopper, GLIMPSE, LEAP, SpaceBok)
- [Publications](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/publications/): All 68 publications with citation counts
- [Datasets](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/datasets/): Open datasets and tools
- [Talks and media](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/media/): Talks, interviews and press coverage

## Most cited publications

- ANYmal-toward legged robots for harsh environments (2017), Advanced Robotics 31 (17), 918-931, 479 citations
- Scientific exploration of challenging planetary analog environments with a team of legged robots (2023), Science robotics 8 (80), eade9548, 213 citations
- Spacebok: A dynamic legged robot for space exploration (2019), 2019 international conference on robotics and automation (ICRA), 6288-6294, 194 citations
- Cat-like jumping and landing of legged robots in low gravity using deep reinforcement learning (2021), IEEE Transactions on Robotics 38 (1), 317-328, 186 citations
- Towards autonomous inspection of concrete deterioration in sewers with legged robots (2020), Journal of field robotics 37 (8), 1314-1327, 100 citations
- Towards jumping locomotion for quadruped robots on the moon (2019), 2019 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems …, 94 citations
- Traversing steep and granular martian analog slopes with a dynamic quadrupedal robot (2022), Field Robotics 2, 910-939, 89 citations
- Haptic inspection of planetary soils with legged robots (2019), IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 4 (2), 1626-1632, 89 citations

## Optional

- [Full site content as markdown](https://hendrik.kolveng.com/llms-full.txt)
- [Google Scholar profile](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=sFv94xkAAAAJ)
- [ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1229-7537)