Vita

Career

since 2019 · Full Professor (W3) and Director of the Institute for Mechatronics (iMEK), Hamburg University of Technology. Established research lines in haptics and telemanipulation, electrical impedance tomography, electric drives and maritime energy systems. Currently supervising ten ongoing doctorates and two habilitation phases; five completed doctorates, including the spin-off Suena Energy (€3 M funding round, around 25 employees).

2017 to 2018 · Head of R&D Head-Up Displays, Continental Automotive GmbH, Babenhausen. Global R&D responsibility for more than 290 staff across Germany, Mexico, Korea, the US, Romania, Singapore and China; full cradle-to-grave product responsibility in a market growing at 20% per year; engineering budgets above €25 M annually.

2012 to 2017 · Senior Manager / Department Head, Center of Competence Head-Up Displays, Continental. Built up the competence center, simultaneously Product Manager Head-Up Displays; shaped the transition to augmented-reality HUDs.

2008 to 2012 · Manager, later Senior Manager Motor Systems, Continental. R&D responsibility for stepper-motor systems with more than 65 million units per year.

2007 to 2008 · Postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Electromechanical Design, TU Darmstadt. Impedance coupling of human-machine interfaces and its impact on the perception of haptic devices; formulation of a design guideline for haptic systems. In parallel project leader at PolyDimensions GmbH (simulation of abdominal surgery).

2006 · Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.), summa cum laude, TU Darmstadt (Prof. Roland Werthschützky, Measurement and Sensor Technology). Thesis: haptic assistive system for diagnostic and therapeutic catheterizations.

2002 · Diploma in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, TU Darmstadt. Diploma thesis: design of a haptic display with parallel kinematics for surgical applications.

Offices and Roles

since 2026 · Board member of the Studierendenwerk Hamburg

since 2025 · Vice President Education, Hamburg University of Technology

since 2024 · Coordination member of the Hamburg Engineering Summit

2023 to 2025 · Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering, TU Hamburg

2022 to 2026 · Vice President of the EuroHaptics Society; 2022 Chairman and principal organizer of the EuroHaptics Conference in Hamburg

since 2006 · Reviewer for numerous national and international journals (incl. IEEE, Elsevier) and conferences (incl. WorldHaptics, HCI); 2006–2008 appointed DIN/ISO expert for haptic interaction

Memberships

since 2021 · IEEE Senior Member, Robotics and Automation Society

since 2019 · Optica (OSA), Lifetime Member

since 2006 · EuroHaptics Society

Books

Engineering Haptic Devices, Springer, three editions 2009/2016/2023, third edition Open Access — the standard reference on haptic device design.