ESA’s Telerobotics & Haptics Lab

The ESA Telerobotics & Haptics Laboratory is an engineering research laboratory

Established in 2009, ESA’s Telerobotics & Haptics Lab is developing robotic technologies for advanced human-machine interaction, extending the human sense of touch to space and planetary environments. By comparison to other ESA labs tasked mainly with technical testing, the Lab has its focus firmly on fundamental research and development, adopting an informal ‘start- up’ culture. Collaborating with a range of partners across the fields of telerobotics, mechatronics, haptics and human-robot interaction, the Lab has quickly become recognised as a leading authority in this fast-moving domain. Its pre-development and demonstration of critical technologies is a means of supporting future spaceflight projects in support of coordinated exploration endeavours by international space programmes as well as fostering European industrial capability.