Dr. Ralph Lange :::

Curriculum Vitae

Ralph Lange joined Bosch Research in January 2013 and is currently leading the research portfolio for robotics, with research projects around the world from consumer robotics, to professional service robotics and industrial robotics. He is responsible for development of the research strategy in robotics with experts and management from Bosch Research, business units, and subsidiaries – and of its deployment.

In addition, Ralph is Chief Expert for Robotic Systems and Software Engineering. Since 2016, he has been leading internal research projects in this field. He supports the Bosch business units on a wide variety of systems and software engineering issues in robotics and, in particular, on the use of the Robot Operating System (ROS) as well as on open-source contributions to ROS and on inner source collaborations in robotics. Ralph was Principal Investigator in the EU-funded project OFERA, in which the micro-ROS stack for putting ROS 2 on microcontrollers has been developed and the corresponding open-source project has been initiated. Since October 2022, he has been Principal Investigator in the EU-funded project CONVINCE, in which methods for verifying deliberation capabilities of robots are researched.

From 2010 to 2012, Ralph worked as a software developer for TRUMPF Machine Tools on the CAD/CAM system TruTops for graphical NC programming of punching and punch-laser machines. Ralph studied computer science and electrical engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, from where he also obtained a PhD in the field of context-aware computing in 2010.

Work Experience

Schwieberdingen (until Oct 2014)
and Renningen, Germany
Jan 2013 – present
Head of the robotics research portfolio (since May 2023)
  • …, i.e., project director for all robotics research projects worldwide at Bosch Research – from consumer robotics, to professional service robotics, to industrial robotics
  • Support of the project managers and teams on key research decisions, resource planning, external collaborations, transfer of research results, and much more
  • Strategy development with experts and management from Bosch Research, business units, and subsidiaries
  • Close collaboration with line managers on competence management and development
  • Coordination of research strategies with related portfolios such as artificial intelligence methods, automated and autonomous driving, production systems, and ICT
Chief expert for robotic systems and software engineering (since Jan 2022)
  • Research and internal consulting on systems and SW engineering in robotics and the use of the
  • Coordination of open-source contributions and of inner source collaborations in robotics
  • Representative of Bosch in the ROS 2 Technical Steering Committee and ROS-Industrial Europe (until May 2023)
  • Principal Investigator in the , in which methods for verifying deliberation capabilities of robots are researched
  • Frequent scientific publications, talks, and tutorials on ROS
Senior project manager in robotics systems and software engineering (Jan 2017 – Dec 2021)
  • Management of two internal research projects with first 8 and later 14 team members
  • Coordination of open-source contributions to ROS
  • Principal Investigator in the EU project OFERA, which developed to put ROS 2 onto microcontrollers
  • Initiation and lead of internal technical steering committee on middleware and inner source in robotics
Research engineer in software-intensive systems and robotics (Jan 2013 – Dec 2016)
  • Developed a library for efficient programming of high-level robot control logics, which is used in several products
  • Researched methods and algorithms for formally verifiable system design, where two major algorithms have been productized in the
  • Consultant for the SCODE method in several business unit projects – from mobile hydraulics to building climate control
Ditzingen, Germany
Dec 2010 – Dec 2012
Software developer for the for sheet metal processing
  • Developed new algorithms for skeleton-free processing, in particular for reliable punching of freeform scrap areas
  • Designed and specified data structures and algorithms for 2D geometry kernel. Supervised the implementation in C# by a Ukrainian offshore software development partner
  • Analyzed and resolved performance issues of complex optimization heuristics and other algorithms in the field of computational geometry
Stuttgart, Germany
Oct 2005 – Sep 2010
Research staff member of the and the Collaborative Research Center 627 "Nexus"
  • Lead two interdisciplinary working teams with successful publications
  • Planned, authored, and shepherded several research proposals
  • Developed prototypes/demonstrators, demonstrated them at conferences and public events
  • Supervised Diplom (≈ MSc) theses, student software projects, seminars, foreign MSc students, and student assistants. Prepared exams and lecture slides. Held tutorials and served as substitute lecturer
Böblingen, Germany
IBM Research & Development
In winters of 2001 to 2003
Working student at EL SW Linux Architech & Perform during semester break
  • Analyzed performance of Linux on x440 and zSeries mainframes
  • Developed software for gathering benchmark results in DB2 database
  • Benchmarked Java VMs for Linux on S/390 mainframe
Böblingen, Germany
Hewlett-Packard
In summers of 1999 and 2000
Vacation job as SW developer during summer holidays
  • Developed Java software for BEA WebLogic Application Server
  • Revised web-based database for computer manufacturing

Education

PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) in Computer Science
Oct 2005 – Nov 2010
PhD studies in Computer Science (grade: with distinction) at the
  • Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Kurt Rothermel, Distributed Systems Group
  • Developed family of protocols and algorithms for real-time trajectory tracking, optimizing communication cost and storage consumption
  • Designed distributed index structure for scaling moving objects databases to hundreds of servers
  • Created expressive formalism for describing information sources in ontology-based information systems. Designed multidimensional index structure for efficient retrieval of such descriptions
Diplom (≈ MSc) in Computer Science
Oct 2000 – Sep 2005
Diplom studies in Computer Science (grade: with distinction) at the
  • Thesis topic: energy-efficient location management
  • Advanced courses in distributed systems and DBMS
  • Minor subject: electrical engineering

Awards

Mar 2012
KuVS PhD Award of the special interest group for of the
May 2006
infos Graduate Award of
Jun 2000
DPG Abitur Award of
Sep 1999
Laureate of 17th

Publications

… are listed here

Peer Reviews

I am regularly serving as a peer reviewer for scientific publications in robotics, autonomous systems, Internet of Things, and context-aware computing.
In the last years, I reviewed submissions for , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and .

Advisory Boards and Committees

I also act in a consultative capacity on advisory boards and committees for scientific events and projects. Current and recent roles are in:

Voluntary Work

Town Council (Gemeinderat) of Rutesheim
July 2019 – July 2024
Elected member (Stadtrat) of the town council
  • Member of CDU (Christian Democratic Union) in Rutesheim
  • Work in town council's administration committee (Verwaltungsausschuss), kindergarten committee (Kindergartenausschuss) and advisory council on climate (Klimabeirat)
Brass ensembles (Posaunenchor) of Evangelical-Lutheran Church and YMCA
Oct 1990 – present
Voluntary work in brass ensembles of Evangelical-Lutheran Church and YMCA (Christliche Verein Junger Menschen, CVJM).
  • Active trombonist and trumpeter in the brass ensembles of (1990 to 2010), of (2011 to 2012) and of (since 2012)
  • Teaching brass lessons (Jungbläser) since 2013 in Rutesheim and from 1999 to 2010 in Holzgerlingen. Trained more than eighty children, teenagers, and adults successfully over the years
  • Member of the six-headed brass ensemble committee for the since since 2015. Organizing annual training camps for children and teenagers
  • Vice-conductor of the fifty-strong ensemble in Holzgerlingen from 2001 to 2010
  • Member of friends of brass ensemble work (Förderverein Posaunenarbeit) in the Evangelical Youth Foundation in Württemberg (Evangelisches Jugendwerk in Württemberg, ejw) since 2006
Sep 2017 – Apr 2018
Voluntary construction aid during interior renovation of the church's main building.
OpenStreetMap
Sep 2016 – present
Occasional contributions to the OpenStreetMap project, mainly from vacation trips. See for details.
Town of Gerlingen
Jan 2015 – Sep 2015
Supported formation of in the context of a social project for prospective managers at Robert Bosch GmbH.
Oct 1996 – Aug 2002
Led several weekly youth groups and served as a cabin leader at six twelve-day summer camps.