Zdenek Straka

Researcher
Humanoid and cognitive robotics, Center for Machine Perception, Vision for Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Department of Cybernetics,
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague
email: straka.zdenek AT fel.cvut.cz, room: KN:E-209

I am a researcher at CTU in Prague. I focus on machine learning (especially artificial neural networks), computational neuroscience and neurorobotics. I am particularly interested in applying computational models to body and peripersonal space (space immediately surrounding the body) representations. The models are used to model representations in the human brain. Another using of the models is in humanoid robotics (see the group website).

Education: 9/2016 - 3/2024 ~ PhD degree in Artificial Intelligence and Biocybernetics at Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic on topic: Learning peripersonal space representations: from brains to robots.

2014 - 2016 ~ MSc degree (with honours) in artificial inteligence from the Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic (study program Open Informatics).

2011 - 2014 ~ Bachelor's degree (with honours) in robotics from the Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic (study program Cybernetics and Robotics).
Research Interests: Machine learning (especially artificial neural networks)
Computational neuroscience
Body and peripersonal space representations
Neurorobotics
Teaching: B3B33KUI Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence (labs, 2017-2022)
Selected Publications: Tucciarelli, R., Bird, L., Straka, Z., Szymanska, M., Kollamkulam, M., Sonar, H.A., Paik, J., Clode, D., Hoffmann, M., Cowie, D. and Makin, T.R. (2026). Global remapping of the sensory homunculus emerges early in childhood development. Nature Communications. (Open Access)

Hoffmann, M., & Straka, Z. (2026). Toward embodied and action-oriented studies and models of peripersonal space: Comment on" Computational models of peripersonal space representations" by Bertoni et al. Physics of Life Reviews. (Science direct)

Straka Z, Svoboda T, & Hoffmann M (2024) PreCNet: Next-frame video prediction based on predictive coding. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems. (DOI - IEEE Xplore)(pdf-arxiv)

Pliska, M., Patni, S., Mareš, M., Stoudek, P., Straka, Z., Stepanova, K., & Hoffmann, M. (2024). Single-grasp deformable object discrimination: the effect of gripper morphology, sensing modalities, and action parameters. IEEE Transactions on Robotics. (IEEE Xplore)

Straka Z, Noel J-P, Hoffmann M (2022) A normative model of peripersonal space encoding as performing impact prediction. PLoS Computational Biology 18(9) (Open Access)

Hoffmann, M.; Straka, Z.; Farkas, I.; Vavrecka, M. & Metta, G. (2018), 'Robotic homunculus: Learning of artificial skin representation in a humanoid robot motivated by primary somatosensory cortex', IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems. (IEEE Xplore)

Best Paper Award Straka, Z. & Hoffmann, M. (2017), Learning a peripersonal space representation as a visuo-tactile prediction task, in 'Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN)', Springer. [award] (postprint)

Stepanova, K.; Hoffmann, M.; Straka, Z.; Klein, F. B.; Cangelosi, A. & Vavrecka, M. (2017), Where is my forearm? Clustering of body parts from simultaneous tactile and linguistic input using sequential mapping, in I. Farkas; M. Takac; J. Rybar & P. Gergel, ed., 'Kognice a umělý život XVII [Cognition and Artificial Life XVII]', Comenius University Bratislava, pp. 155-162. (pdf)