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About

Jordan Lack is a leading roboticist whose work has fundamentally advanced the field of bipedal locomotion and humanoid robotics. His research focuses on the control, planning, and dynamic stabilization of walking robots, with a particular emphasis on achieving robust, multi-contact behaviors that mirror human movement. Lack’s most impactful contribution is his role in the development of "Valkyrie: NASA's First Bipedal Humanoid Robot" (2015), a landmark paper with 298 citations that details the design and systems of a robot built for disaster response, notably showcased at the DARPA Robotics Challenge. He further pioneered methods for multi-contact walking using hybrid zero dynamics (2014, 28 citations), enabling robots to navigate complex phases like double and single support. Additionally, his work on integrating angular momentum and variable center-of-mass height (2015, 11 citations) overcomes the limitations of the classic linear inverted pendulum model, allowing for more agile and human-like locomotion. Through these contributions, Lack has helped bridge the gap between theoretical control and practical, resilient robot walking.