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About

Yan Morin is a pioneering roboticist whose work has fundamentally advanced the design of multi-modal locomotion systems for mobile robots. His primary research focus lies in creating versatile robotic platforms that seamlessly integrate wheels, legs, and tracks to navigate complex, three-dimensional environments. Morin’s most significant contribution is the development of the AZIMUT series of robots, a groundbreaking family of symmetrical, four-articulation platforms. His seminal 2005 paper on the "Multi-Modal Locomotion Robotic Platform Using Leg-Track-Wheel Articulations," with over 150 citations, established a new paradigm in hybrid mobility. Morin introduced the innovative "AZIMUT wheel" concept, which repositions the steering axis to enable omnidirectional, non-holonomic motion, as detailed in his highly cited 2006 work on four-steered wheeled robots. By co-designing these platforms through an interdisciplinary lens—merging mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering with industrial design—Morin solved the fundamental challenge of enabling a single robot to move sideways, over obstacles, and across rough terrain. His work has become essential reading for researchers in field robotics and search-and-rescue, demonstrating how thoughtful mechanical design can dramatically expand a robot’s operational envelope.