Chase Dunaway

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Chase Dunaway is a robotics researcher focused on bio-inspired and multi-agent systems for extreme environment exploration. His work bridges the gap between terrestrial subterranean challenges and extraterrestrial surface operations. Dunaway’s most cited paper, “Configurations and Applications of Multi-Agent Hybrid Drone/Unmanned Ground Vehicle for Underground Environments: A Review” (2023, 68 citations), provides a comprehensive taxonomy of collaborative aerial-ground robotic teams designed for GPS-denied, unstructured spaces like mines and caves. This review has become a foundational reference for researchers designing resilient, multi-modal exploration swarms. In parallel, Dunaway introduced the “Fengaribot,” a pill bug-inspired robot with crawling and rolling locomotion mechanisms tailored for the lunar surface (2023, 4 citations). This concept demonstrates how biological principles—specifically the pill bug’s defensive curling—can enable compact, durable rovers capable of traversing rugged regolith while carrying scientific payloads. By combining a systems-level review of hybrid teams with a novel, nature-inspired hardware design, Dunaway is shaping the future of autonomous exploration in both underground and off-world environments. His work is particularly relevant for students and engineers interested in field robotics, bio-mimicry, and multi-agent coordination under extreme constraints.