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About

Cheng Zhou is a robotics researcher specializing in space robotics, motion planning, and control systems for free-floating space manipulators. His work addresses one of the most challenging problems in orbital robotics: managing the dynamic coupling between a floating satellite base and its mounted manipulator arm, where any manipulator motion inevitably disturbs the spacecraft's attitude and stability. Zhou's most significant contributions center on developing innovative control strategies to minimize base disturbance in space robots. His reaction torque-based control framework, his most cited work with 19 citations, introduced a rigorous analytical approach to quantifying and reducing unwanted satellite base perturbations. Complementing this, his hybrid task priority-based motion planning algorithm elegantly balances satellite attitude stabilization with end-effector precision tasks, earning 13 citations for its practical novelty. His Cartesian path planning approach further demonstrated how manipulator motion itself can substitute for propellant-consuming attitude control systems, offering meaningful fuel savings for long-duration missions. Beyond space robotics, Zhou has explored practical industrial applications, including ROS-to-industrial-controller communication protocols using Modbus. Across his publication record, his cumulative citations reflect a focused and growing influence in redundant manipulator optimization and spacecraft-manipulator systems, making his research particularly valuable to engineers and students working at the intersection of space systems engineering and autonomous robotics.