Daniel A. L. da Cruz

Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

Papers

Total Citations

180

H-Index

About

Daniel A. L. da Cruz is a robotics researcher whose work spans planetary exploration, cooperative multi-vehicle systems, and medical rehabilitation robotics. His most impactful contribution is a novel method for wheel-slippage detection and odometry correction in mobile robots and planetary rovers, using motor current measurements to adjust encoder readings—a technique that has garnered 152 citations and proven critical for accurate proprioceptive positioning in challenging terrains. He further advanced dead-reckoning systems through the FLEXnav project at the University of Michigan’s Mobile Robotics Lab, integrating inertial measurement units for precise position estimation without external references. Cruz also contributed to the development of cooperative multivehicle platforms for networked embedded systems, addressing communication and control challenges in multi-robot teams. Most recently, he has turned to biomedical engineering with the HOPE-G system, a dual-belt treadmill servo-pneumatic device for gait rehabilitation, designed to be more accessible and less complex than existing options. This trajectory from planetary rovers to human rehabilitation showcases a versatile engineer dedicated to solving real-world locomotion challenges across extreme environments.