Diego Arce
Papers
8
Total Citations
41
H-Index
4
About
Diego Arce is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of autonomous navigation, social assistive robotics, and engineering education. His most cited paper (13 citations) provides a critical comparison of traditional versus deep-reinforcement-learning algorithms for indoor autonomous navigation in dynamic environments, offering practical guidance for researchers selecting control architectures. Arce is perhaps best known for developing Qhali, an expressive humanoid robot designed to assist in mental health treatment, which has garnered 9 citations and represents a significant step toward integrating social robots into clinical settings. He has also created low-cost educational platforms—including a scaled self-driving car and the modular PlatROB system—that democratize access to robotics and AI education for undergraduate students in emerging countries. His work on non-linear control systems enables humanoid robots to perform natural body language movements essential for human-robot interaction, while his three-fingered gripper with force feedback sensing advances dexterous manipulation. With over 40 total citations across his publications, Arce’s contributions span from foundational navigation algorithms to socially impactful healthcare robots and accessible teaching tools.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 2Qhali: A Humanoid Robot for Assisting in Mental Health Treatment9 citations · 2024
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- 8PlantiBot: Towards the Design of a Robotic Plant for Mental Health Care1 citations · 2025