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About

E. Paljug is a robotics researcher whose career has centered on some of the most challenging problems in robotic manipulation, multi-arm coordination, and space exploration systems. Working prominently at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Paljug made significant contributions to the development of hyper-redundant robotic systems, most notably as part of the team behind the JPL Serpentine Robot — a 12-degree-of-freedom snake-like manipulator designed to navigate constrained environments inaccessible to conventional robots, earning over 100 citations and standing as a landmark in the field. Paljug's research extensively explored the complexities of coordinating multiple robotic arms to manipulate large objects without rigid grasps, pioneering dynamic control algorithms validated through the TRACS experimental testbed. His work on force control in overconstrained dynamic systems addressed critical theoretical and practical gaps that earlier approaches had overlooked. Beyond manipulation, Paljug contributed to Mars lander robotics and machine vision for in-situ planetary science, as well as teleprogramming systems for time-delayed teleoperation — areas with profound implications for space exploration. Collectively, his body of work reflects a career dedicated to expanding the boundaries of what robotic systems can achieve in complex, real-world environments.