Papers
51
Total Citations
2,217
H-Index
27
About
Eric Krotkov is a pioneering robotics researcher whose career spans autonomous planetary exploration, sensor technology, and disaster response robotics. Best known for his foundational work on the Ambler rover — an autonomous legged robot designed to traverse Mars-like terrain — Krotkov helped establish the principles of perception, planning, and locomotion control that underpin modern planetary robotics, work that has accumulated nearly 300 citations across related publications. His contributions to 3D imaging laser radar analysis provided the robotics and computer vision communities with rigorous measurement models that remain influential today. Krotkov also advanced mobile robot localization through innovative methods, including single-image landmark-based positioning and a novel "computer vision sextant" using solar altitude — elegant solutions for robots operating in unknown or GPS-denied environments. His work on dead reckoning for uneven terrain addressed the critical challenge of reliable navigation on lunar and planetary surfaces. More recently, Krotkov played a central role in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, contributing to both the Virtual Robotics Challenge simulation framework and the DRC Finals, efforts that galvanized the global robotics community around disaster response. With over 1,000 cumulative citations, his career exemplifies the seamless integration of fundamental research with real-world robotic systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Ambler: an autonomous rover for planetary exploration211 citations · 1989
- 23D measurements from imaging laser radars: how good are they?207 citations · 1992
- 3
- 4The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals: Results and Perspectives146 citations · 2016
- 5Mobile robot localization using a single image122 citations · 2003
- 6Dead reckoning for a lunar rover on uneven terrain112 citations · 2002
- 73-D measurements from imaging laser radars: how good are they?85 citations · 2002
- 8Terrain mapping for a walking planetary rover81 citations · 1994
- 9
- 10Robot localization using a computer vision sextant61 citations · 2002