Papers
43
Total Citations
941
H-Index
17
About
Esra Erdem is a prominent computer scientist whose research sits at the intersection of knowledge representation, automated reasoning, and robotics. She is best known for her pioneering work applying Answer Set Programming (ASP) to real-world artificial intelligence challenges, particularly in robotic systems. Her highly cited 2016 survey, "Applications of Answer Set Programming" (207 citations), stands as a landmark reference demonstrating ASP's broad utility across academia and industry. A defining thread in Erdem's career is bridging the gap between high-level symbolic reasoning and low-level robot control. Her influential 2011 work (126 citations) introduced a formal framework integrating causal reasoning with geometric planning and motion execution, enabling robots to perform complex manipulation tasks intelligently. This work inspired subsequent contributions in collaborative housekeeping robotics, multi-robot coordination, and systematic analyses of hybrid planning strategies. Erdem has also made meaningful contributions to healthcare robotics through ontology development for rehabilitation systems, and to education via tools like ReAct!, which makes AI planning accessible to students. Her Tower of Hanoi robotics challenge case study exemplifies her commitment to standardized evaluation benchmarks. Collectively, her portfolio reflects a researcher who consistently translates theoretical advances into practical, impactful robotic applications.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Applications of Answer Set Programming207 citations · 2016
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- 4Bridging the Gap between High-Level Reasoning and Low-Level Control38 citations · 2009
- 5Applications of ASP in Robotics37 citations · 2018
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- 10ReAct!: An Interactive Educational Tool for AI Planning for Robotics27 citations · 2014