F. Silva Leite

Institute for Systems Engineering and Computers

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

F. Silva Leite is a leading figure in geometric control and robotics, best known for pioneering smooth interpolation techniques on the rotation group SO(3). Her most cited work, "Smooth interpolation of orientation by rolling and wrapping for robot motion planning" (2006, 15 citations), introduced a novel procedure for generating smooth orientation curves, solving a fundamental challenge in rigid-body motion planning. This contribution has been instrumental for robot manipulators and autonomous systems requiring seamless rotational trajectories. Leite’s research spans geometric mechanics, optimal control, and path planning, with a focus on generating smooth, energy-efficient trajectories for mechanical systems. Her 2003 work on trigonometric interpolating curves in R³ (5 citations) advanced traditional cubic spline methods for mobile robot navigation, while her 2015 study on algebraic integrability for minimum energy curves (2 citations) addressed Euler-Lagrange equations with acceleration and drag, motivated by underwater robot manipulator path planning. Though her citation counts reflect specialized technical impact, Leite’s work bridges pure mathematics and practical robotics, offering rigorous geometric frameworks for motion planning. Her contributions remain foundational for researchers developing smooth, physically feasible trajectories in constrained environments.