Papers
8
Total Citations
215
H-Index
5
About
Franck Mercier’s research lies at the intersection of autonomous navigation, agricultural robotics, and bio-inspired bipedal locomotion. His most influential work, a LiDAR-only navigation algorithm for autonomous agricultural robots (165 citations), introduced a robust, sensor-efficient approach that enables precise crop-row following without GPS or cameras—a critical contribution for field-deployable robots. Mercier further advanced agricultural autonomy with a symmetrical robot navigation system that leverages PEARL/Ruby-based line finding algorithms, demonstrating practical solutions for unstructured environments. In humanoid robotics, he has made notable contributions to leg design, exploring mono-articular and bi-articular linear actuation for biped locomotion, and conducting a preliminary survey of backdrivable linear actuators—work that informs the development of safer, more efficient humanoid robots. Mercier also leads the IstiABot project, an open-source mobile robot platform designed for education and research, emphasizing modularity and accessibility for students from first-year to graduate levels. His recent work extends to indoor illuminance mapping, showcasing versatility across robotics domains. With a growing citation footprint and a commitment to open-source hardware, Mercier’s research bridges practical agricultural applications and foundational biomechanical design.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1LiDAR-only based navigation algorithm for an autonomous agricultural robot165 citations · 2018
- 2
- 3Preliminary Survey of Backdrivable Linear Actuators for Humanoid Robots13 citations · 2018
- 4LiDAR-Only Crop Navigation for Symmetrical Robot7 citations · 2022
- 5Robotic system for indoor illuminance map generation5 citations · 2024
- 6IstiABot, an Open Source Mobile Robot for Education and Research4 citations · 2019
- 7
- 8