Ioannis Tortopidis

National Technical University of Athens, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Ioannis Tortopidis is a leading researcher in the field of nonholonomic robotics, with a primary focus on the complex dynamics of underactuated systems in space and aerial environments. His work is centered on the trajectory planning and control of free-floating space manipulators and gymnastic robots—systems where the conservation of angular momentum introduces challenging nonholonomic constraints. Tortopidis’s major contribution lies in developing novel path planning methodologies that address these constraints, enabling simultaneous control of both the manipulator’s end-effector and the spacecraft’s base attitude without relying on thrusters. His seminal 2006 paper, "Smooth Planning for Free-floating Space Robots Using Polynomials," which has garnered 58 citations, introduced a polynomial-based approach to this problem, demonstrating how to achieve smooth, feasible trajectories for planar systems. Further expanding this work, his 2006 paper on "Point-to-point planning" (24 citations) tackled the broader challenge of underactuated control, while his 2007 study on "Robot Gymnastics Planning with Non-zero Angular Momentum" (16 citations) extended these principles to dynamic aerial maneuvers. Through these contributions, Tortopidis has provided foundational tools for future space missions involving debris removal, satellite servicing, and autonomous robotic exploration.