Jung-Gon Kim

About

Jung-Gon Kim is a leading roboticist whose work spans robot motion optimization, space robotics, and autonomous manipulation. His most influential contribution, the 2005 paper on Newton-type algorithms for dynamics-based robot movement optimization (137 citations), revolutionized how robots generate efficient, physically-realistic motions by treating robots as rigid multibody systems with closed loops and redundant actuators. He extended this foundational work to humanoid walking, developing energy-based step planning and quadratic encoding of optimal trajectories that enable bipedal robots to navigate rough terrain efficiently. Kim’s impact extends beyond Earth. His 2016 paper on the architecture for in-space robotic assembly of modular space telescopes (125 citations) proposed a paradigm-shifting approach to constructing extremely large space structures—up to 100 meters—using autonomous robots. This work, along with his payload-centric autonomy framework, addresses the critical challenge of building structures too large for single-launch deployment. He also advanced robotic manipulation through physically-based grasp quality evaluation under pose uncertainty (69 citations), incorporating object dynamics and uncertainty into grasp planning. With over 500 total citations and contributions to both terrestrial and extraterrestrial robotics, Kim has shaped how robots move, grasp, and build in complex, uncertain environments.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Newton-type algorithms for dynamics-based robot movement optimization

   137 citations · 2005
2. 2
   Architecture for in-space robotic assembly of a modular space telescope

   125 citations · 2016
3. 3
   Physically Based Grasp Quality Evaluation Under Pose Uncertainty

   69 citations · 2013
4. 4
   Numerical optimization on the euclidean group with applications to camera calibration

   47 citations · 2003
5. 5
   Payload‐centric autonomy for in‐space robotic assembly of modular space structures

   29 citations · 2018
6. 6
   Physically-based grasp quality evaluation under uncertainty

   25 citations · 2012
7. 7
   Energy-based optimal step planning for humanoids

   24 citations · 2013
8. 8
   Newton-type algorithms for robot motion optimization

   21 citations · 2003
9. 9
   M3tk: A Robot Mobility and Manipulation Modeling Toolkit

   10 citations · 2014
10. 10
    Quadratic encoding of optimized humanoid walking

    9 citations · 2013

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links