Karthika Balan

University of Detroit Mercy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Karthika Balan is a leading researcher in autonomous robotics, specializing in path planning and navigation for high-stakes environments. Her work is pivotal in enabling robots to operate effectively in disaster zones, where uncertainty and dynamic obstacles are the norm. Balan’s major contributions include developing a fuzzy-based accessibility model that allows robots to evaluate and traverse treacherous terrain in real-time, a breakthrough cited 20 times for its practical impact on emergency response. She also pioneered the use of Tabu Search algorithms for optimal multi-waypoint path planning, solving complex Traveling Salesman Problem scenarios for disaster-prone areas—a method that has garnered 19 citations for its efficiency and real-world applicability. Most recently, Balan has advanced nuclear safety by integrating machine learning-based object recognition into quadruped robots, enabling autonomous inspection of nuclear material containers. This work, while newly published, demonstrates her ongoing commitment to applying robotics to critical infrastructure security. With a career focused on bridging algorithmic theory and tangible robotic deployment, Balan’s research continues to shape how autonomous systems navigate and act in the world’s most challenging conditions.