Kiel Davis
Papers
14
Total Citations
643
H-Index
11
About
Kiel Davis is a leading figure in planetary robotics, specializing in the design of drilling and excavation systems for extraterrestrial exploration. His work has been instrumental in advancing technologies for subsurface sampling on Mars and other celestial bodies. Davis’s most significant contributions include his role in the Mars Phoenix Lander mission, where he helped develop the Robotic Arm and Icy Soil Acquisition Device that successfully excavated trenches and acquired icy soil samples from the Martian arctic. This work, detailed in a paper with 132 citations, was critical to the mission’s success. He also led the MARTE project, a simulated drilling mission in Río Tinto, Spain, which demonstrated autonomous subsurface drilling and astrobiology sample collection, earning 61 citations. His research on percussive digging systems, showing a 15-fold reduction in required downforce, has set new standards for efficient planetary excavation. With over 600 total citations across his top papers, Davis’s innovations have directly shaped NASA’s approach to sample acquisition, including the caching technologies for the Mars2020 mission. His work remains foundational for future efforts to search for life and resources beyond Earth.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Drilling Systems for Extraterrestrial Subsurface Exploration194 citations · 2008
- 2Results from the Mars Phoenix Lander Robotic Arm experiment132 citations · 2009
- 3NASA Mars 2007 Phoenix Lander Robotic Arm and Icy Soil Acquisition Device64 citations · 2008
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- 6The Phoenix Mars Lander Robotic Arm35 citations · 2009
- 7Robotic Drill Systems for Planetary Exploration29 citations · 2006
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- 9Mars2020 sample acquisition and caching technologies and architectures17 citations · 2014
- 10Honeybee Robotics Planetary Drill Systems17 citations · 2008