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About

Leslie Keely is a pioneer in the development of robotic systems for planetary surface exploration, with a career dedicated to bridging the gap between autonomous machinery and human spaceflight. Her primary research areas include utility robotics for lunar operations, advanced rover locomotion, and human-robot teaming for extraterrestrial environments. Keely’s most impactful contribution is her work on the ATHLETE rover, a revolutionary six-limbed vehicle capable of walking and rolling across rugged terrain. She developed the "FootFall" toolset, a ground-based operations system that provides real-time situational awareness, terrain reconstruction, and stability analysis—enabling safe, walking locomotion for this complex robot. Her research on robotic reconnaissance, or "robotic recon," demonstrated how rovers can serve as advance scouts to collect ground-level data before human field activities, significantly improving both scientific return and mission safety. With over 45 combined citations from her key papers, Keely’s work directly supports NASA’s vision for establishing a sustained lunar outpost. Her field tests of utility robots have laid the groundwork for long-duration stays and long-distance exploration on the Moon, cementing her legacy as a critical architect of the next generation of space exploration technology.