Papers
9
Total Citations
228
H-Index
8
About
M. Cherif is a robotics researcher whose work spans two interconnected domains: dexterous robotic manipulation and autonomous all-terrain vehicle navigation. Active primarily in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cherif made significant contributions to motion planning by developing physically grounded algorithms capable of handling complex real-world constraints that purely geometric approaches cannot address. In the domain of multifingered robotic hands, Cherif pioneered methods for planning quasi-static fingertip manipulations, tackling the challenging problem of reconfiguring three-dimensional objects through coordinated rolling and sliding motions while satisfying contact force constraints. These contributions, garnering over 100 citations across multiple publications, remain foundational references in dexterous manipulation planning. Equally notable is Cherif's work on all-terrain wheeled vehicles, where he developed kinodynamic planning frameworks that incorporate detailed physical models of robot dynamics and wheel-ground interactions across uneven terrain. His 1999 paper on this topic alone attracted 41 citations, with subsequent work extending the approach to industrial fleet coordination in cluttered, changing environments. Across all his research, a unifying theme emerges: the belief that robust motion planning requires faithful physical modeling rather than simplified abstractions. This philosophy produced algorithms with lasting influence across both field robotics and robotic manipulation communities.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Planning quasi-static fingertip manipulations for reconfiguring objects72 citations · 1999
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- 4Kinodynamic motion planning for all-terrain wheeled vehicles27 citations · 2003
- 5Planning handling operations in changing industrial plants19 citations · 2002
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- 83D in-hand manipulation planning8 citations · 2002
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