Mark B. Friedman

About

Mark B. Friedman is a robotics researcher whose career has centered on space robotics, mobile robot control systems, and human-robot interaction. Working primarily at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, Friedman made his most significant contributions through the development of the Self-Mobile Space Manipulator (SM²), a 5-DOF robotic system designed to walk on the exterior trusswork of Space Station Freedom and perform critical tasks including inspection, parts transportation, and routine maintenance. His foundational 1994 paper on SM² control systems has accumulated 74 citations, establishing him as a key contributor to space-based robotic locomotion research. Friedman's work spanned both hardware design and real-time control architecture, encompassing teleoperation frameworks such as TORCS and the kinematics of omnidirectional mobile platforms using Ilonator wheel technology. His research into intelligent wheelchair systems demonstrated a practical translation of space robotics principles into assistive technologies. Beyond mobile platforms, Friedman explored human-robot interaction through gestural robot control and experimental measurement of human arm impedance parameters. With contributions spanning nearly two decades, his body of work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic systems for both space exploration and everyday human use.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Control system of the self-mobile space manipulator

   74 citations · 1994
2. 2
   Control system of Self-Mobile Space Manipulator

   28 citations · 2003
3. 3
   The servo-control system for an omnidirectional mobile robot

   16 citations · 2003
4. 4
   Development of a 5-DOF walking robot for Space Station application: overview

   13 citations · 2002
5. 5
   Self mobile space manipulator project

   9 citations · 1992
6. 6
   A testbed for measurement of human arm impedance parameters

   6 citations · 2002
7. 7
   TORCS: A Teleoperated Robot Control System for the Self Mobile Space Manipulator

   6 citations · 1991
8. 8
   Kinematics and open-loop control of an ilonator-based mobile platform

   5 citations · 2005
9. 9
   Gestural Control of Robot End Effectors

   4 citations · 1987

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links