Michael Hilton

Carnegie Mellon University, University of South Carolina

Papers

Total Citations

107

H-Index

About

Michael Hilton is a leading researcher at the intersection of software engineering and robotics, with a primary focus on the unique challenges of testing and developing reliable robotic systems. His most impactful work, "A Study on Challenges of Testing Robotic Systems" (2020, 85 citations), systematically identifies how the physical-world interaction and hardware-software integration inherent to robotics create distinct testing obstacles compared to conventional software. This foundational study has become a key reference for the field. Hilton further advanced the discipline with his empirical investigation, "It Takes a Village to Build a Robot: An Empirical Study of The ROS Ecosystem" (2020, 20 citations), which provides critical insights into the collaborative development and reuse practices within the Robot Operating System (ROS) community—the dominant framework for robotics. By bridging software engineering principles with the practical realities of robotics, Hilton’s work directly supports developers in building more robust and dependable autonomous systems, making his research essential for anyone working to improve the quality of modern robotic software.