Michael Posa

About

Michael Posa is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of trajectory optimization, contact mechanics, and legged locomotion. He is perhaps best known for pioneering direct methods for trajectory optimization through contact—work that fundamentally advanced how robots plan motions involving impacts, such as walking, running, and manipulation. His 2013 paper on this topic has accumulated over 600 citations, establishing him as a leading voice in contact-rich robot planning. Posa has also made significant contributions to stabilization and stability analysis of rigid-body systems with friction and impacts, applying Lyapunov-based and sums-of-squares techniques to formally certify robot balance and fall recovery. His research extends into model reduction for bipedal locomotion, seeking principled ways to derive simplified yet accurate planning models. A 2023 survey on optimization-based control for dynamic legged robots, already garnering 160 citations, reflects his broad influence on the field's trajectory toward agile quadrupeds, bipeds, and humanoids. Early in his career, Posa also contributed to high-profile demonstrations through the DARPA Robotics Challenge. Across these diverse contributions, his work consistently bridges theoretical rigor with practical robotic systems, making him a highly impactful figure in modern robot locomotion and control research.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A direct method for trajectory optimization of rigid bodies through contact

   608 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Optimization-Based Control for Dynamic Legged Robots

   160 citations · 2023
3. 3
   Optimization and stabilization of trajectories for constrained dynamical systems

   158 citations · 2016
4. 4
   An Architecture for Online Affordance‐based Perception and Whole‐body Planning

   140 citations · 2014
5. 5
   Direct Trajectory Optimization of Rigid Body Dynamical Systems through Contact

   97 citations · 2013
6. 6
   Balance control using center of mass height variation: Limitations imposed by unilateral contact

   84 citations · 2016
7. 7
   Stability Analysis and Control of Rigid-Body Systems With Impacts and Friction

   66 citations · 2015
8. 8
   Balancing and Step Recovery Capturability via Sums-of-Squares Optimization

   46 citations · 2017
9. 9
   Validating Robotics Simulators on Real-World Impacts

   32 citations · 2022
10. 10
    Optimal Reduced-order Modeling of Bipedal Locomotion

    30 citations · 2020

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links