N. James Lavigne

Carleton University, Brunswick (United States)

Papers

Total Citations

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About

N. James Lavigne is a researcher focused on advancing mobile robotics and autonomous navigation in extreme, GPS-denied environments—most notably underground mines. His work addresses the critical challenge of enabling vehicles to determine their position and orientation in real time, a key requirement for automation, traffic management, and safety in subterranean operations. Lavigne’s major contributions include pioneering low-cost mapping technologies for drift networks and developing globally consistent mapping strategies for large-scale passageway environments. His most-cited paper, "Towards underground mine drift mapping with RFID" (2010, 20 citations), highlights practical, industry-directed solutions for a problem that had long eluded the mobile robotics community. In "Robotic mapping of underground mine passageways" (2011, 18 citations), he further tackled the real-time localization challenge, correcting misconceptions in the mining sector. Though his citation counts are modest, Lavigne’s work is notable for its direct industrial applicability and for addressing a niche yet vital area where satellite GPS is unavailable. His research has laid foundational groundwork for safer, more efficient autonomous mining operations.