Owen Loh

Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University

Papers

Total Citations

119

H-Index

About

Owen Loh is a researcher working at the dynamic intersection of robotics, neuromechanics, and biologically inspired engineering. His work centers on understanding how biological systems — particularly insects like the American cockroach — navigate complex environments, and translating those principles into functional robotic systems. Loh's most influential contribution, "Templates and Anchors for Antenna-Based Wall Following in Cockroaches and Robots" (2008, 81 citations), exemplifies this bidirectional approach: biological systems inspire robotic design, while robotic modeling reveals what makes biological solutions so effective. His earlier work, "Dynamical Wall Following for a Wheeled Robot Using a Passive Tactile Sensor" (2006, 36 citations), demonstrated that cockroach-inspired antenna feedback could enable rapid, reliable wall-following in wheeled robots navigating cluttered, low-light environments. Complementing these, his 2007 hierarchical modeling study explored how surprisingly simple control mechanisms — such as PD-controlled planar unicycle models — may underlie the remarkable locomotion of one of nature's fastest terrestrial insects. Together, Loh's research advances our understanding of sensorimotor control and offers practical frameworks for building agile, sensor-driven robots capable of navigating real-world environments.