Randy C. Hoover
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Colorado State University
Papers
10
Total Citations
83
H-Index
5
About
Randy C. Hoover is a robotics and automation researcher whose work spans two deeply interconnected domains: fault-tolerant robotic manipulation and computer vision-based pose estimation. His most influential contribution lies in the design of failure-tolerant workspaces for kinematically redundant manipulators — systems that maintain operational capability even when individual joints become locked or fail. His 2014 paper on this topic, garnering 29 citations, established practical design techniques that meaningfully advance the reliability of robotic arms in real-world settings, where mechanical failure carries serious consequences. Complementing this work, Hoover has made significant contributions to 3D object pose detection and recognition from 2D imagery, employing sophisticated mathematical frameworks including spherical harmonic transforms, tensor decomposition, and eigenspace manifold design. These methods address core challenges in automated assembly, inspection, and human-robot interaction. More recently, Hoover pioneered the Mixed conventional/Braking Actuation Mobile Robot (MAMR), a novel platform that replaces conventional steering actuators with controllable brakes — reducing mechanical complexity, weight, and cost while enabling robust trajectory tracking and parking control through fuzzy logic, nonlinear, and model predictive control strategies. Across his career, Hoover's research reflects a consistent drive to build robotic systems that are simultaneously smarter, more resilient, and more practically deployable.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Designing a Failure-Tolerant Workspace for Kinematically Redundant Robots29 citations · 2014
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- 5A distributed manipulation concept using selective braking6 citations · 2014
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