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About

S. Michael Goza is a pioneering robotics engineer whose work has fundamentally advanced mobile humanoid manipulation for space exploration. His primary research focuses on dexterous mobile manipulation, human-robot interaction, and autonomous systems for extreme environments. Goza’s most significant contribution is the integration of NASA’s Robonaut upper body with a Segway-based Robotic Mobility Platform, creating one of the first highly mobile, dexterous humanoid robots capable of fluid, coordinated control. This groundbreaking system, detailed in his highly cited 2004 paper (104 citations), demonstrated unprecedented interaction with tools and environments designed for humans. His subsequent work on telepresence control (66 citations) and mobile autonomy (18 citations) proved these robots could work safely alongside humans in cluttered spaces. Goza also contributed to the visionary concept of pairing Robonaut 2 with IBM’s Watson, exploring “cognitive dexterity” for future deep-space missions requiring autonomous spacecraft maintenance. By bridging teleoperation and full autonomy, Goza’s research has been instrumental in shaping how NASA envisions robotic assistants supporting astronauts on the International Space Station and future missions to the Moon and Mars.