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About

Scott Moreland is a robotics and aerospace engineer whose research spans planetary rover mobility, terramechanics, and robotic sample collection systems. Working at the intersection of field robotics and space exploration, Moreland has made foundational contributions to understanding how robotic systems interact with granular soils — a critical challenge for missions operating on the Moon, Mars, and small bodies. His most influential work introduced the Soil Optical Flow Technique (SOFT), a computer vision-based method for visualizing and analyzing machine-soil interactions, which has garnered 40 citations and reshaped experimental terramechanics research. Complementing this, his Shear Interface Imaging Analysis Tool provided further insight into subsurface soil behavior during robotic operations. Moreland also contributed to the design of Scarab, a prospecting rover concept for lunar polar crater exploration, and advanced alternative locomotion strategies including "push-pull" mobility for extreme terrain navigation. Beyond surface mobility, his work extends to extraterrestrial sample acquisition, including the BiBlade comet sampling system and the Mars Sample Return's Sample Recovery Helicopter — a landmark contribution to one of NASA's most ambitious ongoing campaigns. With over 130 cumulative citations, Moreland's research continues to shape the future of robotic planetary exploration.