Sue Cofer

Digital Equipment (Germany), Digital Wave (United States)

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Sue Cofer is a pioneering robotics engineer whose work has been instrumental in advancing telerobotic control systems for space applications. Her primary research areas include telerobotics, autonomous control architectures, and space-based robotic manipulation. Cofer’s most notable contribution is the development of the Hierarchical Ada Robot Programming System (HARPS), a complete telerobot control system based on the NASA Standard Reference Model (NASREM). HARPS demonstrated the ability to perform complex tasks, such as the ORU Exchange Demo, using Ada as the primary programming language—a significant achievement in creating reliable, reusable software for space robotics. This work, published in 2003, has garnered 8 citations and remains a foundational reference for hierarchical control systems. Earlier, Cofer contributed to the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Robotics Technology Testbed (1989, 5 citations), which provided critical testing grounds for technologies intended for NASA’s Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) and the Demonstration Test Flight (DTF). Her efforts helped validate safe, reliable robotic systems for spaceflight, directly influencing the design of autonomous manipulators used in orbital servicing. Cofer’s legacy lies in bridging software engineering and robotics, ensuring that space-bound robots operate with precision and safety.