Torkom Pailevanian
Papers
12
Total Citations
345
H-Index
8
About
Torkom Pailevanian is a robotics researcher specializing in autonomous systems, extreme environment exploration, and multi-robot coordination, with work spanning both terrestrial and planetary applications. He is perhaps best known for his central contributions to TEAM CoSTAR's NeBula autonomy framework, which powered the team's winning performance in Phase II of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge — a landmark achievement in robotic autonomy for GPS-denied, communication-restricted underground environments (105 and 51 citations respectively). His research extends boldly into space robotics, most notably through the EELS project: a snake-like autonomous robot designed to navigate the icy terrain of ocean worlds such as Saturn's moon Enceladus, where subsurface oceans may harbor life (62 citations). Pailevanian has also contributed to multi-robot communication strategies through ACHORD (37 citations), lunar pit exploration mission concepts like Moon Diver (32 citations), legged autonomy with Boston Dynamics' Spot, and underwater manipulation systems. Across his portfolio, he consistently pushes the frontier of robotic mobility and intelligence in environments where conventional systems fail — making his work highly relevant to the future of both planetary science and hazardous terrestrial operations.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8Development of a Robotic Limb for Underwater Mobile Manipulation8 citations · 2018
- 9
- 10