Vassilios D. Tourassis

About

Vassilios D. Tourassis is a pioneering figure in robotics whose work has fundamentally shaped how we model and control robotic manipulators. His research focuses on three interconnected areas: dynamic robot modeling, kinematic singularities, and nonlinear control systems. Tourassis introduced a groundbreaking inherently discrete-time dynamic model for robotic manipulators that, despite the highly coupled and nonlinear nature of robot dynamics, remains compact and suitable for control engineering applications while guaranteeing conservation of energy and momentum. His seminal 1985 paper on this topic has garnered 80 citations. Tourassis made equally significant contributions to understanding robot singularities, notably identifying unwarranted mathematical singularities in Euler and roll-pitch-yaw representations (53 citations) and analyzing singular positions that cause large joint motions from small end-effector displacements (34 citations). His comparative evaluation of computed-torque and direct-design control algorithms (52 citations) provided crucial insights for robust nonlinear feedback control. Beyond theoretical foundations, Tourassis demonstrated practical impact through his work on an advanced prototype robot for white asparagus harvesting (31 citations), showcasing how his modeling principles apply to real-world agricultural automation challenges.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Discrete dynamic robot models

   80 citations · 1985
2. 2
   Properties and structure of dynamic robot models for control engineering applications

   55 citations · 1985
3. 3
   Singularities of Euler and Roll-Pitch-Yaw Representations

   53 citations · 1987
4. 4
   The inertial characteristics of dynamic robot models

   52 citations · 1985
5. 5
   Robust nonlinear feedback control for robotic manipulators

   52 citations · 1985
6. 6
   Robust nonlinear feedback control for robotic manipulators

   39 citations · 1985
7. 7
   Identification and Analysis of Robot Manipulator Singularities

   34 citations · 1992
8. 8
   A modular architecture for inverse robot kinematics

   33 citations · 1989
9. 9
   Design of an advanced prototype robot for white asparagus harvesting

   31 citations · 2009
10. 10
    Principles and design of model-based robot controllers

    29 citations · 1988

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links