William Mccoll

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

William McColl is a leading researcher in the field of robotic manipulation and automation, with a particular focus on contact-rich tasks and industrial cleaning applications. His most-cited work, "Automation of Train Cab Front Cleaning With a Robot Manipulator" (2018, 25 citations), introduces a pioneering control and trajectory tracking approach that enables a velocity-controlled robotic manipulator to wipe train cab front panels using only a force/torque sensor—without relying on surface models or vision-based detection. This contribution addresses a critical gap in automating non-rigid, contact-dependent tasks, demonstrating how robots can adapt to unknown surfaces in real time. McColl’s research has significant implications for the railway industry, where manual cleaning is labor-intensive and hazardous. By developing robust force-based control strategies, he has advanced the practical deployment of robots in unstructured environments. His work is widely cited by researchers in robotic manipulation, force control, and industrial automation, and it serves as a foundational reference for those exploring sensor-driven, model-free approaches to complex surface interaction tasks.