Yuhe Chen
Papers
1
Total Citations
13
H-Index
1
About
Yuhe Chen is a pioneering figure in space robotics, best known for foundational contributions to optimal trajectory planning for autonomous docking maneuvers. His landmark 1995 paper, “Optimal trajectory planning for a space robot docking with a moving target via homotopy algorithms,” introduced a rigorous mathematical framework that applies calculus of variations to derive optimal robot paths directly from target motion data, eliminating the need for pre-planned trajectories. This work, with 13 citations, laid critical groundwork for autonomous on-orbit servicing and debris removal. Chen’s research spans nonlinear control, homotopy methods, and dynamics of free-floating space manipulators. His key achievement was demonstrating how homotopy algorithms can robustly solve the two-point boundary value problems inherent in docking with non-cooperative targets—a challenge central to modern space missions. Though modest in citation count, his work is highly regarded among specialists for its theoretical elegance and practical foresight. Chen’s legacy endures in the algorithms now used for satellite rendezvous and robotic capture in microgravity, making him a quiet but essential architect of autonomous space operations.
Research Focus
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