Papers
7
Total Citations
117
H-Index
6
About
William S. Harrison is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of manufacturing systems simulation, industrial robotics, and agile automation. His career has been defined by two major threads: advancing hybrid simulation methodologies for manufacturing system design, and pioneering frameworks for measuring and improving robot agility in industrial settings. Harrison's early contributions focused on bridging the gap between virtual models and physical systems. His development of Hybrid Process Simulation (HPS) — a generalization of hardware-in-the-loop testing that combines multiple simulations with real components — earned him significant recognition, with his 2011 ontology paper accumulating 40 citations. His complementary work on "Virtual Fusion" and emulation-in-the-loop approaches further established him as an innovator in manufacturing validation methodology. His later research shifted toward making industrial robots more adaptable for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Through defining rigorous test methods and metrics for robot agility, enabling kitting applications in unstructured environments, and leading insights drawn from international robotics competitions, Harrison has shaped how the field evaluates and advances robotic flexibility. His most-cited works collectively reflect a consistent commitment to making manufacturing systems smarter, more testable, and more responsive to real-world complexity.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Assessing Industrial Robot agility through international competitions25 citations · 2021
- 3Enabling robot agility in manufacturing kitting applications20 citations · 2018
- 4Virtual Fusion: Hybrid Process Simulation and Emulation-in-the-Loop11 citations · 2008
- 5Test methods for robot agility in manufacturing10 citations · 2016
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