Andrew West
Papers
24
Total Citations
548
H-Index
12
About
Andrew West is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of autonomous mobile systems, nuclear decommissioning, and educational robotics. He is perhaps best known for developing Mona, an affordable open-source mobile robot designed to democratize access to robotics education in higher education — a contribution that has garnered over 140 citations and influenced curricula worldwide. Much of West's subsequent research has focused on deploying autonomous robots in hazardous nuclear environments, where reducing human radiation exposure is a critical priority. His work spans ground vehicles, aquatic platforms such as the MallARD inspection vessel, and simulation frameworks for validating robotic behavior in radioactive settings. Particularly notable are his contributions to radiation-informed navigation, including Gaussian process regression for radiation mapping and real-time costmap-based avoidance of ionizing radiation. West has also advanced the concept of symbiotic robot ecosystems and digital twin platforms for coordinating robot fleets in nuclear facilities. With over 400 cumulative citations across his most impactful papers, his research has meaningfully shaped both how robotics is taught and how autonomous systems are deployed in some of the world's most challenging and consequential environments.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Mona: an Affordable Open-Source Mobile Robot for Education and Research141 citations · 2018
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- 6Vega—A small, low cost, ground robot for nuclear decommissioning22 citations · 2021
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- 8A Debris Clearance Robot for Extreme Environments21 citations · 2019
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