Papers
10
Total Citations
347
H-Index
9
About
Avi Okon is a distinguished robotics engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whose career has been defined by pioneering advancements in planetary exploration and autonomous robotic systems. His primary research areas encompass sample acquisition systems for Mars missions, cooperative robotics for space infrastructure, and robotic locomotion on extreme terrain. Okon’s most impactful contribution is his work on the Sampling and Caching Subsystem (SCS) for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, a landmark paper with 134 citations that details the complex system responsible for collecting and storing Martian rock and soil samples for eventual return to Earth. He also led the development of the Lemur IIb robot, a free-climbing system designed to navigate steep, overhanging terrain, addressing critical challenges in contact force distribution and hold integrity. His research on sustainable cooperative robotic technologies for constructing and maintaining human outposts, cited 61 times, has been instrumental in shaping NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration. Okon’s contributions to the Mars Science Laboratory Drill further underscore his expertise in robust, autonomous drilling from mobile platforms. Through his work, Okon has directly enabled some of NASA’s most ambitious missions, advancing the frontier of autonomous robotics in the most challenging environments imaginable.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3Lemur IIb: a robotic system for steep terrain access48 citations · 2006
- 4Precision Manipulation with Cooperative Robots25 citations · 2005
- 5HETEROGENEOUS ROBOTIC SYSTEMS FOR ASSEMBLY AND SERVICING19 citations · 2005
- 6Mars Science Laboratory Drill16 citations · 2010
- 7Lemur IIb: a Robotic System for Steep Terrain Access16 citations · 2005
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