C. Fernandes

Robotics Research (United States), New York University

Papers

Total Citations

206

H-Index

About

C. Fernandes is a leading figure in nonholonomic motion planning, with a particular focus on the elegant and deceptively complex problem of how a falling cat reorients itself midair. His foundational work, "Near-optimal Nonholonomic Motion Planning for a System of Coupled Rigid Bodies" (1994), which has garnered 170 citations, provides a constructive, near-optimal solution to this classic problem. By modeling the cat as a system of coupled rigid bodies, Fernandes demonstrated how angular momentum constraints can be overcome through carefully coordinated joint motions, a breakthrough that has deeply influenced both control engineering and robotics. His earlier paper, "Optimal Nonholonomic Motion Planning for a Falling Cat" (1993), with 36 citations, laid the groundwork for this analysis. Fernandes's contributions are notable for bridging theoretical mechanics and practical robotic locomotion, offering insights that extend to the design of agile, momentum-conserving robots. His work remains a cornerstone for researchers exploring nonholonomic systems, inspiring new approaches to motion planning in constrained environments.