Colin Creager

Glenn Research Center, Ames Research Center

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Colin Creager is a leading researcher in planetary rover mobility and terramechanics, focusing on how robotic vehicles interact with challenging extraterrestrial soils. His key research areas include machine-soil interactions, lunar geotechnical tools, and innovative locomotion strategies for extreme terrains. Creager’s most notable contribution is the development of the Soil Optical Flow Technique (SOFT), a groundbreaking computer vision method that visualizes and analyzes soil deformation in real time during wheel or tool interaction. This work, published in 2014, has garnered 40 citations and provides critical insights for designing more efficient rovers. He also pioneered the "Push-Pull" locomotion concept, demonstrating its benefits for climbing steep slopes on planetary surfaces, a finding with 14 citations that addresses a major challenge in NASA’s aggressive exploration missions. Additionally, his 2010 paper on a robotic lunar geotechnical tool (21 citations) underscores the importance of assessing regolith density for construction and radiation shielding on the Moon. Creager’s novel Shear Interface Imaging Analysis Tool further enhances understanding of granular flow, making his work essential for students and engineers advancing planetary robotics.