Gregory Scott
United States Naval Research Laboratory, University of Surrey
Papers
7
Total Citations
122
H-Index
6
About
Gregory Scott is a leading figure in planetary robotics and autonomous systems, with a career defined by bridging terrestrial engineering challenges with the extreme demands of space exploration. His primary research areas encompass planetary rover locomotion, terramechanics (the study of soil-vehicle interaction), and autonomous maritime robotics. Scott’s major contributions lie in adapting Bekker Theory—a classical soil mechanics model—to predict the trafficability of wheeled, tracked, and legged vehicles on granular soils, a critical capability for missions like NASA’s Mars Pathfinder and MER rovers. His work on the ExoMars rover testbed (39 citations) provided essential soil simulant sourcing for the European Space Agency, while his leadership on the Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer (RAFT) project (21 citations) demonstrated a novel robotic system for refueling unmanned surface vehicles in varying sea states, directly improving sailor safety. With over 120 total citations across his most-cited papers, Scott’s research has influenced both planetary exploration and naval operations. Notably, his 2004 paper on Bekker Theory remains a foundational reference for designing next-generation rovers, and his 2009 work on microrover trafficability helped quantify how subtle soil variations can impact mobility. Through projects like RiSE and other biorobotic initiatives, Scott continues to champion low-cost, nature-inspired technologies that promise to redefine autonomous exploration on Earth and beyond.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Soil simulant sourcing for the ExoMars rover testbed39 citations · 2011
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