Jessica Herman
Papers
3
Total Citations
95
H-Index
3
About
Jessica Herman is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of underwater autonomy, simulation, and marine perception. She is best known for her contributions to the development of DAVE (DAVE Aquatic Virtual Environment), an open-source simulation stack designed specifically for underwater robots, sensors, and environments. Recognizing that conventional robotics simulators fail to capture the unique physical and sensory challenges of the marine domain, Herman and her collaborators built DAVE to address conditions such as ocean currents, turbidity, and complex lighting effects — work that has garnered 46 citations and established itself as a key community resource for underwater robotics research. Complementing this platform-level contribution, her 2021 paper on physics-based modelling and simulation of multibeam echosounder perception (also 46 citations) tackled the formidable challenge of underwater manipulation, advancing realistic sonar-based sensing models that account for backscatter and environmental noise. Together, these works demonstrate Herman's sustained focus on bridging the gap between simulation fidelity and real-world underwater autonomy. Her research provides the broader marine robotics community with essential tools for developing and validating autonomous systems in environments that remain among the most difficult to test in physically.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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