Papers
9
Total Citations
1,789
H-Index
7
About
John Carff is a leading researcher in legged locomotion and humanoid robotics, best known for his foundational work on capture point theory and its application to push recovery and dynamic walking. His 2006 paper on capture points, with over 1,098 citations, introduced a principled method for determining when and where a humanoid robot should step to avoid falling after a push—a concept that has become a cornerstone of bipedal stability control. Carff further advanced this framework through capturability-based analysis, enabling robots to plan multi-step recovery strategies, as demonstrated in his highly cited 2012 work on the M2V2 lower-body humanoid (263 citations). As a key member of Team IHMC, he played a pivotal role in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, contributing to the team’s first- and second-place finishes across all three phases. His lessons-learned papers from the DRC (242 and 51 citations) provide invaluable insights into real-world disaster response robotics. Carff’s research bridges theoretical control and practical deployment, making him a central figure in the development of robust, human-like locomotion for humanoid robots.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Capture Point: A Step toward Humanoid Push Recovery1,098 citations · 2006
- 2
- 3Team IHMC's Lessons Learned from the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials242 citations · 2015
- 4Summary of Team IHMC's virtual robotics challenge entry86 citations · 2013
- 5
- 6The Yobotics-IHMC Lower Body Humanoid Robot21 citations · 2009
- 7Human-robot team navigation in visually complex environments16 citations · 2009
- 8Toward humanoid robots for operations in complex urban environments7 citations · 2010
- 9