Kalliyan Lay

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Kalliyan Lay is a leading researcher in marine robotics, specializing in underwater perception, autonomy, and simulation. Their most significant contribution is the development of **HoloOcean**, a high-fidelity, open-source underwater simulator built on Unreal Engine 4. This tool addresses the critical challenge of expensive and difficult underwater field trials by providing a realistic environment for testing algorithms. Lay’s work on **realistic sonar simulation** within HoloOcean is particularly impactful, as sonar is essential for long-range underwater perception where optical cameras fail. Their 2022 paper on this topic has garnered 33 citations, while the comprehensive 2024 paper detailing the full simulator has already received 25 citations, demonstrating rapid adoption by the research community. By enabling robust testing of localization, mapping, and autonomy algorithms in a controlled yet realistic setting, Lay’s work is accelerating progress in underwater robotics, making it more accessible and reliable for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to offshore infrastructure inspection.