Marcelo H. Ang

About

Marcelo H. Ang is a prominent robotics researcher whose work spans mobile robot navigation, human-robot interaction, soft robotics, and industrial automation. Based at the National University of Singapore, Ang has built a distinguished career advancing both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of robotic systems across diverse domains. Among his most influential contributions is his work on mobile robot navigation, including a widely adopted virtual obstacle concept for potential-field-based navigation in unstructured environments (99 citations) and hybrid architectures that elegantly integrate global path planning with reactive local navigation (72 citations). His 2013 survey on perception methods for human-robot interaction in social robots has become a key reference in the field, accumulating 142 citations and reflecting his forward-looking engagement with intelligent, human-centered systems. Ang's research extends into industrial robotics, with notable contributions to robotic fibre placement (120 citations), shipyard welding automation, and end-effector design for finishing applications. His work on soft pneumatic actuators (82 citations) demonstrates a versatile research vision embracing emerging compliant robotics for rehabilitation and biomimicry. With foundational contributions dating back to passive compliance in manipulator design in 1995, Ang's career represents a rich, sustained impact on the robotics community that continues to shape both research and real-world applications.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A Survey on Perception Methods for Human–Robot Interaction in Social Robots

   142 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Trajectory generation for open-contoured structures in robotic fibre placement

   120 citations · 2007
3. 3
   Virtual obstacle concept for local-minimum-recovery in potential-field based navigation

   99 citations · 2002
4. 4
   Stiffness Customization and Patterning for Property Modulation of Silicone-Based Soft Pneumatic Actuators

   82 citations · 2017
5. 5
   Hybrid of global path planning and local navigation implemented on a mobile robot in indoor environment

   72 citations · 2003
6. 6
   Autonomic mobile sensor network with self-coordinated task allocation and execution

   68 citations · 2006
7. 7
   A hybrid mobile robot architecture with integrated planning and control

   63 citations · 2002
8. 8
   Design and control of an end-effector for industrial finishing applications

   60 citations · 2018
9. 9
   Specifying and achieving passive compliance based on manipulator structure

   60 citations · 1995
10. 10
    A walk‐through programmed robot for welding in shipyards

    59 citations · 1999

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links