Mike Kung
Papers
1
Total Citations
71
H-Index
1
About
Mike Kung is a leading researcher in autonomous robotics and human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on real-world manipulation and game-playing systems. His most influential work, the Gambit project, introduced a custom 6-DoF robotic manipulator capable of playing physical board games against human opponents in unstructured, non-idealized environments. This landmark 2011 paper, with 71 citations, demonstrated that the challenges of unconstrained robotic manipulation often surpass the complexity of the games themselves, reshaping how the field approaches embodied AI. Kung’s contributions bridge the gap between high-level strategic reasoning and low-level physical control, advancing both robotic dexterity and interactive autonomy. His work has inspired subsequent research in adaptive manipulation, sensor integration, and human-robot competition. By tackling the messy realities of physical interaction—where vision, planning, and motor control must operate seamlessly—Kung has helped define a critical frontier in robotics. For students and researchers, his Gambit system remains a compelling case study in building robots that can engage with humans in dynamic, everyday environments.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Gambit: An autonomous chess-playing robotic system71 citations · 2011