Robert R. Burridge

About

Robert R. Burridge is a robotics researcher whose work spans dynamically dexterous manipulation, humanoid robotics, and human-robot interaction, with particular emphasis on space applications. His early and most influential contribution — the development of sequential controller-composition techniques for dexterous robot behaviors — established a foundational framework for enabling robots to chain complex dynamic maneuvers, exemplified by the celebrated ball-batting experiments that earned his 1999 paper 453 citations. This work laid important groundwork for a broader systems theory of behavior composition, traceable to his 1996 theoretical investigations. Burridge's collaboration on NASA's Robonaut project (396 citations) placed him at the forefront of humanoid robotics, contributing to one of the most ambitious anthropomorphic systems ever built for space exploration. His subsequent research extended naturally into human-robot teaming, where his Peer-to-Peer Human-Robot Interaction project pioneered naturalistic collaboration frameworks suited to space mission operations. He further addressed the practical challenges of remote robot supervision, developing predictive graphical interface tools to manage Earth-Moon time delays. Across his career, Burridge has consistently bridged theoretical robotics with real-world NASA mission needs, making meaningful contributions to how robots and humans might work together beyond Earth.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Sequential Composition of Dynamically Dexterous Robot Behaviors

   453 citations · 1999
2. 2
   Robonaut: NASA's space humanoid

   396 citations · 2000
3. 3
   The Peer-to-Peer Human-Robot Interaction Project

   84 citations · 2005
4. 4
   A Preliminary Study of Peer-to-Peer Human-Robot Interaction

   36 citations · 2006
5. 5
   Toward a dynamical pick and place

   33 citations · 2002
6. 6
   Using prediction to enhance remote robot supervision across time delay

   32 citations · 2009
7. 7
   Experiments with an EVA Assistant Robot

   25 citations · 2003
8. 8
   Distributed visual servoing with a roving eye

   20 citations · 2002
9. 9
   Humanoid Mobile Manipulation Using Controller Refinement

   18 citations · 2006
10. 10
    Toward A Systems Theory for the Composition of Dynamically Dexterous Robot Behaviors

    16 citations · 1996

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links