Tracianne B. Neilsen

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Tracianne B. Neilsen is a leading researcher in underwater acoustics and marine robotics perception, with a focus on realistic sonar simulation and autonomous systems. Her most impactful work centers on the development of **HoloOcean**, an open-source, high-fidelity underwater simulator built on Unreal Engine 4. This tool addresses the critical challenge of testing and developing algorithms for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) without the prohibitive cost and difficulty of field trials. Her 2022 paper, "HoloOcean: Realistic Sonar Simulation" (33 citations), and the comprehensive 2024 follow-up, "HoloOcean: A Full-Featured Marine Robotics Simulator for Perception and Autonomy" (25 citations), have become essential resources for the robotics community. These contributions enable robust testing of localization, mapping, and structure-from-motion algorithms in realistic underwater environments, bridging a key gap between simulation and real-world deployment. Neilsen’s work is foundational for advancing autonomy in marine robotics, and her open-source simulator continues to drive innovation in sonar-based perception and underwater vehicle navigation.