Robot control
Related papers: 20
About
Robot control refers to the computational methods, algorithms, and architectures used to direct a robot's movements, behaviors, and interactions with its environment. It spans a broad spectrum—from low-level motor commands governing joint torques and actuator forces, to high-level deliberative planning and behavioral coordination. Core techniques include feedback control for manipulators and bipedal locomotion, potential field methods for real-time obstacle avoidance, visual servoing that closes the control loop using camera data, and layered or schema-based architectures that blend reactive and deliberate behaviors. In mobile robotics, control integrates localization, mapping, and path planning to enable autonomous navigation, while swarm systems distribute control across many simple agents to achieve collective behavior. Social and assistive robots extend control into human interaction domains, requiring responsiveness to emotional and contextual cues. Robot control matters because it is the bridge between mechanical hardware and intelligent behavior—without robust, well-designed control, even the most sophisticated robot platform cannot operate reliably, safely, or usefully in real-world environments.
Top Researchers
Top Cited Papers
A robust layered control system for a mobile robot
Rodney A. Brooks
Citations: 7743 • 1986
Robot dynamics and control
Mark W. Spong
Citations: 3821 • 1989
Visual servo control. I. Basic approaches
François Chaumette, Seth Hutchinson
Citations: 2431 • 2006
The development of Honda humanoid robot
Kazuo Hirai, Masato Hirose, Y. Haikawa, Toru Takenaka
Citations: 1925 • 2002
Efficient Bipedal Robots Based on Passive-Dynamic Walkers
Steven H. Collins, Andy Ruina, Russ Tedrake, Martijn Wisse
Citations: 1878 • 2005
Swarm robotics: a review from the swarm engineering perspective
Manuele Brambilla, Eliseo Ferrante, Mauro Birattari, Marco Dorigo
Citations: 1708 • 2013
Real-time obstacle avoidance for manipulators and mobile robots
Oussama Khatib
Citations: 1684 • 2005
The Player/Stage Project: Tools for Multi-Robot and Distributed Sensor Systems
Brian Gerkey, Richard Vaughan, Andrew Howard
Citations: 1453 • 2003
Social robots for education: A review
Tony Belpaeme, James Kennedy, Aditi Ramachandran, Brian Scassellati, Fumihide Tanaka
Citations: 1445 • 2018
Anthropomorphism and the social robot
B. R. Duffy
Citations: 1411 • 2003
Sonar-based real-world mapping and navigation
Alberto Elfes
Citations: 1395 • 1987
Vision for mobile robot navigation: a survey
Guilherme N. DeSouza, A.C. Kak
Citations: 1360 • 2002
Emotion and sociable humanoid robots
Cynthia Breazeal
Citations: 1266 • 2003
Control of Robot Manipulators
Frank L. Lewis, D.M. Dawson, Chaouki T. Abdallah
Citations: 1259 • 1993
Mobile robot localization by tracking geometric beacons
John J. Leonard, Hugh Durrant‐Whyte
Citations: 1227 • 1991
Socially intelligent robots: dimensions of human–robot interaction
Kerstin Dautenhahn
Citations: 1152 • 2007
Feedback Control of Dynamic Bipedal Robot Locomotion
E. R. Westervelt, Jessy W. Grizzle, Christine Chevallereau, Jun Ho Choi, Benjamin Morris
Citations: 1093 • 2010
Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robot Systems [Grand Challenges of Robotics]
Mark Yim, Wei‐Min Shen, Behnam Salemi, Daniela Rus, Mark Moll, Hod Lipson, Eric Klavins, Gregory S. Chirikjian
Citations: 1020 • 2007
Motor Schema — Based Mobile Robot Navigation
Ronald C. Arkin
Citations: 1004 • 1989
Modeling and Control of Robot Manipulators
Citations: 994 • 2000