Legged Locomotion Research (CMU)

As a Graduate Student Researcher at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, I worked with Prof. Hartmut Geyer on optimal control of highly non-linear, dynamic, and underactuated legged systems.

Research Focus

My work centered on understanding how the natural dynamics of a legged system (robotic or biological) can be exploited to achieve dynamic maneuvers with minimal energy expenditure. Key projects included:

• Turning behavior in running systems — Explored how foot placement induces body reorientation and redirection in running, extending prior analytical models to larger, more dynamic turns using a spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model.
• Deadbeat control for terrain-blind bipedal running — Developing control policies that achieve stable running gaits without terrain sensing.
• Controls implementation on ATRIAS — A human-scale bipedal robot with series-elastic actuators and compliant legs.

I also worked on the CMU Moon Rover project (part-time), developing state estimation and localization for the Moonranger autonomous rover targeting the Lunar South Pole, including vehicle kinematics models, probabilistic filters, and radiation-hardened power switching circuitry.

Publications

• Turning Behavior of Running Systems induced by Leg Placement — CMU Technical Report, 2021
• Turning Behavior of Running Systems Induced by Leg Placement — Dynamic Walking 2020 (Poster)