John Baillieul

John Baillieul’s research deals with robotics, the control of mechanical systems, and mathematical system theory. He has done research and written about (1) the connections between optimal control theory and what has recently been called “sub-Riemannian geometry,” (2) problems in the control of nonlinear systems modeled by homogeneous polynomial differential equations, (3) the control theory of rotating elastic systems, (4) motion planning and control of kinematically redundant manipulators, and (5) he has become interested in problems associated with anholonomy in planning motions for robots which have elastic joints and other components which store energy.

Professor Baillieul also directs the Boston University component of the Center for Control and Dynamics of Smart Structures and the Center for Communicating Networked Control Systems. He is past Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control.