Ludovic Righetti

Ludovic Righetti is an Associate Professor at the Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, holding joint appointments in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is also an International Chair at the Artificial and Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute. His research focuses on robotic motion planning and control, particularly legged locomotion and manipulation, with interdisciplinary interests in decision-making, optimization, and AI ethics. He leads the Machines in Motion Laboratory and co-directs the Center for Robotics and Embodied Intelligence.

Education: He earned a Doctorate in Science from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California. Previously, he led a research group at the Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems before joining NYU in 2017.

Research Interests: His work spans robotics applications, optimal control, reinforcement learning, and societal implications of AI. Key areas include legged robots, manipulation, and ethical technology use to improve societal equity and quality of life.

Scientific Awards: Recipient of the 2010 Georges Giralt PhD Award, 2011 IROS Best Paper Award, 2016 IEEE Early Career Award, Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize, and 2024 NYU Jacobs Excellence in Education Innovation Award.

Affiliations: Member of NYU's Center for Responsible AI, Center for Urban Science + Progress, and Center for Advanced Technology in Telecommunications. His lab explores principles of robot locomotion and manipulation, with recent work on 5G-enabled remote control and AI ethics.