Marc Gouttefarde

Marc Gouttefarde is a CNRS Senior Researcher (DR2) at LIRMM (Laboratoire d'Informatique, de Robotique et de Microélectronique de Montpellier), part of University of Montpellier. He leads the Robotics Department at LIRMM and serves as Scientific Advisor for Robotics at CNRS Informatics. His research focuses on cable-driven parallel robots, with significant contributions to workspace analysis, robot design, control systems, and practical applications.

His research interests center on cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs), with expertise in workspace analysis, design optimization, motion planning, and control systems. Gouttefarde pioneered the CoGiRo cable configuration that enables large workspace to footprint ratios, demonstrated in the CoGiRo prototype capable of handling 300+ kg payloads. His work spans multiple applications including marine litter removal, building facade construction, and industrial manufacturing. He has developed methodologies for determining smallest maximum cable tension and contributed to vibration analysis and damping techniques for cable robots.

His recent publications show a strong trend toward underwater applications of cable-driven robots, particularly for marine environmental remediation. The MAELSTROM project's robotic seabed cleaning platform represents a significant practical application of his research. Additional trends include hybrid actuation systems combining cables with thrusters, advanced control strategies for pick-and-throw applications, and optimization of cable routing for reconfigurable systems. His work consistently bridges theoretical analysis with practical implementation through numerous demonstrators.

• Crossley Best Paper Award for 'Discrete reconfiguration planning for Cable-Driven Parallel Robots'

Gouttefarde has coordinated multiple significant research projects including the ANR CoGiRo project that developed the large-dimension CDPR prototype, the DexterWide ANR project demonstrating coordinated motion of CDPRs with on-board manipulators, and the HEPHAESTUS EU project for curtain wall installation. He currently participates in the ANR CABTIVE project on 3D printing with cable robots and the AAutonom project for agricultural applications. His leadership extends to coordinating the 'Robotique Centrée sur l'Humain' initiative supported by Région Occitanie.

As Head of LIRMM Robotics Department, Gouttefarde oversees one of France's leading robotics research groups. His team, the DEXTER team, focuses on cable-driven parallel robots and their applications. The group has developed multiple demonstrators including the CoGiRo robot, the robotic seabed cleaning platform for marine litter removal, and systems for building facade construction. Their research bridges theoretical analysis with practical implementation, consistently validating theoretical results through physical prototypes.