Gregory S. Chirikjian

Gregory S. Chirikjian is the Willis F. Harrington Professor and Department Chair at the University of Delaware's College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering. His expertise spans robotics, controls, computer vision, and applied mathematics. He is a Fellow of both IEEE and ASME.

Education:

• PhD in Applied Mechanics, California Institute of Technology
• MSE in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
• BS in Engineering Mechanics, Johns Hopkins University
• BA in Mathematics, Johns Hopkins University

Research Focus: Chirikjian's work integrates group theory with robotics, kinematics, and motion planning. Current projects include affordance-based reasoning for robotic systems, medical image registration, and the mechanics of macromolecules. His research explores both theoretical foundations and practical applications in robotics and engineering systems.

Research Trends: Recent work emphasizes learning-free grasping techniques, uncertainty propagation in robotics, and deployable structures. His articles reflect interdisciplinary approaches combining mathematical rigor with practical robotic systems design.

Awards:

• Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Advising & Labs: Chirikjian leads the Spencer Lab, focusing on robotics and mathematical modeling. Though student names aren't listed here, his work involves graduate research in robotics systems and applied mathematics. Major grants support projects in soft robotics, sensorless manipulation, and robotic affordance learning.

Future Directions: Ongoing work includes self-replicating robotic systems, probabilistic motion planning, and applications of non-Abelian Fourier analysis in engineering problems.