Irja Gravdahl

Irja Gravdahl serves as a University Lecturer in the Department of Technical Cybernetics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), with research and teaching focused on robotics and control engineering systems.

Her research specializes in snake robot locomotion, obstacle-aided movement strategies, and robotic manipulation. Key contributions include adaptive control frameworks for uncertain friction environments, proprioceptive contact force estimation, and hybrid locomotion modeling. Her work bridges theoretical control systems with practical robotic applications in complex terrains.

Analysis of her 2019-2024 publications reveals a concentrated focus on snake robot dynamics, with recurring themes of obstacle interaction, friction adaptation, and contact force sensing. Recent work (2022-2024) demonstrates increasing sophistication in modeling environmental uncertainties and developing robust locomotion strategies for planar snake robots.

She teaches core NTNU engineering courses including Automation Project (IELET2104), Digital Control Systems (IELET2102), Robotics and Machine Vision (IELET2107), and Control Engineering (IELET2002), integrating her research expertise into curriculum development.