Michael Erdmann

Michael Erdmann is a Professor in the Computer Science and Robotics departments at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he has been since 2002. He also served as Associate Faculty at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Computational Biology from 2002-2007. His research focuses on leveraging topology, geometry, and probability to address robotics challenges under uncertainty, with applications in in-hand manipulation, protein structure analysis, and privacy-preserving systems.

• Ph.D., Computer Science, MIT (1989)
• M.S., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT (1984)
• B.S., Mathematics, University of Washington (1982)

His work on topological methods has produced groundbreaking results, such as a graph controllability theorem connecting homotopy to system uncertainty. Recent publications explore stateless distributed computation, extrinsic dexterity for robotic manipulation, and topological approaches to process modeling. Erdmann's research bridges theoretical mathematics with practical robotics, often yielding insights applicable to both fields.

Key publication trends include: (1) Topology-driven Robotics (2010-2017) - developing strategy complexes and homotopy-based controllability; (2) Dynamic Contact Manipulation (2005) - analyzing frictional contact constraints; (3) Protein Structure Analysis (2004-2005) - applying knot theory to molecular biology.

• Herbert A. Simon Award for Teaching Excellence in Computer Science (2014)

Erdmann has been actively involved in academic governance, serving on CMU's SCS Promotions Committee (2014-2016), Doctoral Dissertation Award Committee (2015), and multiple conference editorial boards including the International Journal of Robotics Research (2000-2017). He teaches foundational courses like 15150 (Principles of Functional Programming) and 16811 (Mathematical Fundamentals for Robotics), reflecting his commitment to education and curriculum development.