Helen Oleynikova is a Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich, where she is part of the Autonomous Systems Lab. She works on the intersection of perception and planning, particularly for micro-aerial vehicles. Her research focuses on real-time onboard mapping, planning, and localization using visual-inertial systems and signed distance fields. Research Interests: Helen's work spans robotics, autonomous systems, and computer vision, with a focus on enabling safe and efficient navigation in complex environments. She specializes in visual-inertial odometry, SLAM, 3D mapping using signed distance fields, and real-time path planning for MAVs. Her projects often involve embedded systems and FPGA-based high-speed vision for obstacle avoidance. Publication Trends: Her recent publications (2023–2019) show a consistent focus on real-time, onboard algorithms for autonomous navigation. Key themes include signed distance function maps, collision-free motion generation, global localization, and efficient exploration. She frequently publishes in top-tier robotics conferences such as ICRA and IROS, and journals like IEEE RA-L and Journal of Field Robotics. Professional Experience: Senior Researcher, Autonomous Systems Lab, ETH Zürich Senior Software Engineer, Isaac 3D Perception, Nvidia Senior Scientist, Microsoft Mixed Reality and AI Lab, Zürich Software Engineer, Google (StreetView) Contributor, Willow Garage (ROS, TurtleBot Arm) Education: PhD in Robotics, ETH Zürich (2019) MSc in Robotics, ETH Zürich BSc in Robotics, Olin College of Engineering (2011) Advising and Grants: While no formal students are listed, she has collaborated extensively with researchers at ETH Zürich and industry labs. Her work has been supported through institutional affiliations and industry research roles. She has contributed to open-source robotics software, particularly in ROS-based systems for manipulation and navigation. Labs and Teams: Helen is a key member of the Mobile Manipulation team at the Autonomous Systems Lab at ETH Zürich. She has also been involved in projects at Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, and Willow Garage, focusing on real-world deployment of autonomous systems.












