Rate My Professor Corina Barbalata

Dr. Barbalata's research focuses on physics- and data-driven modeling of vehicle-manipulator systems, model-based control structures for autonomous robotic systems, and scene understanding and interpretation for robotic navigation, with primary applications in marine robotics and industrial automation. Her expertise includes marine robotics, autonomous systems, physics- and data-driven dynamic modeling, model-based control systems, and underwater perception algorithms. Key projects involve dynamic modeling and control of marine systems for subsea operations, motion planning for shipwreck surveys, underwater vision-based navigation, collaborative mobile manufacturing, and robotic 3D printing with thermoset materials. She has secured funding as PI or co-PI from the National Science Foundation, including the CAREER award for autonomous underwater vehicle-manipulator robots adaptable to unforeseen conditions using stochastic models and event-based cameras on the robot Bruce; the Office of Naval Research; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Louisiana Board of Regents; and others. Notable publications include 'Reachable sets for safe, real-time manipulator trajectory design' (2020), 'Laryngeal tumor detection and classification in endoscopic video' (2014), 'Coupled and decoupled force/motion controllers for an underwater vehicle-manipulator system' (2018), 'Position/force operational space control for underwater manipulation' (2018), 'A robotic 3D printer for UV-curable thermosets: dimensionality prediction using a data-driven approach' (2023), and 'A probabilistic framework for hydrodynamic parameter estimation for underwater manipulators' (2023). Her contributions advance reactive capabilities for robots in complex dynamic environments with environmental and social merits.