Decision-Making and Locomotion

Robotics Faculty Research Area

The Decision-Making and Locomotion research area focuses on the development of intelligent robotic systems that can move and act robustly in complex environments. This research spans both learning-based and model-based approaches to locomotion, including control of legged robots as well as non-traditional modes of movement such as snake-like and articulated systems. At the lower levels, work in this area studies whole-body control, motion generation, and adaptive locomotion skills that enable robots to traverse diverse and uncertain terrain.

At higher levels, the research addresses mid- and long-horizon planning for locomotion and loco-manipulation, where movement must be coordinated with task objectives, environmental constraints, and physical interactions. Central themes are understanding how to effectively combine methods from machine learning, control, and automated planning into integrated systems that support reliable, goal-directed behavior, and how to operate in multi-objective settings where mission goals or environmental conditions may change significantly during operation.

Labs

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Researcher standing beside a humanoid robot with a controller in hand.

Faculty

Houssam Abbas

Assistant Professor

houssam.abbas@oregonstate.edu

Research Groups

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics | Cybersecurity | Communications and Signal Processing | Networking and Computer Systems | Theoretical Computer Science