Robot Control & Safety | Intelligent Robotic Systems Lab (IRSL)

All research areas

Projects

Ongoing research platforms and integrated systems.

Project

Physical Interaction Control

Control principles for autonomous physical interaction in uncertain, unstructured, and contact-rich environments.

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Project

Constraint-Aware Control

Control methods that remain robust to uncertainty while respecting the constraints required for safe and dependable real-world operation.

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Publications

Selected research presented through papers, experiments, and demonstrations.

2026

ISR

Contact-responsive high-gain robot motion controllers using a constrained disturbance observer

Ji Wan Han and Min Jun Kim

Intelligent Service Robotics, 2026

DOI Bib Video

@article{han2026contactresponsive,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Contact-responsive high-gain robot motion controllers using a constrained disturbance observer}},
  author = {Han, Ji Wan and Kim, Min Jun},
  journal = {Intelligent Service Robotics},
  volume = {19},
  number = {5},
  eid = {89},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg},
  doi = {10.1007/s11370-026-00744-z},
}

T-RO

Extreme High-Gain Friction Observer of Flexible Joint Robots With L1 Adaptive Framework

Young Bin Lee^*, Tae Ho Yun^*, and Min Jun Kim

IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2026

Accepted

Bib HTML Video

@article{lee2026extreme,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Extreme High-Gain Friction Observer of Flexible Joint Robots With L1 Adaptive Framework}},
  author = {Lee, Young Bin and Yun, Tae Ho and Kim, Min Jun},
  journal = {IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO)},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Accepted},
}

2025

RA-L

Exact Fractional Order Impedance Rendering for Highly Flexible and Multi-Jointed Robots Using Time-Delay Estimation

Tae Ho Yun, Fabian Beck, Min Jun Kim^†, and Jinoh Lee^†

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2025

Bib HTML

@article{yun2025exact,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Exact Fractional Order Impedance Rendering for Highly Flexible and Multi-Jointed Robots Using Time-Delay Estimation}},
  author = {Yun, Tae Ho and Beck, Fabian and Kim, Min Jun and Lee, Jinoh},
  journal = {IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L)},
  year = {2025},
}

2024

T-RO

Bidirectional Energy Flow Modulation for Passive Admittance Control

Donghyeon Lee, Dongwoo Ko, Min Jun Kim, and Wan Kyun Chung

IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2024

Bib HTML

@article{lee2024bidirectional,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Bidirectional Energy Flow Modulation for Passive Admittance Control}},
  author = {Lee, Donghyeon and Ko, Dongwoo and Kim, Min Jun and Chung, Wan Kyun},
  journal = {IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO)},
  year = {2024},
}

IROS

Disturbance-Aware Model Predictive Control of Underactuated Robotics Systems

Jiwon Kim and Min Jun Kim

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2024

Bib HTML Video

@inproceedings{kim2024disturbanceaware,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Disturbance-Aware Model Predictive Control of Underactuated Robotics Systems}},
  author = {Kim, Jiwon and Kim, Min Jun},
  booktitle = {IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
  year = {2024},
}

L-CSS

Disturbance Observer With Constraints

Tae Ho Yun and Min Jun Kim

IEEE Control Systems Letters (L-CSS), 2024

Bib HTML

@article{yun2024disturbance,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Disturbance Observer With Constraints}},
  author = {Yun, Tae Ho and Kim, Min Jun},
  journal = {IEEE Control Systems Letters (L-CSS)},
  year = {2024},
}

ICRA

Online Multi-Contact Feedback Model Predictive Control for Interactive Robotic Tasks

Seo Wook Han, Maged Iskandar, Jinoh Lee, and Min Jun Kim

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2024

arXiv Bib HTML Video

@inproceedings{han2024online,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Online Multi-Contact Feedback Model Predictive Control for Interactive Robotic Tasks}},
  author = {Han, Seo Wook and Iskandar, Maged and Lee, Jinoh and Kim, Min Jun},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)},
  year = {2024},
}

ICRA

Constrained Nonlinear Disturbance Observer for Robotic Systems

Ji Wan Han, Daehyung Park, and Min Jun Kim

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2024

Bib HTML

@inproceedings{han2024constrained,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Constrained Nonlinear Disturbance Observer for Robotic Systems}},
  author = {Han, Ji Wan and Park, Daehyung and Kim, Min Jun},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)},
  year = {2024},
}

2023

ICRA

Passivity-based Decentralized Control for Collaborative Grasping of Under-Actuated Aerial Manipulators

Jinyeong Jeong and Min Jun Kim

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2023

arXiv Bib HTML Video

@inproceedings{jeong2023passivity,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Passivity-based Decentralized Control for Collaborative Grasping of Under-Actuated Aerial Manipulators}},
  author = {Jeong, Jinyeong and Kim, Min Jun},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)},
  year = {2023},
}

ICRA

Hierarchical Whole-body Control of the cable-Suspended Aerial Manipulator endowed with Winch-based actuation

Yuri S. Sarkisov, Andre Coelho, Maihara G. Santos, Min Jun Kim, Dzmitry Tsetserukou, Christian Ott, and Konstantin Kondak

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2023

arXiv Bib HTML

@inproceedings{sarkisov2023hierarchical,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Hierarchical Whole-body Control of the cable-Suspended Aerial Manipulator endowed with Winch-based actuation}},
  author = {Sarkisov, Yuri S. and Coelho, Andre and Santos, Maihara G. and Kim, Min Jun and Tsetserukou, Dzmitry and Ott, Christian and Kondak, Konstantin},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)},
  year = {2023},
}

2022

ICRA

A Memory-based SO(3) Parameterization: Theory and Application to 6D Impedance Control with Radially Unbounded Potential Function

Jinyeong Jeong, Hrishik Mishra, Christian Ott, and Min Jun Kim

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2022

Bib HTML

@inproceedings{jeong2022memory,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{A Memory-based SO(3) Parameterization: Theory and Application to 6D Impedance Control with Radially Unbounded Potential Function}},
  author = {Jeong, Jinyeong and Mishra, Hrishik and Ott, Christian and Kim, Min Jun},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)},
  year = {2022},
}

T-RO

Passive Impedance Control of Robots with Viscoelastic Joints via Inner-loop Torque Control

Min Jun Kim, Alexander Werner, Florian Loeffl, and Christian Ott

IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2022

Bib HTML

@article{kim2022passive,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Passive Impedance Control of Robots with Viscoelastic Joints via Inner-loop Torque Control}},
  author = {Kim, Min Jun and Werner, Alexander and Loeffl, Florian and Ott, Christian},
  journal = {IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO)},
  year = {2022},
}

2020

T-Mech

Asymptotically stable disturbance observer-based compliance control of electro-hydrostatic actuators

Woongyong Lee, Min Jun Kim, and Wan Kyun Chung

IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2020

Bib HTML

@article{lee2020asymptotically,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Asymptotically stable disturbance observer-based compliance control of electro-hydrostatic actuators}},
  author = {Lee, Woongyong and Kim, Min Jun and Chung, Wan Kyun},
  journal = {IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics},
  year = {2020},
}

IROS

Compliance Control of Cable-Suspended Aerial Manipulator Using Hierarchical Control Framework

Chiara Gabellieri, Yuri S. Sarkisov, Andre Coelho, Lucia Pallottino, Konstantin Kondak, and Min Jun Kim

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2020

Bib HTML

@inproceedings{gabellieri2020compliance,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Compliance Control of Cable-Suspended Aerial Manipulator Using Hierarchical Control Framework}},
  author = {Gabellieri, Chiara and Sarkisov, Yuri S. and Coelho, Andre and Pallottino, Lucia and Kondak, Konstantin and Kim, Min Jun},
  booktitle = {IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
  year = {2020},
}

ICRA

Optimal Oscillation Damping Control of cable-Suspended Aerial Manipulator with a Single IMU Sensor

Yuri S. Sarkisov, Min Jun Kim, Andre Coelho, Dzmitry Tsetserukou, Christian Ott, and Konstantin Kondak

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2020

Bib HTML

@inproceedings{sarkisov2020optimal,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Optimal Oscillation Damping Control of cable-Suspended Aerial Manipulator with a Single IMU Sensor}},
  author = {Sarkisov, Yuri S. and Kim, Min Jun and Coelho, Andre and Tsetserukou, Dzmitry and Ott, Christian and Kondak, Konstantin},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)},
  year = {2020},
}

2019

T-RO

Model-free friction observers for flexible joint robots with torque measurements

Min Jun Kim, Fabian Beck, Christian Ott, and Alin Albu-Schäffer

IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2019

Bib HTML

@article{kim2019modelfree,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Model-free friction observers for flexible joint robots with torque measurements}},
  author = {Kim, Min Jun and Beck, Fabian and Ott, Christian and Albu-Schäffer, Alin},
  journal = {IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO)},
  year = {2019},
}

T-Mech

A Passivity-Based Nonlinear Admittance Control With Application to Powered Upper-Limb Control Under Unknown Environmental Interactions

Min Jun Kim, Woongyong Lee, Jae Yeon Choi, Goobong Chung, Kyung-Lyong Han, I Seop Choi, Christian Ott, and Wan Kyun Chung

IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2019

Bib HTML

@article{kim2019passivity,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{A Passivity-Based Nonlinear Admittance Control With Application to Powered Upper-Limb Control Under Unknown Environmental Interactions}},
  author = {Kim, Min Jun and Lee, Woongyong and Choi, Jae Yeon and Chung, Goobong and Han, Kyung-Lyong and Choi, I Seop and Ott, Christian and Chung, Wan Kyun},
  journal = {IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics},
  year = {2019},
}

2018

IROS

Passive Compliance Control of Aerial Manipulators

Min Jun Kim, Ribin Balachandran, Marco De Stefano, Konstantin Kondak, and Christian Ott

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2018

Bib HTML

@inproceedings{kim2018passive,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Passive Compliance Control of Aerial Manipulators}},
  author = {Kim, Min Jun and Balachandran, Ribin and De Stefano, Marco and Kondak, Konstantin and Ott, Christian},
  booktitle = {IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
  year = {2018},
}

RA-L

A Stabilizing Controller for Regulation of UAV With Manipulator

Min Jun Kim, Konstantin Kondak, and Christian Ott

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2018

Bib HTML

@article{kim2018stabilizing,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{A Stabilizing Controller for Regulation of UAV With Manipulator}},
  author = {Kim, Min Jun and Kondak, Konstantin and Ott, Christian},
  journal = {IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L)},
  year = {2018},
}

2017

IROS

Disturbance-observer-based PD control of electro-hydrostatically actuated flexible joint robots

Woongyong Lee, Min Jun Kim, and Wan Kyun Chung

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2017

Bib

@inproceedings{lee2017disturbance,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Disturbance-observer-based PD control of electro-hydrostatically actuated flexible joint robots}},
  author = {Lee, Woongyong and Kim, Min Jun and Chung, Wan Kyun},
  booktitle = {IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
  year = {2017},
}

ICRA

Enhancing joint torque control of series elastic actuators with physical damping

Min Jun Kim, Alexander Werner, Florian Christoph Loeffl, and Christian Ott

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2017

Bib HTML

@inproceedings{kim2017enhancing,
  research_area = {robot_control},
  title = {{Enhancing joint torque control of series elastic actuators with physical damping}},
  author = {Kim, Min Jun and Werner, Alexander and Loeffl, Florian Christoph and Ott, Christian},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)},
  year = {2017},
}