M (Mahboubeh) Keyvanara, PhD

Research Interest:
My reseach focuses on addressing some unique challenges of agricultural automation. While the field has seen rapid advancements, robots still struggle with complex manipulation tasks due to the high diversity of crops, cluttered environmental, uncertainties, and safety requirements. Unlike industrial robots operating in structured environments, agri-food robotics must navigate unpredictable, cluttered workspaces with varying crop shapes, sizes, and physical properties. My research centers on the 'sense, plan, act' paradigm, with a particular emphasis on planning, coordination, and control—areas that remain underdeveloped despite significant progress in sensing and perception. By mobilizing and extending existing mathematical frameworks, and leveraging advances in AI and machine learning, I aim to develop innovative solutions for challenges in robotic crop harvesting. To do this, a bridge between theoretical robotics and practical applications in agriculture is needed, enabling more efficient and sustainable farming practices.