Rate My Professor Stephen Rock

Stephen Rock is Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Emeritus at Stanford University in the School of Engineering. He earned his PhD from Stanford University in 1978. As a longstanding faculty member in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Professor Rock has made significant contributions to the field of Engineering through his research and teaching. He is also a member of Bio-X and emeritus faculty in the Academic Council of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Professor Rock's research interests center on the application of advanced control and modeling techniques for robotic and vehicle systems in aerospace and underwater domains. He directs the Aerospace Robotics Laboratory, where students participate in experimental programs aimed at advancing robotic control technologies. Specific areas of emphasis include planning and navigation techniques using GPS and vision for autonomous vehicles; aerodynamic modeling and control for aggressive flight systems; control of underwater remotely-operated vehicles; precision end-point control of manipulators accounting for flexibility and uncertainty; and cooperative control involving multiple manipulators and robots. Professor Rock teaches several courses in dynamics and control. His key publications include 'A hybrid underwater robot for multidisciplinary investigation of the ocean twilight zone' (Science Robotics, 2021, with Yoerger et al.); 'Mesobot: An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Tracking and Sampling Midwater Targets' (2018, with Yoerger et al.); 'Mapping of Translating, Rotating Icebergs With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle' (IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 2015, with Kimball); 'Online attitude determination of a passively magnetically stabilized spacecraft' (Acta Astronautica, 2017, with Burton et al.); and 'Iceberg Wall Following and Obstacle Avoidance by an AUV' (2018, with McEwen and Hobson). These works highlight his influence on autonomous navigation, underwater robotics, and spacecraft control systems.