Prof. Steven LaValle

ACADEMIC HOST
Prof. Dan Halperin
School of Computer Science and AI

IAS Distinguished Scholar
1.11.25-7.11.25

Background / Education

• B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1990)
• M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1993)
• Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1995)

Professional Path

• Professor, University of Oulu, Finland (2018–present)
• Angel Investor and Advisor, VR/AR and robotics startups (2014–present)
• Vice President & Chief Scientist, VR/AR/MR, Huawei Technologies (2016–2017)
• Early Founder and Principal Scientist, Oculus VR (2012–2014)
• Professor, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (2001–2018)
• Assistant Professor, Iowa State University (1997–2001)
• Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer, Stanford University (1995–1997)

Fellowships / Honors

• University Scholar, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (2012)
• XTIC Award 2024 for Innovation, IIT-Madras
• Featured in “Robot Revolution” exhibit, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (2015)

Awards

• Milestone Award, International Conference on Robotics and Automation (2019, with James J. Kuffner Jr.)

Research Interests

• Robot motion planning and sampling-based algorithms (RRTs)
• Minimal information requirements and sensor fusion for robotic systems
• Virtual reality system design, head tracking, and perceptual calibration