Daniel I. Goldman
Professor
Studies robophysics, using robots and physics to understand locomotion in complex terrain such as granular media.
Daniel I. Goldman's lab at Georgia Tech works on legged locomotion & humanoids. 41 papers since 2023, 6 at top venues, mostly Science Robotics and PNAS. 8 PhD students and 2 master's students. 151 alumni, most often to Google and Kuka Robotics. Applications close .
At a glance
- papers, 2023–2026
- 11/ year
- at T1 venues
- 15%
- PhD students
- 8
- MS students
- 2
- alumni listed
- 151
Papers by yearfrom the lab homepage, 2023–2026
- 9 papers2026 · T1 0 · collecting
- 10 papers2025 · T1 1
- 9 papers2024 · T1 2
- 13 papers2023 · T1 3
T1 venuesOtherVenues: Science Robotics, PNAS, RSS, Science, T-RO
Research focuspaper titles that use each topic's words
- Legged locomotion & humanoids8 papers
- physics2 papers
- terrain2 papers
- complex2 papers
- understand0 papers
Paper list
From the lab homepage.
20269 papers
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) , https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2519118123Aubry–André localization transition for an active undulator (opens in a new tab)
- Science Robotics 11:114 , https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.aec6393Cross-link collective: Entangled robotic matter with cohesive motion (opens in a new tab)
- Physical Review E 113, 065413 , https://doi.org/10.1103/lszs-51bfDispersion relations for active undulators in overdamped environments (opens in a new tab)
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1555:e70187 , https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.70187Legged Locomotion in Lattices: Centipede Traversal of Obstacle-Rich Environments (opens in a new tab)
- Physical Review Applied 25, 054068 , https://doi.org/10.1103/pbkh-py5hOptimal swimming with body compliance in an overdamped medium (opens in a new tab)
- Granular Matter, 28:35 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-025-01597-6Robot excavation and manipulation of geometrically cohesive granular media (opens in a new tab)
- Ecological Entomology , https://doi.org/10.1111/een.70137The effect of caste, mass and colony identity on rescue priorities in the red imported fire ant (opens in a new tab)
- Advanced Robotics Research , e70173Toward Mechanical Intelligence in Robotics (opens in a new tab)
- J. R. Soc. Interface 23: 20260195 , https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif. .0195Tunable asymmetric swimming in biflagellate microswimmers (opens in a new tab)
202510 papers
- IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) May 19-23, . Atlanta, GA USAAquaMILR: Mechanical intelligence simplifies control of undulatory robots in cluttered fluid environments (opens in a new tab)
- IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) May 19-23, . Atlanta, GA USAAquaMILR+: Design of an untethered limbless robot for complex aquatic terrain navigation (opens in a new tab)
- Insectes Sociaux , https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-025-01057-7Architecture of the insect society: comparative analysis of collective construction and social function of nests (opens in a new tab)
- IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) May 19-23, . Atlanta, GA USAEffective self-righting strategies for elongate multi-legged robots (opens in a new tab)
- J. Terramechanics, 120, 101058 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jterra. .101058Extending granular resistive force theory to cohesive powder-scale media (opens in a new tab)
- meeting of The International Symposium on Distributed Autonomous Robotic Systems, Springer Proceedings in Advanced RoboticsFault-Tolerant Multi-Robot Coordination with Limited Sensing within Confined Environments (opens in a new tab)
- PRX Life, 3, 023001 , https://journals.aps.org/prxlife/abstract/10.1103/PRXLife.3.023001Neuromechanical Phase Lags and Gait Adaptation in the Nematode C. elegans (opens in a new tab)
- T-RO (T1)Probabilistic Approach to Feedback Control Enhances Multilegged Locomotion on Rugged Landscapes (opens in a new tab)
- J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 37 333501, https://doi:10.1088/1361-648X/adebd3Roadmap for Animate Matter (opens in a new tab)
- Emergent Scientist 9, 1 , https://doi.org/10.1051/emsci/2024003The value of hands-on experiments in an upper-division classical mechanics course (opens in a new tab)
20249 papers
- Annual Review of Fluid MechanicsAdvances in Modeling Dense Granular Media (opens in a new tab)
- IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Yokohama, JapanAnisotropic body compliance facilitates robotic sidewinding in complex environments (opens in a new tab)
- Nature MaterialsColloidal robotics (opens in a new tab)
- Journal of Experimental Biology , https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.247267Detecting subtle subterranean movement via laser speckle imaging (opens in a new tab)
- PNAS (T1)Geometric phase predicts locomotion performance in undulating living systems across scales (opens in a new tab)
- Physical Review Research 6, L042061 , https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.L042061Minimal design of a synthetic cilium (opens in a new tab)
- Physical Review Letters 132, 084001Probing Hydrodynamic Fluctuation-Induced Forces with an Oscillating Robot (opens in a new tab)
- Science Robotics (T1)Robot swarms meet soft matter physics (opens in a new tab)
- Frontiers in Robotics and AI, , https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt. .1298676Robust self-propulsion in sand using simply controlled vibrating cubes (opens in a new tab)
202313 papers
- Scientific ReportsA robophysical model of spacetime dynamics, (opens in a new tab)
- Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB)Active and passive mechanics for rugose terrain traversal in centipedes, (opens in a new tab)
- J. R. Soc Interface 20: 2022057Agitated ants: regulation and self-organization of incipient nest excavation via collisional cues, (opens in a new tab)
- Soft Matter, , 19Amorphous entangled active matter, (opens in a new tab)
- RSS (T1)Gait design for limbless obstacle aided locomotion using geometric mechanics, (opens in a new tab)
- Science Robotics (T1)Mechanical intelligence simplifies control in terrestrial limbless locomotion, (opens in a new tab)
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) , e2214017120Mechanistic framework for reduced-order models in soft materials: Application to three-dimensional granular intrusion, (opens in a new tab)
- Science (T1)Multilegged matter transport: A framework for locomotion on noisy landscapes, (opens in a new tab)
- The International Journal of Robotics Research 42 (10), 859-873Optimizing contact patterns for robot locomotion via geometric mechanics, (opens in a new tab)
- Soft Matter, Royal Society of ChemistryPhysics of smart active matter: integrating active matter and control to gain insights into living systems (opens in a new tab)
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)Self-propulsion via slipping: Frictional swimming in multilegged locomotors, (opens in a new tab)
- PLOS ONE 18(12) : e0295823.The rhizodynamics robot: Automated imaging system for studying long-term dynamic root growth, (opens in a new tab)
Where alumni went151 listed, 40% to industry
Industry 2Academia 3
Most often to
- Kuka Robotics
Also to
- UC San Diego
- University of Akron as an assistant professor
- University of Chicago as a grad student
Apply to Georgia TechFall 2027
Georgia Tech Computer Science PhD
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Not yet confirmed for this intake.
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