Vince Kurtz

Hi, I’m Vince! I’m interested in applying mathematical models to solve real-world problems. Recently, that’s meant developing optimization-based planning and control algorithms for high-degree-of-freedom robots like quadrupeds and manipulators.

Sometimes my research involves flashy things like throwing robots off ladders to get them to land on their feet: other times it’s more mundane, like getting a robot to pick up a plastic box.

I’m currently a postdoc at Caltech, where I split time between the Ames and Burdick groups. From 2017-2023 I was a PhD student in the DISCOVER lab at Notre Dame. During my PhD, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Drake team at Toyota Research Institute. Before grad school, I studied physics and violin performance at Goshen College.