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Louis Petit

Professeur, Faculté de génie
FAC. GÉNIE Électrique et informatique

Présentation

Sujet de recherche

Robotics and Automation, Algorithms, Optimization, Control and Operations Research, Mechatronics

Disciplines de recherche

Applied Mathematics, Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Mots-clés

Autonomous Robots, Autonomous Systems, Autonomous Vehicles, Field Robotics, Mobile Robotics, Robot, Robotics, Algorithms, Path Planning, Trajectory Planning, Computer Vision, Decision-Making, Optimization, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Mapping, Perception, Control, Navigation

Intérêts de recherche

My research focuses on developing efficient behaviors and strategies to enhance the autonomy of aerial, ground, and aquatic robots for applications in safety, maintenance, and conservation. My work involves a combination of robotics techniques (e.g., path planning, optimization, decision-making, machine learning, computer vision) to advance robotic intelligence and environmental awareness. I hope to enable the widespread use of intelligent robots in diverse applications, from aiding society (e.g., search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, advanced driver assistance systems) to fostering sustainable development (e.g., seabed mapping, invasive and endangered species monitoring). In the short term, I want to work on interactions within a team of heterogeneous robots (aerial, terrestrial, marine and underwater) to better understand natural ecosystems.

Recherche clinique

Langues parlées et écrites

Anglais, Français

Diplômes

(2024). (Post-doctorate, Computer Science). McGill University.

(2023). (Post-doctorate, Engineering). Université de Sherbrooke.

(2023). Enabling Efficient Autonomous Exploration of Unknown Underground Mining Stopes using a Tethered Aerial Robot. (Doctorate, Mechanical Engineering). Université de Sherbrooke.

(2019). Design & implementation of a deep learning visual recognition system in the PLC-based production line of the Audi e-tron. (Master's Thesis, Electromechanical engineering). Catholic University of Louvain (French).

(2017). (Bachelor's, Engineering Sciences). Catholic University of Louvain (French).

Expérience académique

Assistant Professor. (2025-). Université de Sherbrooke. Canada.

Prix et distinctions

  • (2024) Best doctoral dissertation in the Faculty of Engineering. Université de Sherbrooke. (Distinction).
  • (2023) Excellence Scholarship. Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation. (Prize / Award).
  • (2023) Mention of Excellence awarded by the doctoral thesis jury. Université de Sherbrooke. (Honor).
  • (2022) Leonardo da Vinci Medal of Merit. Université de Sherbrooke. (Distinction).
  • (2022) Second popularization prize - 2 minutes of engineering. Université de Sherbrooke. (Prize / Award).
  • (2021) Best Paper Award Finalist. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. (Prize / Award).
  • (2021) Best Student Paper Award. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. (Prize / Award).
  • (2018) Swiss Guest Champion of Robotics. Eurobot. (Prize / Award).
  • (2018) Belgian Vice-Champion of Robotics. Eurobot. (Prize / Award).

Financement

  • Grant. (Awarded). Principal Investigator. Start-up funds. Fonds Institutionnel de Recherche de l'Université de Sherbrooke. 70 000 $. (2025-2028)
  • Grant. (Awarded). Co-investigator. Smart, Connected and Perceptive (SCoPe) Off-Road Vehicle. Partners: PROMPT, CM Labs, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), LeddarTech inc.. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Alliance. 3 334 753 $. (2022-2026)

Publications

Articles de revue

  • David-Alexandre Poissant, Alexis Lussier Desbiens, François Ferland, Louis Petit. (2025). ARENA: Adaptive Risk-aware and Energy-efficient NAvigation for Multi-Objective 3D Infrastructure Inspection with a UAV. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) (Submitted).
  • Louis Petit, Alexis Lussier Desbiens. (2022). TAPE: Tether-Aware Path Planning for Autonomous Exploration of Unknown 3D Cavities Using a Tangle-Compatible Tethered Aerial Robot. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) 7 (4), 10550 - 10557. DOI. (Published).

Articles de conférence

  • Julie Alhosh, Jean-François Tremblay, Harley Wiltzer, Ellen Bodzay, Louis Petit, David Meger. (2025). Active Sampling, Modeling, and Estimation in Aquatic Environments. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). (Submitted).
  • Jean-François Tremblay, Julie Alhosh, Louis Petit, Faraz Lotfi, Lara Landauro, and David Meger. (2025). Topological mapping for traversability-aware long-range navigation in off-road terrain. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). (Accepted).
  • Louis Petit, Alexis Lussier Desbiens. (2024). MOAR Planner: Multi-Objective and Adaptive Risk- Aware Path Planning for Infrastructure Inspection with a UAV. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). 8422-8428. DOI. (Published).
  • Louis Petit, Alexis Lussier Desbiens. (2021). RRT-Rope: A deterministic shortening approach for fast near-optimal path planning in large-scale uncluttered 3D environments. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC). 1111-1118. DOI. (Published).

Autres contributions

Cours enseignés

  • Robot Programming. GRO830. (2025-11-18 à 2025-12-04).(2CR).
  • Introduction to Programming and Algorithms. GEN146. (2025-09-22 à 2025-10-03).(2CR).

Gestion d'évènements

  • Co-organizer. (2024) McGill x UdeS Robotics Seminar. (Seminar).
  • Session co-chair. (2021) IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC). (Conference).

Présentations

  • (2025). Intelligent Field Robotics for Understanding Environments. Createk Seminar. Sherbrooke, Canada
  • Antoine Plouffe Leboeuf. (2025). Inventory of arctic alpine plants of interest in Forillon National Park using drone imagery. Parks Canada Ecowebinar. Canada
  • (2024). Empowering Autonomous Inspection Robots: Field-Inspired Algorithmic Simplifications. 21st Annual Marine Robotics Workshop & Field Trials. Holetown, Barbados
  • (2024). Intelligent Field Robotics for Understanding Unstructured Environments. Université Laval - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Seminar. Quebec, Canada
  • (2024). Intelligent Field Robotics for Understanding Unstructured Environments. Hydro Quebec research institute meeting. Varennes, Canada
  • (2023). Advancing Drone Operations for High-Voltage Power Line Inspections. NSERC Canadian Robotics Network (NCRN). Toronto, Canada
  • (2023). NetherDrone: A Tethered Drone for Underground Mapping and Inspection. NSERC Canadian Robotics Network (NCRN). Toronto, Canada
  • (2022). TAPE: Tether-Aware Path Planning for Autonomous Exploration of Unknown 3D Cavities Using a Tangle-Compatible Tethered Aerial Robot. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). Kyoto, Japan
  • (2021). The Traveling Salesman Problem, Applied to Drone Exploration. Createk seminar. Sherbrooke, Canada
  • (2021). Une corde à l'aide de la navigation de drone pour la cartographie minière. Journée de la Vulgarisation Scientifique de Sherbrooke (JVSS). Sherbrooke, Canada
  • (2020). Path Planning in Large Environments. Createk seminar. Sherbrooke, Canada
  • (2014). GPS and Relativity. Dedramathisons. Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium