Brian Plancher is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Barnard College, Columbia University, where he leads the Accessible and Accelerated Robotics Lab (A²R Lab). He holds affiliate positions in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Columbia University. He also serves as co-chair for the Tiny Machine Learning Open Education Initiative (TinyMLedu) and associate co-chair for the IEEE-RAS TC on Model Based Optimization for Robotics. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering with a focus in Robotics in 2022, and MEng in 2018, and a BA in Computer Science in 2013, all from Harvard University.
Plancher's research focuses on developing and implementing open-source algorithms for dynamic motion planning and control of robots, exploiting both the mathematical structure of algorithms and the design of computational platforms. This research lies at the intersection of Robotics, Computer Architecture, Embedded Systems, Numerical Optimization, and Machine Learning. He is also dedicated to improving the accessibility of STEM education, both by researching ways to better understand and enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in STEM education globally, as well as by designing and teaching interdisciplinary, project-based, open-access courses that lower the barrier to entry for advanced topics like robotics, parallel programming, and embedded machine learning.