Publications

Our research lies at the intersection of robotics, intelligence, and optimization, to build trustworthy autonomous systems that can solve challenging tasks in the real world.

Below is a selection of publications from the newly formed TRIO Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, and from prior appointments at Inria Paris and University of Toronto. For the most up-to-date list, please check Google Scholar.

Selection of Publications

KSOS-BO: Improving Sampling in Bayesian Optimization via Kernel Sum of Squares

Buqing Ou, Frederike Dümbgen

Preprint arXiv  ·  2026

Paper

Related Projects: Sample-efficient learning

Global Sampling-Based Trajectory Optimization for Contact-Rich Manipulation via KernelSOS

Zhongqi Wei, Frederike Dümbgen

Preprint arXiv  ·  2026

Paper

Related Projects: Global optimization for realistic robotics

Can Tabular Foundation Models Guide Exploration in Robot Policy Learning?

Buqing Ou, Frederike Dümbgen

Preprint arXiv  ·  2026

Paper

Related Projects: Sample-efficient learning

Sampling-Based Global Optimal Control and Estimation via Semidefinite Programming

Antoine Groudiev, Fabian Schramm, éloïse Berthier, Justin Carpentier, Frederike Dümbgen

Conference American Control Conference  ·  2026

Paper

Related Projects: Global optimization for realistic robotics Optimal problem formulation

Continuous-Time State Estimation Methods in Robotics: A Survey

William Talbot, Julian Nubert, Turcan Tuna, Cesar Cadena, Frederike Dümbgen, Jesus Tordesillas, Timothy D. Barfoot, Marco Hutter

Journal IEEE Transactions on Robotics  ·  2025

Paper

POPCOR: Polynomial Optimization for Certifiably Optimal Robotics

Frederike Dümbgen

Software Zenodo  ·  2025

Software

Related Projects: Seamless modeling and optimization

SDPRLayers: Certifiable Backpropagation Through Polynomial Optimization Problems in Robotics

Connor Holmes, Frederike Dümbgen, Timothy D. Barfoot

Journal IEEE Transactions on Robotics  ·  2025

Paper

Related Projects: Optimal problem formulation

A Data-driven Contact Estimation Method for Wheeled-Biped Robots

Bora Gökbakan, Frederike Dümbgen, Stéphane Caron

Conference IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)  ·  2025

Paper

On Semidefinite Relaxations for Matrix-Weighted State-Estimation Problems in Robotics

Connor Holmes, Frederike Dümbgen, Timothy D. Barfoot

Journal IEEE Transactions on Robotics  ·  2024

Paper

Related Projects: Global optimization for realistic robotics

Data-Driven Batch Localization and SLAM Using Koopman Linearization

Zi Cong Guo, Frederike Dümbgen, James R. Forbes, Timothy D. Barfoot

Journal IEEE Transactions on Robotics  ·  2024

Paper

Related Projects: Optimal problem formulation

Optimal Initialization Strategies for Range-Only Trajectory Estimation

Abhishek Goudar, Frederike Dümbgen, Timothy D. Barfoot, Angela P. Schoellig

Journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters  ·  2024

Paper

Related Projects: Global optimization for realistic robotics Non-common sensors for robotics

Toward Globally Optimal State Estimation Using Automatically Tightened Semidefinite Relaxations

Frederike Dümbgen, Connor Holmes, Ben Agro, Timothy D. Barfoot

Journal IEEE Transactions on Robotics  ·  2024

Paper

Related Projects: Global optimization for realistic robotics Seamless modeling and optimization Non-common sensors for robotics

Exploiting Chordal Sparsity for Fast Global Optimality with Application to Localization

Frederike Dümbgen, Connor Holmes, Timothy D. Barfoot

Conference Workshop on Algorithmic Foundations for Robotics  ·  2024

Paper

Related Projects: Seamless modeling and optimization

Certifiably Optimal Rotation and Pose Estimation Based on the Cayley Map

Timothy D Barfoot, Connor Holmes, Frederike Dümbgen

Journal International Journal of Robotics Research  ·  2024

Paper

Related Projects: Global optimization for realistic robotics

Blind as a Bat: Audible Echolocation on Small Robots

Frederike Dümbgen, Adrien Hoffet, Mihailo Kolundžija, Adam Scholefield, Martin Vetterli

Journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters  ·  2023

Paper

Related Projects: Non-common sensors for robotics

Safe and Smooth: Certified Continuous-Time Range-Only Localization

Frederike Dümbgen, Connor Holmes, Timothy D. Barfoot

Journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters  ·  2023

Paper

Related Projects: Non-common sensors for robotics Global optimization for realistic robotics

A Fine Line: Total Least-Squares Line Fitting as QCQP Optimization

Timothy D. Barfoot, Connor Holmes, Frederike Dümbgen

Preprint arXiv  ·  2022

Paper

Related Projects: Global optimization for realistic robotics

Coordinate Difference Matrices

Gilles Baechler, Frederike Dümbgen, Golnoosh Elhami, Miranda Krekovic, Martin Vetterli

Journal SIAM Journal on Matrix Analysis and Applications  ·  2020

Paper

Related Projects: Non-common sensors for robotics

Realizability of Planar Point Embeddings from Angle Measurements

Frederike Dümbgen, Majed El Helou, Adam Scholefield

Conference IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP)  ·  2020

Paper

Related Projects: Non-common sensors for robotics

Combining Range and Direction for Improved Localization

Gilles Baechler, Frederike Dümbgen, Golnoosh Elhami, Miranda Krekovic, Robin Scheibler, Adam Scholefield, Martin Vetterli

Conference IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP)  ·  2018

Paper

Related Projects: Non-common sensors for robotics