Publications

Journal Articles


  1. Neural Configuration-Space Barriers for Manipulation Planning and Control
    K. Long, K. M. B. Lee, N. Raicevic, N. Attasseri, M. Leok and N. Atanasov
    IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (TASE), Vol. 23, pp. 10173-10185, 2026.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  2.           @article{Long_NCSB_TASE26,
                author = {Kehan Long and Ki Myung Brian Lee and Nikola Raicevic and Niyas Attasseri and Melvin Leok and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {{Neural Configuration-Space Barriers for Manipulation Planning and Control}},
                journal = {IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (TASE)},
                year = {2026},
                volume = {23},
                pages = {10173-10185},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/TASE.2026.3695092}
              }
              
  3. Sensor-Based Distributionally Robust Control for Safe Robot Navigation in Dynamic Environments
    K. Long, Y. Yi, Z. Dai, S. Herbert, J. Cortés and N. Atanasov
    The International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR), Vol. 45(2), pp. 328-351, 2026.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  4.           @article{Long_DROSafeNavigation_IJRR26,
                author = {Kehan Long and Yinzhuang Yi and Zhirui Dai and Sylvia Herbert and Jorge Cortés and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {{Sensor-Based Distributionally Robust Control for Safe Robot Navigation in Dynamic Environments}},
                journal = {The International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR)},
                year = {2026},
                volume = {45},
                number = {2},
                pages = {328-351},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.1177/02783649251352000}
              }
              
  5. Distributionally Robust Policy and Lyapunov-Certificate Learning
    K. Long, J. Cortés and N. Atanasov
    IEEE Open Journal of Control Systems (OJ-CSYS), Vol. 3, pp. 375-388, 2024.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  6.           @article{Long_DROCLFControl_OJCSYS24,
                author = {Kehan Long and Jorge Cortés and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {{Distributionally Robust Policy and Lyapunov-Certificate Learning}},
                journal = {IEEE Open Journal of Control Systems (OJ-CSYS)},
                year = {2024},
                volume = {3},
                pages = {375-388},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/OJCSYS.2024.3440051}
              }
              
  7. Feasibility Analysis and Regularity Characterization of Distributionally Robust Safe Stabilizing Controllers
    P. Mestres, K. Long, N. Atanasov and J. Cortés
    IEEE Control Systems Letters (L-CSS), Vol. 8, pp. 91-96, 2024.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  8.           @article{Mestres_DROFeasibility_LCSS24,
                author = {Pol Mestres and Kehan Long and Nikolay Atanasov and Jorge Cortés},
                title = {{Feasibility Analysis and Regularity Characterization of Distributionally Robust Safe Stabilizing Controllers}},
                journal = {IEEE Control Systems Letters (L-CSS)},
                year = {2024},
                volume = {8},
                pages = {91-96},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/LCSYS.2023.3348688}
              }
              
  9. Safe Control Synthesis With Uncertain Dynamics and Constraints
    K. Long, V. Dhiman, M. Leok, J. Cortés and N. Atanasov
    IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), Vol. 7(3), pp. 7295-7302, 2022.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  10.           @article{Long_SafeControl_RAL22,
                author = {Long, Kehan and Dhiman, Vikas and Leok, Melvin and Cortés, Jorge and Atanasov, Nikolay},
                title = {{Safe Control Synthesis With Uncertain Dynamics and Constraints}},
                journal = {IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L)},
                year = {2022},
                volume = {7},
                number = {3},
                pages = {7295-7302},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2022.3182544}
              }
              
  11. Learning Barrier Functions with Memory for Robust Safe Navigation
    K. Long, C. Qian, J. Cortés and N. Atanasov
    IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), Vol. 6(3), pp. 4931-4938, 2021.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  12.           @article{Long_LearningCBF_RAL21,
                author = {Kehan Long and Cheng Qian and Jorge Cortés and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {{Learning Barrier Functions with Memory for Robust Safe Navigation}},
                journal = {IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L)},
                year = {2021},
                volume = {6},
                number = {3},
                pages = {4931-4938},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2021.3070250}
              }
              

Conference Proceedings


  1. Certifying Stability of Reinforcement Learning Policies using Generalized Lyapunov Functions
    K. Long, J. Cortés and N. Atanasov
    Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS), 2025.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  2.           @inproceedings{Long_GLF_NeurIPS25,
                author = {Long, Kehan and Cortés, Jorge and Atanasov, Nikolay},
                title = {Certifying Stability of Reinforcement Learning Policies using Generalized {L}yapunov Functions},
                booktitle = {Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS)},
                year = {2025},
                url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.10947},
                doi = {https://openreview.net/forum?id=N67DlqK5C4}
              }
              
  3. Neural Configuration Distance Function for Continuum Robot Control
    K. Long, H. Parwana, G. Fainekos, B. Hoxha, H. Okamoto and N. Atanasov
    IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2025.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  4.           @inproceedings{Long_ContinuumCDF_IROS25,
                author = {Kehan Long and Hardik Parwana and Georgios Fainekos and Bardh Hoxha and Hideki Okamoto and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {Neural Configuration Distance Function for Continuum Robot Control},
                booktitle = {IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
                year = {2025},
                pages = {358-364},
                url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.13865},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS60139.2025.11246945}
              }
              
  5. Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems through Control Barrier Functions
    P. Mestres, K. Long, M. Leok, N. Atanasov and J. Cortés
    IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 2024.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  6.           @inproceedings{Mestres_CBFStabilization_CDC24,
                author={Mestres, Pol and Long, Kehan and Leok, Melvin and Atanasov, Nikolay and Cortés, Jorge},
                booktitle={2024 IEEE 63rd Conference on Decision and Control (CDC)}, 
                title={Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems through Control Barrier Functions}, 
                year={2024},
                volume={},
                number={},
                pages={8858-8863}          
              }
              
  7. Safe Stabilizing Control for Polygonal Robots in Dynamic Elliptical Environments
    K. Long, K. Tran, M. Leok and N. Atanasov
    American Control Conference (ACC), 2024.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  8.           @inproceedings{long2024safe_polygonal,
                title={Safe Stabilizing Control for Polygonal Robots in Dynamic Elliptical Environments},
                author={Long, Kehan and Tran, Khoa and Leok, Melvin and Atanasov, Nikolay},
                booktitle={2024 American Control Conference (ACC)},
                pages={312--317},
                year={2024},
                organization={IEEE}
              }
              
  9. Distributionally Robust Lyapunov Function Search Under Uncertainty
    K. Long, Y. Yi, J. Cortés and N. Atanasov
    Learning for Dynamics and Control (L4DC), pp. 864-877, 2023.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  10.           @inproceedings{Long_LFSearch_L4DC23,
                author = {Kehan Long and Yinzhuang Yi and Jorge Cortés and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {{Distributionally Robust Lyapunov Function Search Under Uncertainty}},
                booktitle = {Learning for Dynamics and Control (L4DC)},
                year = {2023},
                pages = {864-877},
                doi = {https://proceedings.mlr.press/v211/long23a.html}
              }
              
  11. Safe and Stable Control Synthesis for Uncertain System Models via Distributionally Robust Optimization
    K. Long*, Y. Yi*, J. Cortés and N. Atanasov
    American Control Conference (ACC), pp. 4651-4658, 2023.
    [bib] [doi] [arXiv]
  12.           @inproceedings{LongYi_DRCCP_ACC23,
                author = {Kehan Long* and Yinzhuang Yi* and Jorge Cortés and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {{Safe and Stable Control Synthesis for Uncertain System Models via Distributionally Robust Optimization}},
                booktitle = {American Control Conference (ACC)},
                year = {2023},
                pages = {4651-4658},
                doi = {https://doi.org/10.23919/ACC55779.2023.10156525}
              }
              

Dissertation


  1. Certifiable Robot Control under Uncertainty: Towards Safety, Stability, and Robustness
    Kehan Long
    PhD Dissertation, University of California San Diego, 2025.
    2026 Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal, UC San Diego (awarded by the School of Physical Sciences).
    [bib] [pdf]
  2.           @phdthesis{Long_Dissertation_2025,
                author = {Long, Kehan},
                title = {{Certifiable Robot Control under Uncertainty: Towards Safety, Stability, and Robustness}},
                school = {University of California San Diego},
                year = {2025},
                type = {PhD Dissertation}
              }
              

Workshop Papers


  1. 4D Latent Mapping for Mobile Manipulation Policy Learning
    S. Kim, B. Pak, K. Long, Y. Tian and N. Atanasov
    ICRA Workshop on Multi-Modal Spatial AI for Robust Navigation and Open-World Understanding, 2026.
    Best Paper Award
    ICRA Workshop on Semantics for Reliable Robot Autonomy: From Environment Understanding and Reasoning to Safe Interaction, 2026.
    [bib]
  2.           @misc{Kim_4DLatent_ICRA26,
                author = {Sunghwan Kim and Byeonghyun Pak and Kehan Long and Yulun Tian and Nikolay Atanasov},
                title = {{4D Latent Mapping for Mobile Manipulation Policy Learning}},
                year = {2026},
                note = {Presented at ICRA 2026 Workshops on Multi-Modal Spatial AI and Semantics for Reliable Robot Autonomy}
              }
              
  3. Contact-Aware Planning and Control of Continuum Robots in Highly Constrained Environments
    A. Mangan, K. Long, K. M. B. Lee, M. Potdar, N. Atanasov and T. Morimoto
    IEEE RoboSoft Workshop “The Role for Control in Soft Robot Autonomy”, 2026.
    Best Poster Award
    IEEE RoboSoft Workshop “Minds and Bodies: Co-Design for the Future of Soft Manipulation”, 2026.
    Best Poster Award
    [bib] [arXiv]
  4.           @misc{Mangan_ContactAware_RoboSoft26,
                author = {Aedan Mangan and Kehan Long and Ki Myung Brian Lee and Miheer Potdar and Nikolay Atanasov and Tania K. Morimoto},
                title = {{Contact-Aware Planning and Control of Continuum Robots in Highly Constrained Environments}},
                year = {2026},
                note = {Presented at IEEE RoboSoft Workshops},
                url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.15638}
              }
              
  5. Certifiable Robot Autonomy Under Uncertainty
    K. Long
    Robotics: Science and Systems-Pioneers Workshop, 2025.
    [bib] [doi] [pdf]
  6.           @misc{Long_CertifiableAutonomy_2025,
                author = {Long, Kehan},
                title = {{Certifiable Robot Autonomy Under Uncertainty}},
                year = {2025},
                url = {https://openreview.net/forum?id=ncTTEOBb6X},
                doi = {https://openreview.net/forum?id=ncTTEOBb6X}
              }
              
  7. A Shared-Autonomy Construction Robotic System for Overhead Works
    D. M. Kim, K. M. B. Lee, Y. H. Seo, N. Raicevic, R. B. Li, K. Long, C. S. Yoon, D. M. Kang, B. J. Lim, Y. P. Kim, N. Atanasov, T. Nguyen, S. W. Jun, Y. W. Kim
    ICRA Workshop on Future of Construction, 2025.
    Best Poster Award (3rd place)
    [video]