Temple University, PA

United States

Research Areas

Education Robotics, Optimization and Optimal Control, Robots

Biography

Richard D. (Dick) Klafter, one of the early leaders in the field of robotics and automation and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, was born on 5 August 1936 and died 11 November 2019. He received an undergraduate degree at MIT, two graduate degrees from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the City University of New York (1969). A devoted educator, he had a long teaching career at Drexel University and later Temple University where he served as Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Engineer. In addition, he co-authored one of the early robotics textbooks, Robotic Engineering: An Integrated Approach (1989).

In 1986, Klafter was elevated to IEEE Fellow for his contributions to robotics education and graduate training in electrical and computer engineering. He was a founding member of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Council which later became the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and served as President of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, 1994-1995. During his term as President, the IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine began publication in 1994.