Ph.D., Computer Science
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY Expected May 2009
Advisor: Doctor Jeffrey Trinkle
THESIS - Simulation-Based Planning of Robotic Manipulation with Intermittent Frictional Contact

Bachelor’s Degree, Mathematics and Computer Science
Clark University, Worcester, MA May 2003

Graduate Research Assistant 2003 - Present
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

Technical Intern
Raytheon Electronic Systems Summer 2001

Graduate Teaching Assistant Fall Semester 2007
Computer Science II
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
CS2 is a course in elementary data structures and their use in programming.
Conducted weekly lab section.
Instructor: Dr. Barb Cutler

Graduate Teaching Assistant Spring Semester 2007
Data Structures and Algorithms
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Conducted weekly lab section.
Instructor: Dr. Frank Luk

Graduate Teaching Assistant Fall Semester 2006
Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Instructor: Dr. Srinivas Akella

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Spring Semester 2003
Discrete Mathematics
Clark University, Worcester, MA
Instructor: Dr. Arthur W. Chou

Book Chapters

1. Kevin Egan, Stephen Berard, and Jeffrey C. Trinkle. Toward Sensorless Acquisition of Multiple Contact Points Between Planar Parts, pages 113-131. Number 18 in STAR - Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics. Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, 2005. Workshop on Multi-point Interaction in Robotics and Virtual Reality

Refereed Journal Articles

1. Stephen Berard, Binh Nguyen, Kurt Anderson, and J.C. Trinkle. Sources of Error in a Simulation of Rigid Parts on a Vibrating Rigid Plate. ASME Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, (Submitted).

Papers Under Preparation

1. N. Chakraborty, S. Berard, S. Akella, and J. C. Trinkle. An Implicit Time-Stepping Method for Multibody Systems with Intermittent Contact. To be submitted to International Journal of Robotics Research
2. Binh Nguyen, Stephen Berard, J. C. Trinkle. Modeling Nonconvex Configuration Space Using Linear Complementarity Problems.

Refereed Conference Articles

1. Stephen Berard, Binh Nguyen, and J.C. Trinkle. Sources of Error in a Rigid Body Simulation of Rigid Parts on a Vibrating Rigid Plate. In ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, May 2009.
2. N. Chakraborty, S. Berard, S. Akella, and J.C. Trinkle. An implicit compliant model for multibody systems with frictional intermittent contact. In ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, October 2007.
3. N. Chakraborty, S. Berard, S. Akella, and J.C. Trinkle. An implicit time-stepping method for multibody systems with intermittent contact. In Robotics: Science and Systems, June 2007. Best Student Paper Award.
4. Stephen Berard, Jeff Trinkle, Binh Nguyen, Benjamin Roghani, Vijay Kumar, and Jonathan Fink. daVinci code: A multi-model simulation and analysis tool for multi-body systems. In IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pages 2588-2593, April 2007.
5. J.C. Trinkle, Stephen Berard, and J.S. Pang. A time-stepping scheme for quasistatic multibody systems. In IEEE International Symposium on Assembly and Task Planning, pages 174 - 181, March 2005.
6. Stephen Berard, Kevin Egan, and J. C. Trinkle. Contact modes and complementary cones. In IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pages 5280 - 5286, April 2004.

Non-Refereed Articles

1. Stephen Berard, Binh Nguyen, Kurt Anderson, and J.C. Trinkle. Sources of error in a simulation of rigid parts on a vibrating rigid plate. Technical Report 08-10, Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2008.
2. Stephen Berard. Cooking with complementarity: A recipe guide for complementarity based rigid-multi-body dynamics simulation. Technical Report 06-08, Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2006.
3. K.T. Egan, Stephen Berard, and J.C. Trinkle. Modeling nonconvex constraints using linear complementarity. Technical Report 03-13, Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2003.
4. K.T. Egan, Stephen Berard, and J.C. Trinkle. Computing wrench bounds along a curved surface in 2d. Technical Report 04-09, Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2004.

Abstracts and Posters

1. Stephen Berard. An MPEC Formulation for Parameter Identification of Complementarity Systems. New England Manipulation Symposium, Providence, RI. June 2008.
2. Stephen Berard. Identification of Physical Parameters of Rigid Body Systems. Workshop on Contact Models for Manipulation and Locomotion, Pasadena, CA. May 2008.
3. N. Chakraborty, S. Berard, S. Akella, and J.C. Trinkle. Two new fully implicit time-stepping schemes for multibody systems with intermittent contact. In International Conference Continuous Optimization, August 2007. (abstract with presentation by N. Chakraborty).
4. Stephen Berard. Simulation and Analysis with daVinci Code. New England Manipulation Symposium, Troy, NY. June 2007.
5. Stephen Berard and Jeff Trinkle. daVinci Code: A Multi-Model Simulation and Analysis Tool for Multi-Body Systems. New England Manipulation Symposium, Amherst, MA. June 2006.

1. Using Simulation for Planning and Design of Robotic Systems with Intermittent Contact. Computer Science Colloquium, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. November 2008.

daVinci Code (dVC) Implemented and maintain a new physical simulation library capable of accurately simulating and animating systems of bodies experiencing intermittent and steady unilateral contacts. Used in research at RPI and UPENN and classes at RPI and Northwestern.

Languages (In order of proficiency): C++, C, Java, LATEX, BASH, and Scheme
Software: Linux, UNIX, Windows, gcc/g++, gdb, valgrind, STL, OpenGL

Peer Reviews: IEEE Transactions on Robotics, International Journal of Robotics Research, ACM SIGGRAPH, ASME International conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics and Control, IEEE Conference on Automation Science and Engineering, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Robotics: Science and Systems Conference

Available upon request.