Publications

PUBLICATIONS (14, Google Scholar citations = 329, h = 7 as of 01/30/2026) **direct mentorship

Selected Publications

Lazy-DaSH: Lazy Approach for Hypergraph-based Multi-Robot Task and Motion Planning
S. Lee,** James D. Motes, I. Ngui,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato
IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), conditionally accepted, 2026.
arXiv | Video
Hypergraph-based multi-robot task and motion planning
James D. Motes, T. Chen, T. Bretl, M. M. Aguirre, and N. M. Amato
IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2023. Presented at ICRA 2024, Yokohama, Japan.
IEEE | Video
K-ARC: Adaptive Robot Coordination for Multi-Robot Kinodynamic Planning
M. Qin,** I. Solis,** James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2025. To be presented at ICRA 2026, Vienna, Austria.
IEEE
Adaptive robot coordination: A subproblem-based approach for hybrid multi-robot motion planning (ARC)
I. Solis,** James D. Motes, M. Qin,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2024. Presented at ICRA@40, Rotterdam, Netherlands, September 2024.
IEEE
Scalable Multi-Robot Motion Planning Using Guidance-Informed Hypergraphs (Workspace Guided DaSH)
C. McBeth,** James D. Motes, I. Ngui,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), conditionally accepted, 2026.
arXiv
An Analysis of Constraint-Based Multi-Agent Pathfinding Algorithms
H. Lee,** James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato
IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), to appear, 2026.
IEEE

Peer Reviewed (14)

2026

C. McBeth,** James D. Motes, I. Ngui,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Scalable Multi-Robot Motion Planning Using Guidance-Informed Hypergraphs. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L). Conditionally accepted, 2026. arXiv
S. Lee,** James D. Motes, I. Ngui,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Lazy-DaSH: Lazy Approach for Hypergraph-based Multi-Robot Task and Motion Planning. IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO). Conditionally accepted, 2026. arXiv
H. Lee,** James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. An Analysis of Constraint-Based Multi-Agent Pathfinding Algorithms. IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO). To appear, 2026. IEEE

2025

M. Qin,** I. Solis,** James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. K-ARC: Adaptive Robot Coordination for Multi-Robot Kinodynamic Planning. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2025. To be presented at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Vienna, Austria, June 2026. IEEE
A. Goddu, T. Brown, M. Paton, James D. Motes, and T. Chen. Modifying ABIT* for Tethered Rappelling Robot Motion Planning. In Proc. 2025 IEEE 21st International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE), pp. 722–728, 2025. IEEE

2024

I. Solis,** James D. Motes, M. Qin,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Adaptive Robot Coordination: A Subproblem-based Approach for Hybrid Multi-Robot Motion Planning. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2024. Presented at IEEE ICRA@40, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Sept. 2024. IEEE
S. Ashur, M. Lusardi, M. Markowicz, James D. Motes, M. Morales, S. Har-Peled, and N. M. Amato. SPITE: Simple Polyhedral Intersection Techniques for Modified Environments. In Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics XVI: Proc. the Sixteenth Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics, 2024. arXiv

2023

C. McBeth,** James D. Motes, D. Uwacu, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Scalable Multi-Robot Motion Planning for Congested Environments With Topological Guidance. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2023. Presented at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Yokohama, Japan, May 2024. IEEE
James D. Motes, T. Chen, T. Bretl, M. M. Aguirre, and N. M. Amato. Hypergraph-Based Multi-Robot Task and Motion Planning. IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2023. Presented at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Yokohama, Japan, May 2024. IEEE

2022

T. Chen, Z. Huang, James D. Motes, J. Geng, Q. Ta, H. Dinkel, H. Abdul-Rashid, J. Myers, Y. Mun, W. Lin, Y. Huang, S. Liu, M. Morales, N. M. Amato, K. Driggs-Campbell, and T. Bretl. Insights from an Industrial Collaborative Assembly Project: Lessons in Research and Collaboration. In IEEE ICRA Workshop on Collaborative Robots and the Work of the Future, Philadelphia, USA, 2022. arXiv

2021

H. Lee,** James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Parallel Hierarchical Composition Conflict-Based Search for Optimal Multi-Agent Pathfinding. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 7001–7008, 2021. Presented at IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Prague, Czech Republic, 2021 (virtual). IEEE
I. Solis,** James D. Motes, R. Sandström, and N. M. Amato. Representation-Optimal Multi-Robot Motion Planning Using Conflict-Based Search. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 4608–4615, 2021. Presented at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Xi’an, China, 2021 (virtual). IEEE

2020

James D. Motes, R. Sandström, H. Lee,** S. Thomas, and N. M. Amato. Multi-Robot Task and Motion Planning With Subtask Dependencies. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 3338–3345, 2020. Presented at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Paris, France, 2020 (virtual). IEEE

2019

James D. Motes, R. Sandström, W. Adams, T. Ogunyale,** S. Thomas, and N. M. Amato. Interaction Templates for Multi-Robot Systems. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 2926–2933, 2019. Presented at IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Macao, China, 2019. IEEE

Non-Peer Reviewed (8 as of 11/30/2025)

M. Markowicz,** S. Ashur,** James D. Motes, and N. M. Amato. Semi-Lazy Rearrangement Solver for Accelerating Task Planning Using SPITE Dynamic Roadmaps. In Extended Abstract, 4th Workshop on Future of Construction: Safe, Reliable, and Precise Robots in Construction Environments (ICRA 2025), Atlanta, GA, USA, May 19, 2025.
H. Lee,** James D. Motes, Z. Serlin, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Distributed Constraint-Based Search Using Multi-Hop Communication. In Extended Abstract, ICRA@40: 40th Anniversary of the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA@40), Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Sept. 23–26, 2024.
I. Ngui,** James D. Motes, H. Lee,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Ergonomic Motion Planning for Human-Robot Collaboration. In Extended Abstract, ICRA@40: 40th Anniversary of the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA@40), Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Sept. 23–26, 2024.
K. Elimelech,* James D. Motes,* M. Morales, N. M. Amato, M. Vardi, and L. E. Kavraki. Encoding Reusable Multi-Robot Planning Strategies as Abstract Hypergraphs. In Extended Abstract, ICRA@40: 40th Anniversary of the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA@40), Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Sept. 23–26, 2024. *Equal contribution.
S. Lee,** James D. Motes, I. Ngui,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Lazy-DaSH: Lazy Approach for Hypergraph-based Multi-Robot Task and Motion Planning. In Extended Abstract, ICRA@40: 40th Anniversary of the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA@40), Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Sept. 23–26, 2024.
M. Lusardi, M. Markowicz, S. Ashur, James D. Motes, M. Morales, S. Har-Peled, and N. M. Amato. SPITE: Simple Polyhedral Intersection Techniques for Modified Environments. In Extended Abstract, ICRA@40: 40th Anniversary of the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA@40), Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Sept. 23–26, 2024.
I. Ngui,** S. Lee,** James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. A Hierarchical Approach to Workstation-based Task-Allocation and Motion Planning. In Extended Abstract, RAFF2023: Robotics & AI in Future Factory (IROS 2023 Workshop), IROS 2023, Detroit, MI, USA, Oct. 1–5, 2023.
A. Attali, S. Ashur, I. B. Love, C. McBeth, James D. Motes, D. Uwacu, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Evaluating Guiding Spaces for Motion Planning. In Extended Abstract, Evaluating Motion Planning Performance, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2022), Kyoto, Japan, Oct. 23, 2022.

Under Review (8 as of 01/30/2026)

Seongwon Lee,** James D. Motes, Marco Morales, and Nancy M. Amato. PDDL-DaSH: Expanding Hypergraph Planning With Explicit and Implicit Query Strategies.
Isaac Ngui, Courtney McBeth, James D. Motes, Marco Morales, and Nancy M. Amato. Scalable Multi-Robot Motion Planning via Hierarchical Subproblem Expansion and Workspace Decomposition Refinement. *Equal contribution.
Y. Arad,** M. Markowicz,** S. Ashur, James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Serialized Red-Green-Gray: A Quick Heuristic Validation of Edges in Dynamic Roadmap Graphs.
M. Markowicz,** Y. Arad,** S. Ashur, James D. Motes, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Greedy Lazy SPITE: Heuristic Validation and Lazy Motion Planning With Dynamic Roadmap Graphs.
I. Ngui, C. McBeth, A. Santos, G. He, K. J. Mimnaugh, James D. Motes, L. Soares, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. ERUPT: An Open Toolkit for Interfacing with Robot Motion Planners in Extended Reality. arXiv
H. Lee,** Z. Serlin, James D. Motes, B. Long, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. PRISM: Complete Online Decentralized Multi-Agent Pathfinding With Rapid Information Sharing Using Motion Constraints. arXiv
I. Solis,** James D. Motes, M. Qin,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. Experience-Based Subproblem Planning for Multi-Robot Motion Planning. arXiv
A. Attali, S. Ashur, I. B. Love,** C. McBeth,** James D. Motes, D. Uwacu, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. A Framework for Guided Motion Planning. arXiv

In Preparation (3 as of 11/30/2025)

James D. Motes, M. Markowicz,** S. Ashur, Y. Arad,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. sLRS: Semi-Lazy Rearrangement Solver - Leveraging Dynamic Roadmap Graphs in Task and Motion Planning.
M. Markowicz,** James D. Motes, I. Solis,** M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. MR-SPITE: Leveraging Dynamic Roadmap Graphs in Multi-Robot Motion Planning.
I. B. Love,** D. J. Lohan, James D. Motes, E. M. Dede, M. Morales, and N. M. Amato. A Hierarchical Approach for the Generation of Varied Cable Harness Designs.