Aerospace Autonomous Systems and Technologies

Interdisciplinary research in aerospace autonomous systems integrates the expanding area of autonomy research with the fundamental research areas of aerospace, such as physics of fluids and solids and space technology for use in science, exploration, and transportation, such as means to penetrate through Europa's ice over its ocean. The research addresses control and estimation, machine learning, vision and sensing, and other emerging areas of robotics and AI to endow aerospace vehicles with high levels of autonomy, safety, robustness, and flexibility. Examples of the current research projects include fusing physics of fluids and dynamics with learning-based fight control systems and AI-based visual perception systems for spacecraft, autonomous flying cars, and drones. Advanced aerospace robotics research, autonomous exploration, and aerial and space swarm robotics will draw research from the full range of engineering at Caltech, the geological and planetary sciences division, and JPL.

Faculty: Jane Bae, John O. Dabiri, Morteza (Mory) Gharib, Michael H. Dickinson, Hillary Mushkin