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Robotics & Autonomous Systems

We work on aerospace systems that include networks of satellites circling the earth, spacecraft going beyond our orbit, machines that can perform complex tasks in space like fixing or assembling crafts, space stations, and other equipment, and even rovers on the Moon, Mars, or asteroids. These autonomous and robotic machines must work remotely, often without direct inputs, not knowing exactly what they will come across. They must navigate to avoid crashing into each other or other obstacles. We develop algorithms and software that work for guidance, navigation and control and enhance the stability, performance and robustness of these systems. Figuring out how to do all of these things well in space means that we can improve our autonomous and robotic systems here on earth as well.

Student club highlight

a group of students

Husky Robotics

Husky Robotics designs, builds, programs and competes Mars Rovers in simulated missions while providing students with experience in machining, circuit design, coding and project management.

Research highlights

Peering into snow

The Autonomous Flight Systems Lab outfits a drone to monitor snowpack.

Hide and seek

A&A's Autonomous Flight Systems Lab builds a drone-based machine learning dataset to find those lost in the wilderness.

members of the RAIN lab

RAIN Lab's research on the science of sync published in Science

Research on sync and the structure of networks by the RAIN Lab, led by Mehran Mesbahi, was published in Science.

A&A drone mapping project advances wildfire modeling

A&A’s Autonomous Flight Systems Lab is partnering with the US Forest Service to improve the efficiency of data collection for wildfire modeling.

Award highlights

Sarah Li

Sarah Li named Amelia Earhart Scholar

Ph.D. student Sarah Li wins Amelia Earhart Scholarship for her dynamic games approach to autonomous networks.

Behcet Acikmese

Açıkmeşe wins IEEE Technical Excellence Award

Açıkmeşe won the IEEE's Control Systems Society's 2019 Technical Excellence Award in Aerospace Control.

Related News

render of a group of rockets on a station

Tue, 03/19/2024

Onboard decision-making record

A&A researchers are the first to meet an elusive NASA requirement of subsecond onboard decisions for planetary landings.

Jasper Geldenbott

Fri, 11/17/2023

A&A undergraduate Jasper Geldenbott receives Levinson Emerging Scholars Award

Undergrad Jasper Geldenbott receives this award to pursue research to enable robots to navigate around pedestrians.

Mehran Mesbahi

Tue, 07/18/2023 | UW News

Eight UW professors elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences

Professor Mehran Mesbahi will be inducted into the 2023 class of the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

Taewan Kim

Wed, 07/05/2023 | UW+Amazon Science Hub

UW+Amazon Science Hub announces 2023-2024 Amazon Fellows

A&A Ph.D. student Taewan Kim received an Amazon Fellowship for his research on optimization algorithms.