Podcast Ep. #42 – Autonomous Helicopters with Near Earth Autonomy

Aerospace Engineering Podcast

Dr Sanjiv Singh is a research professor at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University and the CEO of Near Earth Autonomy. Sanjiv has more than 30 years of research experience in the field of autonomous vehicles and has spun-out multiple companies from his university research.

His current venture, Near Earth Autonomy, develops technology that allows aircraft to autonomously take-off, fly, and land safely, with or without GPS. Near Earth’s goal is to develop complete autonomous solutions that improve efficiency, performance, and safety for aircraft ranging from small drones up to full-size helicopters. The team at Near Earth was awarded the 2018 Howard Hughes Award, which recognises outstanding improvements in fundamental helicopter technology, and was also a 2017 finalist for the Collier Trophy, one of the most important aviation awards worldwide. In this episode of the Aerospace Engineering Podcast, Sanjiv and I talk about:

• his background as a researcher in the field of robotics and autonomy
• the fundamental concepts of autonomy
• the hardware and software that make it work
• the successful helicopter technology demonstrator Near Earth Autonomy has developed
• and the future of autonomous vehicles

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Selected Links from the Episode

• Near Earth Autonomy webpage, Twitter & YouTube
• Dr Sanjiv Singh’s TEDx talk
• Near Earth collaborates with Kaman | Vertical
• Public perception of autonmous flying | WIRED
• Lidar vs cameras vs radar | WIRED