Nathaniel Hanson
What do you do at the Laboratory?
My work involves a mixture of reading, writing, and researching. Currently, I am working on several projects involving remote sensing and environment characterization. I’m also leading a project to use soft robots to inspect collapsed buildings for urban search and rescue.
What aspects of your work do you take the most pride in?
I always take great pride in making difficult things work. When people and organizations come to the Laboratory with problems, they rarely bring easy tasks. Most of the time there is no right answer or apparent solution. I love taking part in the whole problem lifecycle — from sponsor engagement, which involves asking insightful questions to get at what the sponsor really needs, to the final deliverable demonstration. I am filled with pride knowing that I had a part to play in reducing a nebulous, daunting challenge to a tangible, implemented technology.
Why do you think Lincoln Laboratory is a good fit for you?
The Laboratory is a good fit for me because I enjoy context switching. Most of the time, I am working on 3 or more programs that touch on different challenging problems in the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief domain. I am invigorated by the fast-paced cycle these programs take up — from initial ideation to final deliverables. This changing work affords me the opportunity to learn new skills and technologies — I've worked on everything from mobile app development to airborne hyperspectral imaging!
Are you involved with any outreach activities?
Yes, I have served as a mentor to dozens of undergraduate and graduate students. To quote the wise Jedi Master Yoda: “We are what they grow beyond.” I am filled with pride when I see all the things my students have accomplished: the papers they have written, the awards they’ve earned, and the students they are now mentoring. It’s an honor to see mentorship practiced and perpetuated, and I am happy to have been a positive influence on students at the Laboratory, in Beaver Works on MIT campus, and in my graduate studies.
What is one goal you would like accomplish in your lifetime?
A long-term research goal, and something I explored in my PhD thesis, is the role of hyperspectral sensing in the everyday world. Currently, hyperspectral sensors are expensive, large, and fragile. I envision a world where hyperspectral imagers are portable enough to be in every smartphone or self-driving car. There’s a lot of information about the world that exists at wavelengths of light our human eyes cannot see. I think by developing sensors and algorithms that improve size, weight, and power constraints, we’ll enable new classes of autonomy and perception in unstructured environments.
Where do you find your day-to-day inspiration?
As an extrovert, I am inspired and motivated by working with a diverse, brilliant group of people. They inspire me to seek out new perspectives and solutions, but are also a humbling force. I love walking into the Laboratory every day and seeing the range of scheduled seminars. Knowing I am at a place full of so many great ideas and people with the skills to actualize them, makes me want to give my best.