Control and Autonomous Systems Engineering

We collaborate with every research area at the Laboratory to create systems that accomplish their objectives in real-world scenarios and in unpredictable surroundings. Our engineers develop complex control and autonomous systems, from concept to realization, for a variety of prototypes. We utilize the applied research approach to work on capabilities such as pointing and stabilization techniques to enable efficient space-based laser communication, and to build prototypes such as a ground-based sensor to detect biological threats in real time. Our engineers are developing airborne visual navigation, flight controls, and advanced autonomy to allow autonomous systems to explore continually changing or challenging environments. We have expertise in robotics, image processing, machine learning, human-machine interaction, and space-qualified electronics.