Kalmanje Krishnakumar

Chief Autonomous Systems and Robotics at NASA

Speaker

Dr. Kalmanje KrishnaKumar is a scientist and the chief of the Autonomous Systems and Robotics Area in the Exploration Technology Directorate at NASA Ames Research Center where he guides the research and development of approximately 100 Scientists and engineers conducting autonomous systems and their applications to robotics and aerospace systems and vehicles. His prior professional experience includes serving as the project manager of the Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) project from 2007 – 2010. This project spanned four NASA Centers. Recently, he won the NASA Honor Award for Outstanding Leadership in Intelligent/Adaptive Control Technologies (2011), NASA Group Achievement Award and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, Scientist Category (2008). His current research and development interests include autonomy technologies for safe operation of UAS in very low altitudes and deterministic autonomy concepts for large transports. Before joining NASA in June of 2001, he was an Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering and the Director of the Intelligent Control Laboratory at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. He has organized several tutorial workshops and short courses on various aspects of intelligent systems and their applications. He is a past Associate Editor of the AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics; past member of the AIAA Journal of Aircraft; and founder and past chairman of the AIAA technical committee on Intelligent Systems.