Location | Destiny Theater
Learn from a NASA innovator with a visionary idea that could power exploration to one of the most extreme environments in and out of our solar system: planetary caves! Dr. Marco Pavone and his research team propose a novel robotic concept that solves a problem engineers must overcome in traditional space robotics: sacrifice mobility or manipulation capabilities. ReachBot, the name of the proposed concept, combines the two existing technologies of extendable booms and mobile manipulation to achieve a large reachable workspace and ability to apply forces.
Presenters
Dr. Marco Pavone
Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
Stanford University
Dr. Marco Pavone is an Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, where he directs the Autonomous Systems Laboratory. He is also a Distinguished Research Scientist at NVIDIA where he leads autonomous vehicle research. Before joining Stanford, he was a Research Technologist within the Robotics Section at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He received a Ph.D. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. His main research interests are in the development of methodologies for the analysis, design, and control of autonomous systems, with an emphasis on self-driving cars, autonomous aerospace vehicles, and future mobility systems. He is a recipient of a number of awards, including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Barack Obama.
Stephanie Newdick
Ph.D. Candidate, Aeronautics and Astronautics,
Stanford University
Stephanie Newdick is a Ph.D. candidate in the Autonomous Systems Lab in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at Stanford. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 2014. Prior to coming to Stanford, she worked as a software engineer and flight test engineer for Kitty Hawk Corporation. She is currently supported by a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities fellowship. Stephanie’s research interests include real-time spacecraft motion-planning, grasping and manipulation in space, and unconventional space robotics.
Tony G. Chen
Postdoctoral Researcher, Mechanical Engineering,
Stanford University
Tony G. Chen is a postdoctoral researcher in the Biomimetics and Dexterous Manipulation Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2023. He is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow. Tony is a NASA Robotics Academy graduate and interned at NASA JPL in the Extreme Environment Robotics group working on the Asteroid Redirect Mission. Tony’s research interests focus on field and bio-inspired robotics, particularly designing mechanisms that enable robots to forcefully interact with challenging, real-world environments.
Admission
This special presentation is included in general admission for Sunday, September 17. Members receive free general admission. Not yet a Space Center Houston member? Become a member now to receive discounts on tickets to special events, free general admission and other exclusive benefits.
