Imagine a world of aerial delivery drones bringing goods right to your door or sixth-generation fighter aircraft patrolling battle zones – all without the intervention or even supervision of a human pilot. We recently caught up with Professor Ella Atkins, the director of U-M’s Autonomous Aerospace Systems (A2SYS) Lab, and asked her about autonomous flight systems and its implications.
Faculty Perspectives
The future of autonomous aircraft
Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Dr. James Cutler discusses CubeSats and how spacecraft the size of a loaf of bread are revolutionizing space technology and exploration
Dr. James Cutler discusses CubeSats and the role of U-M in their development.
Dr. Venkat Raman on the Rotating Detonation Engine, the frightening-sounding technology of tomorrow
Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) is about the scariest name a technology can have, but it also has the promise of overcoming one of the great problems of modern aerospace engineering. Conventional propulsion systems for aircraft, missiles, and rockets are all very close to their theoretical limits, with very little wiggle room left for getting much […]
Dr. Alec Gallimore Talks about Space Electric Propulsion and How the University Michigan is Helping to Shape the Future of Space Travel
We recently got together with Dr. Alec Gallimore, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan, to discuss space electric propulsion and the part the Department’s prestigious Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory (PEPL) is playing in developing the next-generation of this advanced technology that may one day send the first astronauts to Mars.
Universities’ crucial role in our spacefaring future
To ensure that our species endures, we must advance space-based technologies and break our interdisciplinary boundaries.
Commercial supersonic aircraft could return to the skies
Don’t call it a comeback.
Why is the Pentagon interested in UFOs?
During a military mission, whether in peace or in war, the inability to identify an object within an area of operation represents a significant problem.
US, Russia, China race to develop hypersonic weapons
The U.S. needs to keep up with the progress of other nations in developing hypersonic weapons.
Professor Ella Atkins discusses growing concerns over unsafe drone use
Aerospace Engineering Professor Ella Atkins discusses alarming statistics on unsafe drone use in the United States
Chinese falling space station | U-M experts weigh in
University of Michigan experts comment on the China’s first space station, Tiangong-1, that is in an uncontrolled de-orbit.
M-Air autonomous aerial vehicle outdoor lab opens
Michigan Engineering now hosts advanced robotics facilities for land, air, sea, and space.
Inman draws inspiration from nature for his morphing wing technology
Dr. Daniel Inman, AE Department Chair, is seeking to improve the efficiency of aircraft through avian-inspired morphing wing technology.
