Connor Basich

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of Massachusetts Amherst, California Institute of Technology

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Connor Basich’s research lies at the intersection of space robotics and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on creating **competence-aware autonomous systems**. His work addresses a critical challenge: how can robots—from rovers on Mars to landers on Europa—know their own limitations and intelligently request human help when needed? Basich’s most influential paper, "Exploring beyond Earth using space robotics" (2024, 19 citations), surveys the cutting edge of robotic spacecraft, from landers to atmospheric explorers. He is best known for pioneering the concept of **competence-aware systems** (2022, 11 citations), where robots explicitly model their own capabilities to optimize when to act autonomously versus defer to a human operator. In "Learning to Optimize Autonomy in Competence-Aware Systems" (2020, 4 citations), he formalized how semi-autonomous systems can dynamically adjust their level of independence. His work on **utility-driven onboard scheduling** for a potential Europa Lander mission (2024, 2 citations) tackles the immense challenge of operating under extreme uncertainty and limited energy. Basich’s contributions are vital for the next generation of deep-space explorers, ensuring they can safely and efficiently push the boundaries of discovery.