Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Danielle Frostig is an observational astronomer whose research centers on infrared time-domain astronomy, gravitational-wave follow-up, and the instrumentation that makes both possible. She is best known as a leading contributor to the Wide-Field Infrared Transient Explorer (WINTER), a robotic 1-meter telescope facility at Palomar Observatory designed to survey the infrared sky for transient phenomena. Frostig's work spans the full lifecycle of this ambitious instrument — from its foundational design requirements and novel InGaAs detector architecture to its commissioning and early science operations. Her most-cited paper introducing WINTER (2020, 39 citations) established the scientific case for a dedicated infrared survey capability, with a particular focus on detecting kilonovae from binary neutron star mergers — the luminous, short-lived signals that accompany gravitational-wave events. This work has translated directly into practice: Frostig has led WINTER's real-time follow-up of gravitational-wave triggers, including the 2025 search for an electromagnetic counterpart to S250206dm. By developing and deploying cutting-edge near-infrared instrumentation, Frostig has meaningfully advanced the field's capacity for multi-messenger astronomy, positioning WINTER as a critical asset in the global effort to connect gravitational-wave detections with their cosmic origins.