Ellen Thiel

Papers

Total Citations

111

H-Index

About

Ellen Thiel is a leading roboticist whose work is literally out of this world, specializing in autonomous space robotics and planetary exploration. Her primary research focuses on developing and operating the sophisticated robotic systems that enable rovers and helicopters to navigate and conduct science on Mars. Thiel’s most significant contribution is her leadership in the autonomous navigation (AutoNav) system for NASA’s Perseverance rover. Her landmark paper on the subject (106 citations) details how AutoNav allowed the rover to autonomously evaluate and drive 88% of its 17.7-kilometer journey during its first Martian year—a record-breaking feat of self-driving on another planet. In her subsequent work on the rover’s first extended mission, Thiel and her team have pushed these boundaries further, overseeing over 30 kilometers of driving and the complex coordination of both Perseverance and the Ingenuity helicopter. By enabling robots to make real-time decisions in a harsh, distant environment, Thiel is not just advancing robotics; she is fundamentally expanding humanity’s reach across the solar system.