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About

Greg Pisanich is a pioneering researcher in autonomous robotic systems for planetary exploration, with a focus on biologically inspired designs and simulation-based development. His work centers on creating intelligent control strategies for aerial explorers—autonomous vehicles capable of conducting scientific surveys on other worlds. Pisanich’s key contributions include the development of the Mission Simulation Facility (MSF), a distributed simulation architecture using High Level Architecture (HLA) that bridges the gap between research-level autonomy algorithms and mission-ready software, enabling rigorous testing for planetary exploration vehicles. He also advanced bio-inspired engineering through the BEES for Mars project, introducing holarchical systems and emotional holons to design adaptive flight control for aerial vehicles. His research on mission-representative imaging surveys from aerial explorers has informed how these robots can perform scientifically valuable tasks autonomously. With over 28 citations across his most-cited papers, Pisanich’s work has shaped the integration of autonomy into space missions, notably through his exploration of robotic ecosystems where aerial explorers collaborate as members of a distributed system. His achievements highlight a career dedicated to making autonomous exploration more reliable and biologically inspired.