Jason Fugate

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Jason Fugate is a robotics researcher whose work centers on autonomous systems for space exploration, with a particular focus on ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus. His most notable contribution is the development of OceanWATERS (Ocean Worlds Autonomy Testbed for Exploration Research and Simulation), an open-source simulator built on ROS and Gazebo that enables researchers to develop and test onboard autonomy software for robotic lander missions. The system’s robotic arm operation, detailed in his 2021 paper, has garnered 7 citations and serves as a foundational tool for simulating the unique challenges of icy moon exploration, such as low-gravity manipulation and communication delays. Fugate’s work bridges the gap between terrestrial robotics and planetary science, providing a critical platform for advancing autonomous decision-making in extreme environments. His contributions are particularly significant as NASA and other space agencies prepare for future missions to these distant, potentially habitable worlds. By making OceanWATERS open-source, Fugate has also fostered a collaborative community, accelerating innovation in space robotics and inspiring the next generation of engineers to tackle the complexities of extraterrestrial exploration.