Joshua Schoolcraft

California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Joshua Schoolcraft is a leading researcher in multi-robot systems and autonomous exploration for extreme environments, with a primary focus on planetary surface missions. His work addresses the critical challenge of enabling distributed computation and shared analytics among robotic teams operating in communication-denied settings, such as Mars. Schoolcraft’s most influential contribution is the concept of On-Site Shared Analytics Information and Computing (OSAIC), which models a network of small rovers leveraging computing resources from a static base station, building on autonomy algorithms from the Mars 2020 mission. His foundational 2019 paper, "Mars On-Site Shared Analytics Information and Computing," has garnered 13 citations, establishing a framework for decentralized computation in planetary exploration. Building on this, his 2022 work, "Multirobot Onsite Shared Analytics Information and Computing," extends the approach to heterogeneous robot teams, addressing intermittent communication links and the absence of cloud connectivity. Schoolcraft’s research is pivotal for future NASA and ESA missions, where real-time, onboard data processing is essential for scientific discovery. His achievements include advancing the feasibility of autonomous, collaborative robot teams in harsh, remote environments, making him a key figure in the intersection of robotics, distributed systems, and space exploration.