Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Katarina Cujic is a leading researcher in field robotics, specializing in multi-robot systems for autonomous exploration in extreme environments. Her primary research areas include subterranean navigation, resilient multi-agent coordination, and aerial-ground robot collaboration. Cujic made her most significant contribution as a key member of the team that won the DARPA Subterranean Challenge, where she helped pioneer a modular approach combining roving and flying robots to explore GPS-denied, rough terrains. Her seminal work on this topic, "Resilient and Modular Subterranean Exploration with a Team of Roving and Flying Robots" (2022), has garnered 50 citations for its comprehensive framework addressing mobility, communications, and navigation challenges. She further advanced the field with "Exploring the Most Sectors at the DARPA Subterranean Challenge Finals" (2023), which documented real-world deployment strategies for rapid search-and-rescue operations. Cujic’s research has direct implications for disaster response and planetary exploration, demonstrating how heterogeneous robot teams can overcome austere conditions. Her achievements highlight her as a rising star in autonomous systems, with work that bridges theoretical robotics and practical, life-saving applications.