Robert A. Reisse

About

Robert A. Reisse is a leading figure in the development of advanced lidar sensors for autonomous space exploration, with his work directly enabling safer, more precise planetary landings. His primary research focuses on flash lidar technology, hazard detection, and autonomous navigation systems for spacecraft. As a key contributor to NASA’s Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) project, Reisse has been instrumental in designing, integrating, and flight-testing cutting-edge 3D imaging lidar systems. His most cited work (40 citations) outlines the critical role of lidar sensors for future missions to solar system bodies, while his helicopter flight tests (27 and 14 citations) demonstrated the real-time capability of compact flash lidars to image hazardous terrain—a breakthrough for both robotic and crewed landings. Reisse also advanced image processing techniques, such as the back projection method for super-resolution enhancement of flash lidar data. Through these contributions, he has helped push the boundaries of autonomous precision landing, ensuring that future explorers can touch down safely on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Lidar Sensors for Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance

   40 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Helicopter flight test of 3D imaging flash LIDAR technology for safe, autonomous, and precise planetary landing

   27 citations · 2013
3. 3
   Helicopter Flight Test of a Compact, Real-Time 3-D Flash Lidar for Imaging Hazardous Terrain during Planetary Landing

   14 citations · 2013
4. 4
   Super Resolution Image Enhancement for a Flash Lidar: Back Projection Method

   2 citations · 2010

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links