Ella M. Atkins
Associate Professor
ADDRESS: 3056 FXB
PHONE: (734) 615-7456
FAX: (unsecured) (734) 763-0578
EMAIL: ematkins@umich.edu
Websites: http://solarbubbles.engin.umich.edu/~a2sys/
Videos: Autonomous Flying Robots | Lagos Airplane Crash

Professor Atkins' research program focuses on the integration of strategic and tactical planning and optimization algorithms to enable robust, autonomous aircraft and spacecraft flight in the presence of system failures and environmental uncertainties. Onboard automation must enhance performance while maintaining safe long-term operation robust to unexpected or failure scenarios. Mission and trajectory planners must yield acceptable low-cost solutions for single vehicles or coordinated teams operating nominally or, worst-case, in unfriendly, uncertain environments with degraded performance characteristics. Researchers have begun to speak of humans "on the loop" rather than "in the loop". Under this paradigm, humans are the mission managers and theatre commanders supported by an array of computational tools. These tools must acquire and accurately summarize mission-critical information for human supervisors while providing the underlying infrastructure that plans and executes missions in accordance with specified high-level directives. Hardware-based demonstration of single-vehicle and collaborative systems is a key component of Dr. Atkins' research. Current platforms include the Solus UAV and a planetary surface rover (see illustrations).

Dr. Atkins is author of over 60 archival and conference publications and serves as an associate editor for the AIAA Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, and Communication (JACIC). She is a technical program chair for the AIAA Infotech@Aerospace conference and has served on several review boards and panels. She is chair-elect of the AIAA Intelligent Systems Technical Committee, an Associate Fellow of AIAA, a member of AAAI and IEEE, and a private pilot (ASEL).

Solus UAV

Specializations & Research Interests

Strategic (AI) and tactical (motion-based) planning/scheduling for individual and collaborative air and space systems, fault-tolerant flight management, UAV/MAV applications.

Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aeronautics & Astronautics, BS, 1988
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aeronautics & Astronautics, MS, 1990
University of Michigan, Computer Science & Engineering, MS, 1995
University of Michigan, Computer Science & Engineering, PhD, 1999

Society Memberships
Member of AIAA, Associate Fellow
NSF Review Panel Member, 2004, 2005
NASA JPL Review Board, Deep Space Mission System and Mars Technology Programs, Panel Chair
Associate Editor, AIAA Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, & Comunication (JACIC)
Technical Program Co-Chair, AIAA Infotech@Aerospace Conference, 2005 & 2007
Local Program Chair, IEEE Intl. Conference on Robotics & Automation (ICRA), 2002
Chair-elect, AIAA Intelligent Systems Technical Committee

Honors and Awards
NSF Career Award
Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA)
Sloan Foundation Pre-Tenure Leave Fellowship
Aerospace Engineering Dept. Faculty Mentor Award, University of Maryland
GE Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan
Orenstein Fellowship, EECS Department, University of Michigan
Private Pilot (ASEL)
Scuba Certified (PADI)

Teaching Interests
Flight Software Systems, AE 495 (ENAE 380 at University of Maryland)
Intelligent Automation of Aerospace Systems (ENAE 7881, University of Maryland)
Space Robotics (ENAE 692, University of Maryland)
Embedded Real-time Systems (ENAE 488E, University of Maryland)
Aerospace Computing (ENAE 202, University of Maryland)
Aerospace Analysis & Computation (ENAE 261, Unversity of Maryland)

Positions Held at Michigan
Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 2006-present
Graduate student (fellow, GSRA, GSI), EECS Department (Computer Science & Engineering Division), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1993-1999

Publications List and Downloads
Publications