Please join Pitt Space in welcoming distinguished speaker, Dr. Glen Henshaw, PhD, Senior Scientist for Robotics and Autonomous Systems with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, presenting on February 27th in Benedum Hall, Room 1145 on the topic, "Brains for Space Robots". 

Please RSVP to Linda Redlich at lmr146@pitt.edu if you are planning to attend. 

Speaker Details

Pitt Space Seminar Series Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, 10am ET Room 1145, Benedum Engineering Hall “Brains for Space Robots” --- by --- Glen Henshaw, Ph.D. Senior Scientist for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (Code 8206) U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Abstract: The use of robotic spacecraft to service, repair, and upgrade satellites is of increasing interest to the country and the world. DARPA and the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are preparing to launch the Robotic Servicing for Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) robot, the country’s first such spacecraft, in 2026. However, the computational power available for use on spacecraft is quite limited due to significant power constraints on spacecraft and to the extreme thermal and radiation environment of space, and utilizing modern machine learning algorithms for robotic control and manipulation on space robots is currently not possible. The talk will discuss the algorithms being used on RSGS, and the research being conducted at NRL to develop neuromorphic processors and neuromorphic algorithms – which resemble the brain and which use dramatically less power than traditional von Neumann architectures -- that may allow engineers to leverage modern machine learning algorithms onboard spacecraft. Distinguished Speaker: Dr. Carl “Glen" Henshaw is NRL’s Senior Scientist for Robotics and Autonomous Systems. He is also the lead roboticist for the DARPA RSGS program, which will be the US’s first robotic satellite servicing vehicle when it launches in 2026. He earned his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland in 2003. His research interests include robotic controls, reinforcement learning, data-driven modelling, and the application of neurobiological concepts to robotic motor control. He and his wife run a small sheep farm in Maryland which keeps him out of trouble on weekends.