Max Bajracharya is a senior member of the Mobility and Manipulation Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. His research focuses on applications of computer vision to autonomous mobile robots in unstructured environments. His current work includes vision-guided manipulation, learning terrain classification, autonomous instrument/tool placement, coordinated arm/vehicle tool control, and person detection. Max received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from MIT in 2001.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA

M.Eng., EE/CS, 2001

B.S., EE/CS, 2001

Senior Technical Staff Member, JPL
Mobility and Manipulation Group

Principle investigator/task manager for various research tasks funded by NASA, DARPA, and U.S. Army sponsors

Experience in developing, fielding, and successfully transitioning vision-based manipulation, visual target tracking, and person detection algorithms from technology development programs to NASA space exploration missions and Army system development programs.

Experience in developing and fielding learning-based terrain classification, human detection, and manipulator tool/end-effector placement, control, and vehicle coordination in outdoor terrain.

Cognizant engineer, CLARAty (2004)

Applications of computer vision to autonomous robotic mobility and manipulation, particularly in unstructured and dynamic environments. Vision-guided manipulation, learning terrain classification, autonomous instrument/tool placement, coordinated arm/vehicle tool control, and person detection.

NASA Group Achievement Award, MER Extended Mission Team, 2008

Best paper award, Advanced Robotics journal, Robotics Society of Japan, 2007

Mars Exploration Program Team Award, flight code development of autonomy algorithms, 2006