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Welcome!

I am Hendrik Huthmacher (formerly Dreger) and I recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a master's degree in Robotics. Prior to this, I completed my bachelor's degree in Robotics at Jacobs University (Germany) with a study abroad term in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).

Since an early age, I've been captivated by space exploration and the possibility of discovering life on distant planets. In space, where human limitations are most evident, robots emerge as the ideal exploration tool in places beyond our reach. To that extend, I’ve had the privilege of participating in space robotics missions, including CMU’s Iris Rover, the European Space Agency's Daedalus explorer, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's EELS snake robot.

Derived from my passion for space, I am keen on advancing the resilience and adaptability of robotic systems designed for navigating challenging and uncharted environments. Deep learning, with its capacity for generalizing to new settings, could be a pivotal asset in space exploration, yet its current limitations in providing performance guarantees pose great challenges. For my research, I am interested in the integration of learning-based approaches into planning and mapping frameworks for safety-critical missions while aiming to maintain continuous reliability.

Check out how we launched the Iris Rover to the moon!