Robert C. Michelson
Encyclopedia
Robert C. Michelson is an American engineer and academic widely known for inventing the entomopter
, a biologically inspired
flapping-winged aerial robot, and for having established the International Aerial Robotics Competition
. He has received degrees in electrical engineering
from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the Georgia Institute of Technology
. His professional career began at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory where he worked on radar-based ocean surveillance systems. He later became a member of the research faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology. At the Georgia Tech Research Institute
(GTRI) he was involved in full-time research, directing over 30 major research programs.
He is the author of three U.S. patents and over 78 journal papers, book chapters and reports. Michelson also developed classes in avionics and taught in the School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology until his retirement from the University System of Georgia
in 2004. Michelson is the recipient of the 1998 AUVSI Pioneer Award and the 2001 Pirelli Award
for the diffusion of scientific culture as well as the first Top Pirelli Prize.
During the 1990s, he created a tax-exempt corporation to apply high tech solutions to modern archeology and has organized a number of archeological expeditions into eastern Anatolia
. He now heads the engineering consulting company, Millennial Vision, LLC. Since the mid 1990s, Michelson's work has concentrated on biologically inspired micro air vehicle
design. Michelson is certified in various fields including Amateur radio
, Scuba diving
, experimental aircraft
design/mechanics, and general contracting for home building.
Michelson was born in Washington D.C. (1951) and is related to Christian Michelsen
, the first Prime Minister of Norway through Michel Michelsen Hafsøen (1765-?). He is the only son of Carroll and Evelyn Michelson. After graduating from Stanford University and serving in Persia and Italy while an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard
during World War II, his father settled in the Washington D.C. area and worked for the United States Department of Agriculture
Foreign Agricultural Service
(FAS).
Michelson attended the Burgundy Farm Country Day School
during the sixth through eighth grades where he developed a significant appreciation for botany
and ornithology
that would have application to his biologically inspired designs. While at Fort Hunt High School
he was President of the Fort Hunt Amateur Rocket Club which built large (2m x 5 cm) instrumented solid fuel rockets that were launched at the Camp Pickett
artillery range in Blackstone, Virginia
(1967–1969).
and later graduated from Fort Hunt High School
(1969). He is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(1973) and the Georgia Institute of Technology
(1974) with degrees in Electrical Engineering
.
in Atlanta, Georgia. During the 1970s and 1980s Michelson primarily developed radar signal processing and control hardware, but was also known for his broad technical interests involving the automation of remote sensing systems ranging from the tracking of endangered species to the creation of realistic soldier training scenarios and simulation and testing of foreign military radar assets. In the late 1980s he became Head of the Georgia Tech Research Institute's Technology Development Division and his interests turned to unmanned aerial vehicle systems as the ultimate fusion of autonomy, information technology, and aeronautics
. In particular, "aerial robotics" (a term he coined in 1990 to represent the infusion of cognition into unmanned aerial vehicles) dominated his research interests for the next two decades. Since the mid 1990s, Michelson's work has concentrated on biologically inspired micro air vehicle design. From 1997 through 2004 Michelson was Adj. Associate Professor to the School of Aerospace Engineering teaching classes in avionics for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Micro/Mini Air Vehicle
(MAV) design. Michelson retired from the Georgia Tech Research Institute in September 2004 and currently holds the title of Principal Research Engineer Emeritus with the Institute. In 2004 he created Millennial Vision, LLC to continue research into biologically inspired aerial robots and remote sensing. He is the President of SEPDAC (Scientific Enterprise in Pursuit and Discovery of Ancient Cultures), a nonprofit educational and scientific organization. He currently sits on the Board of The Sharp Mountain Preserve
.
(Hava Harp Okulu) in Istanbul
(2006), and invited lecturer on Micro Air Vehicle technology at both the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
(1999 & 2003) and the Royal Military Academy (2001) in Brussels
. He was the first "MITRE
Technology Speaker"(1998). He has been a visiting technology professor in six nations: Australia
(2002), Belgium
(1999, 2003), Norway
(2001), Sweden
(2001), Turkey
(2001, 2006), and Mexico
(2010)
.
Most recently, Michelson has been a consultant to the U.S. Army and the Indian Ministry of Defence, responsible for defining and organizing the 1st U.S.-Asian Micro Air Vehicle Demonstration in Agra
India
(2008). He performed similar duties for the U.S. Army in defining the 1st US-European Micro Air Vehicle Competition/Demonstration in Garmisch Germany
(2005). He created the short course, 21st Century Aerial Robotics, and the digital signal processing lecture/demonstrations in “Principals of Modern Radar” at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also creator and organizer of the annual International Aerial Robotics Competition
which is now in its 21st year. Before joining the staff of the Georgia Tech Research Institute he participated in design and endo-atmospheric flight testing of computer-controlled space-based radar ocean surveillance systems while employed by the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
Michelson is listed in various editions of Who’s Who in Engineering, Who’s Who in America, and the 23rd edition of Who’s Who in the World
. He is the author of over 78 major reports, journal papers, and book chapters.
. In 1974 Michelson began work at the Georgia Tech Research Institute where he won his first contract while still an entry-level engineer (Research Engineer I). This first project involved methods to electronically track the endangered species Trichechus manatus (West Indian Manatee
) in the waters around the Kennedy Space Center
. From this beginning, Michelson proceeded to win and direct over 30 major research projects during his career at the Institute. These projects spanned a wide range of disciplines including the following examples where Michelson was project director as well as technical contributor:
In 1979 Michelson directed the Army's Indirect Fire Simulation effort conducted for Combat Development and Experimentation Command (CDEC). The purpose of this program was to increase the realism of instrumented wargaming by including a man-safe indirect fire (artillery) component as a compliment to the MILES
(Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) rifles and posture sensors being used at Ft. Hunter-Liggett, California. A pneumatically launched man-safe "flash-bang-smoke" generator was successfully demonstrated for the Army (see picture).
Michelson directed a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to show feasibility of a non-line-of-sight radio-acoustic sensor for bending radar signals using the Bragg principle to detect obstacle-masked targets (essentially making radars look around corners). He also directed a program to evaluate ground penetration radar for detection of buried natural gas leaks in urban utility systems. Of particular interest was the ability to pinpoint leak locations in century-old gas lines which often expel leaking gas hundreds of feet from the actual location of the leak due to underground ducting.
During 1981, Michelson directed a program for the automated noninvasive testing of captured foreign threat assets. This system developed by Michelson's design team remained in use by a foreign power for nearly a decade. Other radar test devices were also developed by Michelson for U.S. military test and evaluation purposes within the United States, including a program to develop a Ka-band Linear Electronics Countermeasure Source (KABLES) for use in testing U.S. Army millimeter wave assets.
Michelson directed various efforts pertaining to future transportation, especially near term electric vehicles and futuristic low drag designs. His team invented battery-state-of-charge estimation techniques, developed electric vehicle systems simulation tools, and experimented with actively blown surfaces on passenger vehicles, both empirically, in the Georgia Tech Research Institute wind tunnels, and by means of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models.
During the mid 1990s, Michelson's research began to focus almost entirely on unmanned vehicle systems, especially those with the power of flight. He directed efforts with both U.S. Government agencies and private industry pertaining to unmanned aerial vehicles systems (UAS). One of his first UAS development programs was for a traffic surveillance drone using a compound ducted fan
design (see figure). The purpose of this drone was to fly over Atlanta Georgia's highway medians in an altitude window above obstacles and below controlled airspace in order to fill surveillance gaps in the State's tower-mounted traffic camera system. It also could be sent to traffic accident locations, where operators at the Department of Transportation's control center could assess the situation visually, or to conduct real-time audio communications with people on the ground at the accident site to gather and relay vital information in advance of first-responder arrival. Funding shortfalls resulted in the cancellation of the project before its maiden flight for the Georgia Department of Transportation, but the design was later marketed for military use. Michelson's focus turned to smaller vehicle systems that could fly indoors autonomously without the aid of global positioning system
(GPS) reference signals. Under various contracts to DARPA and the Air Force, and using internal research and development funds from the Georgia Tech Research Institute, his design team designed a micro air vehicle (MAV) known as the entomopter
. The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts recognized the unique flight qualities of the entomopter and awarded Michelson two contracts to explore the feasibility of the entomopter for slow flight in Mars' lower atmosphere.
In 2004 Michelson retired from the Georgia Tech Research Institute and started Millennial Vision, LLC which continued to pursue UAS and MAV research. Soon after establishing Millennial Vision, LLC, Michelson became engaged in a program to develop an unmanned stratospheric airship for persistent reconnaissance. At the same time, he was pursuing his interest in MAVs and competitions by helping to define and organize various international events such as the 1st US-European MAV event in Garmisch Germany (MAV-05) and the subsequent 1st US-Asian Demonstration and Assessment of Micro Aerial Vehicle and Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology (MAV-08) held in Agra India, as adjunct to the U.S. Army RDECOM-Pacific and Indian Ministry of Defence.
In parallel with his teaching duties in the Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering, Michelson created a team-taught short course through the Georgia Tech Department of Continuing Education entitled, "21st Century Aerial Robotics". Laurence "Nuke" Newcome and Michelson taught this course on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology for several years before engaging in single offerings around the United States as well as Sweden, Norway, and Turkey under NATO grants.
(AIAA), Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE), and a Full Member of the Scientific Research Society of North America, Sigma Xi
. During the 1990s he served as President and member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (AUVSI)
International organization. In 1998 Michelson received the AUVSI Pioneer Award which is the highest level of recognition within the unmanned systems industry for technical contributions. Michelson is the recipient of the 2001 Pirelli Award
for the diffusion of scientific culture, given by an international jury for the "best multimedia project coming from any educational institution in the world". For endeavors related to the entomopter
, he was also awarded the first €25,000 Top Pirelli
Prize.
certified scuba diver since 1969, and has been a recreational diver in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, where he dived on various wrecks and developed methods of collecting and successfully transporting marine invertebrates for propagation.
Michelson is not only interested in building micro aerial vehicles, but has built and flown his own man-rated experimental rotorcraft. N8489B is a single seat gyrocopter for which Michelson is the FAA certified mechanic and pilot.
While working with ground penetrating radar for detection of urban gas leaks, road voids, and buried land mines at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Michelson became interested in the use of high technology applications to archeology. Since 1995 he has organized half a dozen excursions into the military zone along the Turkish-Iranian border, often with Turkish military escort, to research ancient ekistical
artifacts of the eastern Anatolia region
and has created a 501 (c3) non-profit corporation to apply various non-traditional technologies to the field of archeology.
As an engineer, Michelson was familiar with designing and managing complex hardware projects involving thousands of components. Because the process was similar, but using components of a different scale and precision, he completed training in general contracting/home building in 1986 and built his own home. Later he was overseer for the construction of a Woodstock Georgia church building while continuing his career at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
Michelson was a Boy Scout and has maintained interest in scouting principles over the years. As a youth he attained Star rank in Troop 981 located in Alexandria Virginia, and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow. He became a Brotherhood member of Amangamek Wipit Lodge 470, one of the largest lodges in the nation, and participated in activities such as the Philmont Scout Reservation
(1967). Influenced by their father, both of Michelson's sons are Eagle Scouts with gold and silver palm awards. Michelson is currently an adult advisor to Boy Scouts of America
Troop/Crew 8880.
Robert Michelson has had interest in languages and syntax both for computers and spoken communication. He was formally taught Fortran
in undergraduate school and learned BASIC
, Forth, and various assembly language
s on his own in support of his computer-based projects. He designed the target processing unit for the Army's Environment and Radar Operation Simulator (EROS) where it was necessary to design the hardware and coding language for a 10 MHz (100 ns cycle time) processor
before such things were available in microprocessor form. As to spoken languages, he is fluent in English, and is proficient in both Spanish and Turkish.
Robert Michelson has been widely interviewed and quoted in print (e.g., Business Week, Popular Mechanics
, Scientific American
, Chronicle of Higher Education), radio (e.g., National Public Radio, Armed Forces Radio, American Association for the Advancement of Science
radio syndicate), and on television (e.g., Scientific American Frontiers
, Discovery Channel
, CNN
, BBC
, and various ABC
/CBS
/NBC
/Fox
affiliates). World wide interest in robotics and especially the robots of war spawned a series of televised robotics programming about Michelson's work. A technical biography of Robert Michelson is the subject of episode 1008 of the television program Beyond Invention, which chronicles a number of his research projects including UAV research, the International Aerial Robotics Competition
, the entomopter-based Mars
surveyor, and his work with automated coral propagation. Michelson is featured in various television programs focused specifically on the International Aerial Robotics Competition
, including an hour-long Discovery Science Channel program entitled Airbots. Michelson has been often quoted in news programming with regard to the International Aerial Robotics Competition
and the applications of the underlying technology to military and civilian spheres. As the use of robotic drone aircraft increased during the Gulf Wars, public interest in the subject was peaked and Michelson began to be featured in series and specials such as the NOVA
episode "Spies that Fly" and the BBC
special Seven Ways to Topple Saddam. Because of the notoriety of his aerial robotic research, Robert Michelson even became the basis for the fictional character Michael C. Robertson in the novel Soft Target: The Air (2007) by Joel Narlock. In this work, Michael C. Robertson is the creator of the entomopter at the Georgia Technology Research Institute. This fictitious character's name is an anagram
of Robert C. Michelson, the actual inventor of the entomopter at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Michelson's entomopter is also featured in another of Joel Narlock's novels, Target Acquired (2003).
Entomopter
The Entomopter is a multimode insect-like robot developed by Prof. Robert C. Michelson and his design team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute , University of Cambridge , ETS Labs and others. The name 'Entomopter' is derived from entomo + pteron...
, a biologically inspired
Biomimicry
Biomimicry or biomimetics is the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry and biomimetics come from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate...
flapping-winged aerial robot, and for having established the International Aerial Robotics Competition
International Aerial Robotics Competition
The International Aerial Robotics Competition began in 1991 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology and is the longest running university-based robotics competition in the world...
. He has received degrees in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. His professional career began at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory where he worked on radar-based ocean surveillance systems. He later became a member of the research faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology. At the Georgia Tech Research Institute
Georgia Tech Research Institute
The Georgia Tech Research Institute is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
(GTRI) he was involved in full-time research, directing over 30 major research programs.
He is the author of three U.S. patents and over 78 journal papers, book chapters and reports. Michelson also developed classes in avionics and taught in the School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology until his retirement from the University System of Georgia
University System of Georgia
The University System of Georgia is the organizational body that includes 35 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The System is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general policy to educational institutions as well as administering...
in 2004. Michelson is the recipient of the 1998 AUVSI Pioneer Award and the 2001 Pirelli Award
Pirelli Internetional Award
The Pirelli Internetional Award was first offered in 1996, as the first international multimedia competition for the communication of science & technology conducted entirely on the internet. Since then, annual awards have been granted to the best multimedia presentations focussing on themes...
for the diffusion of scientific culture as well as the first Top Pirelli Prize.
During the 1990s, he created a tax-exempt corporation to apply high tech solutions to modern archeology and has organized a number of archeological expeditions into eastern Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. He now heads the engineering consulting company, Millennial Vision, LLC. Since the mid 1990s, Michelson's work has concentrated on biologically inspired micro air vehicle
Micro air vehicle
A micro air vehicle , or micro aerial vehicle , is a class of unmanned aerial vehicles that has a size restriction and may be autonomous. Modern craft can be as small as 15 centimetres...
design. Michelson is certified in various fields including Amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
, Scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, experimental aircraft
Experimental aircraft
An experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight. Often, this implies that new aerospace technologies are being tested on the aircraft, though the label is more broad....
design/mechanics, and general contracting for home building.
Early life
Christian Michelsen
Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of an independent Norway from 1905 to 1907...
, the first Prime Minister of Norway through Michel Michelsen Hafsøen (1765-?). He is the only son of Carroll and Evelyn Michelson. After graduating from Stanford University and serving in Persia and Italy while an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
during World War II, his father settled in the Washington D.C. area and worked for the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
Foreign Agricultural Service
Foreign Agricultural Service
The Foreign Agricultural Service is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's overseas programs—market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection of statistics and market information...
(FAS).
Michelson attended the Burgundy Farm Country Day School
Burgundy Farm Country Day School
Burgundy Farm Country Day School is a progressive independent school on a campus in Alexandria, Virginia, and in West Virginia. It serves nearly 300 students in grades Junior Kindergarten through Eighth Grade...
during the sixth through eighth grades where he developed a significant appreciation for botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and ornithology
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
that would have application to his biologically inspired designs. While at Fort Hunt High School
Fort Hunt High School
Fort Hunt High School was a public secondary school in Alexandria, Virginia located at 8428 Fort Hunt Road and was part of Fairfax County Public Schools. It opened its doors in 1963...
he was President of the Fort Hunt Amateur Rocket Club which built large (2m x 5 cm) instrumented solid fuel rockets that were launched at the Camp Pickett
Fort Pickett
Fort Pickett, Virginia, is a Virginia Army National Guard installation, located near the town of Blackstone, Virginia. It is named for the United States Army officer and Confederate General George Pickett.- Beginnings :...
artillery range in Blackstone, Virginia
Blackstone, Virginia
Blackstone is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,675 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blackstone is located at ....
(1967–1969).
Education
Robert Michelson spent sixth through eighth grade at the Burgundy Farm Country Day SchoolBurgundy Farm Country Day School
Burgundy Farm Country Day School is a progressive independent school on a campus in Alexandria, Virginia, and in West Virginia. It serves nearly 300 students in grades Junior Kindergarten through Eighth Grade...
and later graduated from Fort Hunt High School
Fort Hunt High School
Fort Hunt High School was a public secondary school in Alexandria, Virginia located at 8428 Fort Hunt Road and was part of Fairfax County Public Schools. It opened its doors in 1963...
(1969). He is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(1973) and the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
(1974) with degrees in Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
.
Career
From 1971 to 1973 he was a research engineer working on aerospace radar systems at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. Michelson spent the next 30 years in various engineering and management capacities within the Georgia Tech Research InstituteGeorgia Tech Research Institute
The Georgia Tech Research Institute is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
in Atlanta, Georgia. During the 1970s and 1980s Michelson primarily developed radar signal processing and control hardware, but was also known for his broad technical interests involving the automation of remote sensing systems ranging from the tracking of endangered species to the creation of realistic soldier training scenarios and simulation and testing of foreign military radar assets. In the late 1980s he became Head of the Georgia Tech Research Institute's Technology Development Division and his interests turned to unmanned aerial vehicle systems as the ultimate fusion of autonomy, information technology, and aeronautics
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
. In particular, "aerial robotics" (a term he coined in 1990 to represent the infusion of cognition into unmanned aerial vehicles) dominated his research interests for the next two decades. Since the mid 1990s, Michelson's work has concentrated on biologically inspired micro air vehicle design. From 1997 through 2004 Michelson was Adj. Associate Professor to the School of Aerospace Engineering teaching classes in avionics for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Micro/Mini Air Vehicle
Micro air vehicle
A micro air vehicle , or micro aerial vehicle , is a class of unmanned aerial vehicles that has a size restriction and may be autonomous. Modern craft can be as small as 15 centimetres...
(MAV) design. Michelson retired from the Georgia Tech Research Institute in September 2004 and currently holds the title of Principal Research Engineer Emeritus with the Institute. In 2004 he created Millennial Vision, LLC to continue research into biologically inspired aerial robots and remote sensing. He is the President of SEPDAC (Scientific Enterprise in Pursuit and Discovery of Ancient Cultures), a nonprofit educational and scientific organization. He currently sits on the Board of The Sharp Mountain Preserve
The Sharp Mountain Preserve
The Preserve at Sharp Mountain is a nature-based community located near Jasper, Georgia in Pickens County. It is one of three mountain communities in Pickens County, and the only one dedicated to maintaining its natural amenities...
.
Professional activities
Michelson has been NATO/RTA (Research and Technology Agency) lecturer at the Turkish Air Force AcademyTurkish Air Force Academy
The Turkish Air Force Academy was founded in 1951, replacing the Army Flight School and with the mandate to train the officers of the Turkish Air Force. Today it is a four-year institution of higher learning, providing an engineering education to Air Force cadets from Turkey as well as a number of...
(Hava Harp Okulu) in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
(2006), and invited lecturer on Micro Air Vehicle technology at both the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
The von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics is a non-profit educational and scientific organization which specializes in three specific fields: aeronautics and aerospace, environment and applied fluid dynamics, turbomachinery and propulsion...
(1999 & 2003) and the Royal Military Academy (2001) in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. He was the first "MITRE
MITRE
The Mitre Corporation is a not-for-profit organization based in Bedford, Massachusetts and McLean, Virginia...
Technology Speaker"(1998). He has been a visiting technology professor in six nations: Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(2002), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(1999, 2003), Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(2001), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(2001), Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(2001, 2006), and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(2010)
.
Most recently, Michelson has been a consultant to the U.S. Army and the Indian Ministry of Defence, responsible for defining and organizing the 1st U.S.-Asian Micro Air Vehicle Demonstration in Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(2008). He performed similar duties for the U.S. Army in defining the 1st US-European Micro Air Vehicle Competition/Demonstration in Garmisch Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(2005). He created the short course, 21st Century Aerial Robotics, and the digital signal processing lecture/demonstrations in “Principals of Modern Radar” at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also creator and organizer of the annual International Aerial Robotics Competition
International Aerial Robotics Competition
The International Aerial Robotics Competition began in 1991 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology and is the longest running university-based robotics competition in the world...
which is now in its 21st year. Before joining the staff of the Georgia Tech Research Institute he participated in design and endo-atmospheric flight testing of computer-controlled space-based radar ocean surveillance systems while employed by the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
Michelson is listed in various editions of Who’s Who in Engineering, Who’s Who in America, and the 23rd edition of Who’s Who in the World
Marquis Who's Who
Marquis Who's Who, a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc., is the American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies...
. He is the author of over 78 major reports, journal papers, and book chapters.
Project Director
While at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Michelson worked on radar-based ocean surveillance systems and flew hardware test missions on a Lockheed Warning Star PO-1W Super ConstellationLockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
. In 1974 Michelson began work at the Georgia Tech Research Institute where he won his first contract while still an entry-level engineer (Research Engineer I). This first project involved methods to electronically track the endangered species Trichechus manatus (West Indian Manatee
West Indian Manatee
The West Indian Manatee is a manatee, and the largest surviving member of the aquatic mammal order Sirenia . The West Indian Manatee, Trichechus manatus, is a species distinct from the Amazonian Manatee, T. inunguis, and the West African Manatee, T. senegalensis...
) in the waters around the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
. From this beginning, Michelson proceeded to win and direct over 30 major research projects during his career at the Institute. These projects spanned a wide range of disciplines including the following examples where Michelson was project director as well as technical contributor:
In 1979 Michelson directed the Army's Indirect Fire Simulation effort conducted for Combat Development and Experimentation Command (CDEC). The purpose of this program was to increase the realism of instrumented wargaming by including a man-safe indirect fire (artillery) component as a compliment to the MILES
Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System
The Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System or MILES is used by the US military and other armed forces around the world for training purposes. It uses lasers and blank cartridges to simulate actual battle....
(Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) rifles and posture sensors being used at Ft. Hunter-Liggett, California. A pneumatically launched man-safe "flash-bang-smoke" generator was successfully demonstrated for the Army (see picture).
Michelson directed a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to show feasibility of a non-line-of-sight radio-acoustic sensor for bending radar signals using the Bragg principle to detect obstacle-masked targets (essentially making radars look around corners). He also directed a program to evaluate ground penetration radar for detection of buried natural gas leaks in urban utility systems. Of particular interest was the ability to pinpoint leak locations in century-old gas lines which often expel leaking gas hundreds of feet from the actual location of the leak due to underground ducting.
During 1981, Michelson directed a program for the automated noninvasive testing of captured foreign threat assets. This system developed by Michelson's design team remained in use by a foreign power for nearly a decade. Other radar test devices were also developed by Michelson for U.S. military test and evaluation purposes within the United States, including a program to develop a Ka-band Linear Electronics Countermeasure Source (KABLES) for use in testing U.S. Army millimeter wave assets.
During the mid 1990s, Michelson's research began to focus almost entirely on unmanned vehicle systems, especially those with the power of flight. He directed efforts with both U.S. Government agencies and private industry pertaining to unmanned aerial vehicles systems (UAS). One of his first UAS development programs was for a traffic surveillance drone using a compound ducted fan
Ducted fan
A ducted fan is a propulsion arrangement whereby a fan, which is a type of propeller, is mounted within a cylindrical shroud or duct. The duct reduces losses in thrust from the tip vortices of the fan, and varying the cross-section of the duct allows the designer to advantageously affect the...
design (see figure). The purpose of this drone was to fly over Atlanta Georgia's highway medians in an altitude window above obstacles and below controlled airspace in order to fill surveillance gaps in the State's tower-mounted traffic camera system. It also could be sent to traffic accident locations, where operators at the Department of Transportation's control center could assess the situation visually, or to conduct real-time audio communications with people on the ground at the accident site to gather and relay vital information in advance of first-responder arrival. Funding shortfalls resulted in the cancellation of the project before its maiden flight for the Georgia Department of Transportation, but the design was later marketed for military use. Michelson's focus turned to smaller vehicle systems that could fly indoors autonomously without the aid of global positioning system
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
(GPS) reference signals. Under various contracts to DARPA and the Air Force, and using internal research and development funds from the Georgia Tech Research Institute, his design team designed a micro air vehicle (MAV) known as the entomopter
Entomopter
The Entomopter is a multimode insect-like robot developed by Prof. Robert C. Michelson and his design team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute , University of Cambridge , ETS Labs and others. The name 'Entomopter' is derived from entomo + pteron...
. The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts recognized the unique flight qualities of the entomopter and awarded Michelson two contracts to explore the feasibility of the entomopter for slow flight in Mars' lower atmosphere.
In 2004 Michelson retired from the Georgia Tech Research Institute and started Millennial Vision, LLC which continued to pursue UAS and MAV research. Soon after establishing Millennial Vision, LLC, Michelson became engaged in a program to develop an unmanned stratospheric airship for persistent reconnaissance. At the same time, he was pursuing his interest in MAVs and competitions by helping to define and organize various international events such as the 1st US-European MAV event in Garmisch Germany (MAV-05) and the subsequent 1st US-Asian Demonstration and Assessment of Micro Aerial Vehicle and Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology (MAV-08) held in Agra India, as adjunct to the U.S. Army RDECOM-Pacific and Indian Ministry of Defence.
Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering
During the 1990s, Michelson became an adjunct Associate Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering where he taught graduate classes in avionics, with emphasis on unmanned aerial vehicles and micro air vehicles.In parallel with his teaching duties in the Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering, Michelson created a team-taught short course through the Georgia Tech Department of Continuing Education entitled, "21st Century Aerial Robotics". Laurence "Nuke" Newcome and Michelson taught this course on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology for several years before engaging in single offerings around the United States as well as Sweden, Norway, and Turkey under NATO grants.
Honors and awards
Michelson is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
(AIAA), Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
(IEEE), and a Full Member of the Scientific Research Society of North America, Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential...
. During the 1990s he served as President and member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (AUVSI)
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, also known as AUVSI, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the technology of unmanned vehicles.- History :...
International organization. In 1998 Michelson received the AUVSI Pioneer Award which is the highest level of recognition within the unmanned systems industry for technical contributions. Michelson is the recipient of the 2001 Pirelli Award
Pirelli Internetional Award
The Pirelli Internetional Award was first offered in 1996, as the first international multimedia competition for the communication of science & technology conducted entirely on the internet. Since then, annual awards have been granted to the best multimedia presentations focussing on themes...
for the diffusion of scientific culture, given by an international jury for the "best multimedia project coming from any educational institution in the world". For endeavors related to the entomopter
Entomopter
The Entomopter is a multimode insect-like robot developed by Prof. Robert C. Michelson and his design team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute , University of Cambridge , ETS Labs and others. The name 'Entomopter' is derived from entomo + pteron...
, he was also awarded the first €25,000 Top Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
Prize.
Avocations
Robert Michelson has engaged in marine aquarium design and coral propagation since 1997 when he designed and built a fully automated marine reef biome, in which he propagated various coral species that he collected himself. He has been a NAUINational Association of Underwater Instructors
The National Association of Underwater Instructors is a non-profit 501 association of SCUBA instructors. It was officially CE and ISO certified in May 2007 in all three diver levels and both instructor levels.-History:...
certified scuba diver since 1969, and has been a recreational diver in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, where he dived on various wrecks and developed methods of collecting and successfully transporting marine invertebrates for propagation.
While working with ground penetrating radar for detection of urban gas leaks, road voids, and buried land mines at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Michelson became interested in the use of high technology applications to archeology. Since 1995 he has organized half a dozen excursions into the military zone along the Turkish-Iranian border, often with Turkish military escort, to research ancient ekistical
Ekistics
The term Ekistics applies to the science of human settlements. It includes regional, city, community planning and dwelling design...
artifacts of the eastern Anatolia region
Eastern Anatolia Region
The Eastern Anatolia Region is one of seven non-administrative subdivisions of Turkey and encompasses its eastern provinces.The region and the name "Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi" were first defined at the First Geography Congress in 1941. It has the highest average altitude, largest geographical area, and...
and has created a 501 (c3) non-profit corporation to apply various non-traditional technologies to the field of archeology.
As an engineer, Michelson was familiar with designing and managing complex hardware projects involving thousands of components. Because the process was similar, but using components of a different scale and precision, he completed training in general contracting/home building in 1986 and built his own home. Later he was overseer for the construction of a Woodstock Georgia church building while continuing his career at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
Michelson was a Boy Scout and has maintained interest in scouting principles over the years. As a youth he attained Star rank in Troop 981 located in Alexandria Virginia, and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow. He became a Brotherhood member of Amangamek Wipit Lodge 470, one of the largest lodges in the nation, and participated in activities such as the Philmont Scout Reservation
Philmont Scout Ranch
Philmont Scout Ranch is a large, rugged, mountainous ranch located near the town of Cimarron, New Mexico, covering approximately of wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico...
(1967). Influenced by their father, both of Michelson's sons are Eagle Scouts with gold and silver palm awards. Michelson is currently an adult advisor to Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
Troop/Crew 8880.
Robert Michelson has had interest in languages and syntax both for computers and spoken communication. He was formally taught Fortran
Fortran
Fortran is a general-purpose, procedural, imperative programming language that is especially suited to numeric computation and scientific computing...
in undergraduate school and learned BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
, Forth, and various assembly language
Assembly language
An assembly language is a low-level programming language for computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable devices. It implements a symbolic representation of the machine codes and other constants needed to program a given CPU architecture...
s on his own in support of his computer-based projects. He designed the target processing unit for the Army's Environment and Radar Operation Simulator (EROS) where it was necessary to design the hardware and coding language for a 10 MHz (100 ns cycle time) processor
before such things were available in microprocessor form. As to spoken languages, he is fluent in English, and is proficient in both Spanish and Turkish.
Presence in popular media and literature
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics is an American magazine first published January 11, 1902 by H. H. Windsor, and has been owned since 1958 by the Hearst Corporation...
, Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
, Chronicle of Higher Education), radio (e.g., National Public Radio, Armed Forces Radio, American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
radio syndicate), and on television (e.g., Scientific American Frontiers
Scientific American Frontiers
Scientific American Frontiers was an American television program primarily focused on informing the public about new technologies and discoveries in science and medicine. It was a companion program to the Scientific American magazine. The show was produced for PBS in the U.S...
, Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and various ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
/CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
/NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
/Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliates). World wide interest in robotics and especially the robots of war spawned a series of televised robotics programming about Michelson's work. A technical biography of Robert Michelson is the subject of episode 1008 of the television program Beyond Invention, which chronicles a number of his research projects including UAV research, the International Aerial Robotics Competition
International Aerial Robotics Competition
The International Aerial Robotics Competition began in 1991 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology and is the longest running university-based robotics competition in the world...
, the entomopter-based Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
surveyor, and his work with automated coral propagation. Michelson is featured in various television programs focused specifically on the International Aerial Robotics Competition
International Aerial Robotics Competition
The International Aerial Robotics Competition began in 1991 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology and is the longest running university-based robotics competition in the world...
, including an hour-long Discovery Science Channel program entitled Airbots. Michelson has been often quoted in news programming with regard to the International Aerial Robotics Competition
International Aerial Robotics Competition
The International Aerial Robotics Competition began in 1991 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology and is the longest running university-based robotics competition in the world...
and the applications of the underlying technology to military and civilian spheres. As the use of robotic drone aircraft increased during the Gulf Wars, public interest in the subject was peaked and Michelson began to be featured in series and specials such as the NOVA
NOVA (TV series)
Nova is a popular science television series from the U.S. produced by WGBH Boston. It can be seen on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, and in more than 100 other countries...
episode "Spies that Fly" and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
special Seven Ways to Topple Saddam. Because of the notoriety of his aerial robotic research, Robert Michelson even became the basis for the fictional character Michael C. Robertson in the novel Soft Target: The Air (2007) by Joel Narlock. In this work, Michael C. Robertson is the creator of the entomopter at the Georgia Technology Research Institute. This fictitious character's name is an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of Robert C. Michelson, the actual inventor of the entomopter at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Michelson's entomopter is also featured in another of Joel Narlock's novels, Target Acquired (2003).
Representative publications
- “Test and Evaluation for Fully Autonomous Micro Air Vehicles,” The ITEA Journal, December 2008, Volume 29, Number 4, ISSN 1054-0229 International Test and Evaluation Association, pp. 367–374
- “Very small flying machines,” 2006 Yearbook of Science & Technology, McGraw-Hill, New York, ISBN 0-07-146205-8, 2006, pp. 341–344
- “Novel Approaches to Miniature Flight Platforms,” Proceedings of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Vol. 218 Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Special Issue Paper 2004, pp. 363–373
- “Beyond Biologically Inspired Insect Flight,” von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics RTO/AVT Lecture Series on Low Reynolds Number Aerodynamics on Aircraft Including Applications in Emerging UAV Technology, Brussels Belgium, 24–28 November 2003
- “The Entomopter,” Neurotechnology for Biomimetic Robots, ISBN 0-262-01193-X, The MIT Press, September 2002, pp. 481–509
- “Autonomous Vehicles,” Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 84, No. 8, August 1996, pp. 1147–1164
- “Feasibility of Applying Radio-Acoustic Techniques to Non Line-of-Sight Sensing,” AIAA Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 33, No. 2, March – April 1996, pp. 260–267
- “Tracking of the Florida Manatee,” ISA Transactions, Vol. 21, No. 1, 1982, pp. 79–85