My research goals concern mainly the development of algorithms and systems for autonomous robotics. I use theoretical and computational approaches to obtain innovative solutions to problems related to the development of autonomous robots. Such algorithms concern mainly localization/navigation of Unmanned Systems and image processing (computer vision). 
The localization and navigation algorithms are based on the concept of Sensor Fusion. The base idea of sensor fusion is that the resulting information based on the combination of data provided by different sensors has less uncertainty than it would have when these sensors were used individually. The concept of Sensor Fusion is extremely important in a variety of engineering fields. For example, Sensor fusion is a critical step on the road to fully autonomous vehicles.  
My duties span from the design of such algorithms to the implementation on real hardware. In my work I use a variety of sensors (inertial sensors, GPS, cameras) and embedded platforms to evaluate and validate such algorithms through experimental tests in real case scenarios.

Top Achievements

My technical expertise has been achieved through highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills. These strengths, along with refined leadership talents and deep technical expertise, enable me to quickly analyze systems, ascertain the root cause of complex problems and present innovative, scalable solutions. 

Highlights of my achievements include:

• Developed algorithms for localization of UAV using sensor fusion between inertial measurement units (IMU) and Ultra-WideBand (UWB) ranging sensors.
• Developed algorithms for Attitude Heading and Reference Systems (AHRS), Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) and North Finders Systems. These algorithms are based on sensor fusion between inertial sensors (fiber optic gyroscopes and quartz accelerometers) and GPS receivers. The algorithms have been first prototyped in MatLab and then developed in C on embedded systems.
• Directed autonomous landing algorithms for rotary wing UAVs.  Investigated, designed and developed algorithms for the autonomous landing of small helicopters and quadrotors. These algorithms are based on sensor fusion between inertial sensors, GPS and vision sensors. The main objective is to provide a position estimation of the UAV during the landing phase with an accuracy and a frequency greater than the GPS itself, exploiting the high-parallelism of Graphic Processing Units (GPUs). This system has been patented dting my work at the University of Denver, CO, USA.
• Designed simulation framework for fast prototyping of cooperative autonomous robotics systems. This simulation framework has been used by the University of Latvia, in the context of the European project R3-COP.
• Designed modular HW/SW framework for development of unmanned systems using hard-real time embedded microcontrollers. This framework is currently under development, and it will provide a library of functions for the design of real-time control algorithms for unmanned systems. This library is going to be used by University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA.
• Designed algorithms for autonomous navigation of VTOL UAVs.

Following is a list of the papers that I have published until now. My papers have been independently cited by other researchers more than 500 times. Note: my papers are in my previous legal name. More information can be found on my Google Scholar profile.