Stepping into the offices of Near Earth Autonomy is a bit like stepping into a robotics exhibit at a science center. Various modules, sensors, and technologies line the wall, proudly displayed in the order they were developed, like a hall of fame for autonomous flight.
Marcel Bergerman
The COO of Near Earth Autonomy, Marcel Bergerman (ECE 1996), walks down the line, telling the story of each project and its place in the company’s history. Since 2012, the company has been building and testing autonomous flight technologies for un-crewed cargo transport and aerial inspection. Near Earth Autonomy is creating systems capable of navigating complex terrain like disaster areas and combat zones to deliver supplies and other cargo, as well as perform automated inspection of airplanes, buildings, tunnels, and other infrastructure.
Bergerman’s excitement for the work is palpable. But it is not where he expected to be as a young student at Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil.
“This was absolutely not the plan. I grew up thinking I would be a professor, and so my path was clear,” said Bergerman. In his experience in Brazil, most people with Ph.D.s stayed in academia to teach or do research. “CMU completely changed that for me.”
