Dr. Robert Selje Successfully Defends Ph.D. Dissertation.

Dr. Robert Selje successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation, entitled “Intelligent Aerial Autonomy: Machine Learning Coordination and Energy Optimization in Constrained Environments for Multi-Agent Systems,” on July 8, 2026. 

His research developed learning-based approaches for autonomous aerial systems, with emphasis on GPS-denied navigation, multi-UAV coordination, energy-aware autonomy, and airborne wind energy (AWE). Key contributions included vision-based perception, distributed topology learning, reinforcement learning for UAV formation control, machine-learning models for UAV energy prediction, and reinforcement-learning-based optimization of AWE trajectories, including azimuth-angle regulation and tether management in uncertain wind environments. 

Robert’s doctoral research was supported by the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) and Sandia National Laboratories.