Introduction
The Aerial Robotics Laboratory (LRA) focuses on research and development of technologies related to the autonomy of aerial robots and related systems. It is housed in the Division of Mechanical Engineering at the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA), which operates under the jurisdiction of the Brazilian Air Force Command (COMAER) and, therefore, the Ministry of Defense of Brazil. The main topics of scientific investigation we are concerned with are the design of robust nonlinear control laws, trajectory planning, navigation and tracking algorithms, and autonomous decision-making techniques. Regarding our projects in cooperation with the industry, we have experience developing, for example, swarms of drones, drones for 3D laser scanning, hybrid multicopters with aerostatic balloons, and painting drones.
Mission
The mission of the LRA is to train highly skilled researchers and developers through R&D&I projects in partnership with industry and government, focusing on methods related to the autonomy of drones and similar vehicles (eVTOLs, rockets, etc.). To achieve this mission, the LRA leverages undergraduate (mainly the Aeronautical Mechanical Engineering course) and postgraduate (master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral) programs at ITA, offering students research topics and the necessary infrastructure for scientific investigation.
History
The Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA) was envisioned by Marshal Casimiro Montenegro Filho after visiting MIT in 1943, inspired to create a similar institution in Brazil dedicated to training engineers of excellence and developing advanced technologies, particularly in aeronautics. ITA’s first class began in 1947, initially located at the Army Technical School in Rio de Janeiro. The class graduated in 1950, moving to the new campus in São José dos Campos, São Paulo.
The Aerial Robotics Laboratory (LRA) was founded in 2012 by Prof. Davi Santos, at a time when drones were not yet widely recognized in Brazilian society or universities. The LRA’s early work focused on flight control laws, navigation algorithms, and prototyping innovative drones, such as hybrid multicopters.
For more details on ITA’s legal constitution, visit the link: ITA Legislation.
Localization
We are in room 1340 of the main building of the Mechanical Engineering Division.