PhD Seminar Series: “Guiding vector fields for autonomous drone navigation”

We continue our seminars serie, on Tuesday, September 11th, 12:15 H.

For this event in the Aerospace PhD Seminar Series, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Héctor García de Marina, Ramón y Cajal researcher in the Computer Engineering, Automation and Robotics (ICAR) group at the University of Granada, Granada, España.

The event will take place in the Salón de Grados on Friday, September 11th, at 12:15 H and will be streamed online.

Héctor García de Marina is a Ramón y Cajal researcher in the Computer Engineering, Automation and Robotics (ICAR) group at the University of Granada, where he leads the Swarm Systems Lab, based at the Institute of Mathematics of Granada (IMAG). His research focuses on systems and control for multi-agent systems, spanning swarm robotics, control theory, formation control, and multi-robot coordination. He is the recipient of an ERC Starting Grant and recently completed his term as Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Robotics

“Guiding vector fields for autonomous drone navigation”

Abstract:

This talk introduces guiding vector fields as a versatile framework for motion guidance and control of autonomous drones. By encoding navigation objectives into continuous vector fields, autonomous aerial vehicles can robustly follow paths, perform 3D aerobatic maneuvers, coordinate with other agents, and accomplish complex missions with smooth and predictable behavior. Drawing on recent research, the presentation will cover the theoretical foundations of guiding vector fields, their integration with drone guidance and control systems, and applications including path following, 3D aerobatics, multi-agent coordination, and autonomous navigation. The talk will also discuss practical implementation aspects and highlight how this approach enables scalable, robust, and computationally efficient autonomy for aerial robotic systems.