Dr. Joshua Mangelson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been recognized by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as a recipient of the 2024 Young Investigator Award.
The ONR Young Investigator Program (YIP) is a highly competitive program that attracts outstanding early-career academics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to propose innovative solutions to Navy and Marine Corps warfighter challenges. Prior academic accomplishments and potential for significant scientific breakthroughs are key elements of the evaluation criteria. (Office of Naval Research News Release)
As a Young Investigator Award recipient, Dr. Mangelson will receive significant funding to pursue his proposed research, "Modeling Natural Dynamic Scenes for Autonomous Littoral Operations," which promises to push the boundaries of what is possible in ocean battlespace sensing. Dr. Mangelson's proposal has captured the attention of experts and peers for its forward-looking approach to improving the capabilities of autonomous systems in the littoral environment. This innovative research has the potential to revolutionize naval operations, making them more efficient and effective in dynamic coastal regions.
The funding provided by this project will enable BYU students to work on fundamental research that is grounded in real-world problems currently facing the US Navy. Students involved in the project will gain hands on development experience in the lab, operations and testing experience in the field, and research experience developing algorithmic solutions that will endow marine robotic systems with novel capabilities not currently possible.
As an Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty member at BYU since August 2020, Dr. Mangelson has already made a huge impact. His research, which is focused on perception, navigation, planning, and state-estimation for mobile field robotic systems, is popular with both undergraduate and graduate students. His work is truly making a difference in the world.
Congratulations to Dr. Mangelson.