Eric Frew

About

Eric Frew is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he has been serving since 2018. His research focuses on networked heterogeneous unmanned aircraft systems, optimal distributed sensing by mobile robots, controlled mobility in ad-hoc sensor networks, miniature self-deploying systems, and guidance and control of unmanned aircraft in complex atmospheric phenomena. He previously directed the Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles (RECUV) from 2012 to 2018 and the Autonomous Systems Interdisciplinary Research Theme (ASIRT) from 2018 to 2022. Frew earned his PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 2003, following a Master’s degree in the same field from Stanford in 1996, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University in 1995. His professional experience includes postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, and faculty roles at the University of Colorado, where he has also served as Associate Chair for Departmental Affairs. His contributions to the field have been recognized through numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award, the Outstanding Mentor Award for Faculty Mentoring at the University of Colorado, and the H. Joseph Smead Faculty Fellow. Frew’s work is characterized by a focus on advancing autonomous systems and unmanned vehicle technologies.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Engineering
• Distributed computing
• Aerospace engineering
• Human–computer interaction
• Meteorology
• Systems engineering
• Environmental science
• Computer Security

Selected publications

• Multi-Agent Autonomy: Advancements and Challenges in Subterranean Exploration

  Field Robotics · 2022 · 53 citations

  Artificial intelligence has undergone immense growth and maturation in recent years, though autonomous systems have traditionally struggled when fielded in diverse and previously unknown environments. DARPA is seeking to change that with the Subterranean Challenge, by providing roboticists the opportunity to support civilian and military first responders in complex and high-risk underground scenarios. The subterranean domain presents a handful of challenges, such as limited communication, divers…

  PublisherDOI

• Field observation of tornadic supercells by multiple autonomous fixed‐wing unmanned aircraft

  Journal of Field Robotics · 2020 · 49 citations

  1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract This paper presents the results of the design and field deployment of multiple autonomous fixed‐wing unmanned aircraft into supercell thunderstorms. As part of a field campaign in Spring 2019, up to three fixed‐wing unmanned aircraft were deployed simultaneously into different regions of supercell thunderstorms, To learn more about the atmospheric conditions that lead to the formation of tornadoes. Successful field deployment is attributed to (a) a nomadic concept of operations that all…

  DOI

• Modern and prospective technologies for weather modification activities: A first demonstration of integrating autonomous uncrewed aircraft systems

  Atmospheric Research · 2023 · 24 citations

  We successfully implemented a framework involving an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) with atmospheric and cloud microphysical sensing and autonomous adaptive control technologies to search, identify, carry out, monitor and/or evaluate cloud seeding operations to enhance precipitation. This first-time implementation featured trials in the U.S. Great Plains area following the US aviation authority regulations during a three-week summer trial period. The trials provide insight into using UAS in an o…

  PublisherDOI

• A Gazebo/ROS-based Communication-Realistic Simulator for Networked sUAS

  2022 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS) · 2020 · 21 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Although communication is a critical factor of situational awareness and performance on networked sUAS, most simulators do not provide realistic wireless communication modules. It prevents realizing communication among multiple UA and information sharing, which yields significantly different results compared with actual results in the real world. This paper presents a communication-realistic simulator to improve more realistic results from coordination or cooperative planning/control of networke…

  PublisherDOI

• Flexible Supervised Autonomy for Exploration in Subterranean Environments

  Field Robotics · 2023 · 16 citations

  While the capabilities of autonomous systems have been steadily improving in recent years, these systems still struggle to rapidly explore previously unknown environments without the aid of GPS-assisted navigation. The DARPA Subterranean (SubT) Challenge aimed to fast track the development of autonomous exploration systems by evaluating their performance in realworld underground search-and-rescue scenarios. Subterranean environments present a plethora of challenges for robotic systems, such as l…

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• I/UCRC Phase I: Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

  NSF · $686k · 2012–2018

• Collaborative Research: RAPID--Integration of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) into the Program for Research on Elevated Convection with Intense Precipitation

  NSF · $55k · 2015–2017

• IUCRC: Phase 2: Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

  NSF · $919k · 2017–2022

Frequent coauthors

• Brian Argrow

  University of Colorado Boulder

  63 shared

• Jack Elston

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  33 shared

• Cory Dixon

  University of Colorado Boulder

  32 shared

• Maciej Stachura

  Black Swift Technologies (United States)

  27 shared

• Katherine Glasheen

  University of Colorado Boulder

  26 shared

• J.D. Jackson

  24 shared

• Nisar Ahmed

  22 shared

• Morteza Lahijanian

  University of Colorado Boulder

  22 shared

Education

• B.S.

  Cornell University

  1995

• M.S., Aeronautics and Astronautics

  Stanford University

  1996

• Ph.D., Aeronautics and Astronautics

  Stanford University

  2003

Awards & honors

• Outstanding Mentor Award for Faculty Mentoring, University o…
• H. Joseph Smead Faculty Fellow, 2014
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) As…
• Provost's Faculty Achievement Award, 2009
• NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, 2009

Similar researchers at University of Colorado Boulder

• James Brasseurh-49
• John Evansh-42
• Dennis Akosh-33