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Dr Torsten Merz

Principal Research Engineer

https://people.csiro.au/M/T/Torsten-Merz

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Contact details:

PO BOX 883
KENMORE QLD 4069 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Torsten Merz studied "Applied Computer Science in the Natural Sciences" at the University of Bielefeld (Germany) and graduated 1995 with the degree of "Diplom-Informatiker". From 1995 to 2000, he was a research fellow at the Institute for Pattern Recognition at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany). In 2000, he completed a doctoral thesis on the topic of model-based analysis of interference patterns and received a doctorate in engineering (Dr.-Ing.) from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. From 2001 to 2005 he was with the Artificial Intelligence and Integrated Computer Systems Division of the Department of Computer and Information Science at Linköping University (Sweden). He joined the division as a research engineer and later became assistant professor in AI robotics. He was head of the Perception and Control Group which, among others, developed the avionics system for a larger autonomous uncrewed helicopter.

In 2006, he joined CSIRO's Autonomous Systems Laboratory as a senior research engineer where he has been leading the development of technologies enabling dependable autonomous flight of uncrewed helicopters. In 2020, he included research on autonomous underwater vehicles and autonomous surface vehicles. His main research interests are enabling technologies for dependable autonomous mobile robots for environmental applications.

Torsten holds a CASA Remote Pilot Licence and a GFA Glider Pilot Certificate (GPC). He is also a CSIRO Senior Base Pilot for experimental uncrewed aircraft.

See also: Aircraft Autonomy Research
Robots to ResQu our rainforests

Professional Areas

Current Roles

  • Component Lead
    Blue Growth - Autonomous Robotic Systems

  • Senior Base Pilot
    Flight Testing of Experimental Unmanned Aircraft

Academic Qualifications

  • 2000

    Doctoral degree in Engineering (Dr.-Ing.)
    Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany), Department of Computer Science

  • 1995

    Diplom-Informatiker (Master's equivalent in Applied Computer Science in the Natural Sciences)
    Bielefeld University (Germany)

Professional Experiences

  • 2016

    Project Leader, Unmanned helicopter survey for Miconia
    CSIRO

  • 2020-2022

    Lead Researcher - GN&C System for Towed Underwater Vehicle
    CSIRO

  • 2020-2020

    Project Leader - Precision Aerial Delivery System for Survival Aids - Study
    CSIRO

  • 2020-2020

    Project Leader - Airborne Collision Avoidance System - Study
    CSIRO

  • 2019-2019

    Project Leader - Autonomous Emergency Landing System - Study
    CSIRO

  • 2016-2017

    Project Leader - Unmanned helicopter survey for Miconia
    CSIRO

  • 2012-2014

    Project Leader, Project ResQu - Miconia UAS
    CSIRO http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Media/Robots-to-the-ResQu.aspx

  • 2008-2018

    Technical Lead Aerial Robotics
    CSIRO

  • 2006-2008

    Project and Team Leader - Dependable Field Robotics - Aerial Robotics Activity
    CSIRO

Publications

We have publications by Dr Torsten Merz