Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Michael Hans is a robotics researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, specializing in the design and autonomy of robotic systems for extreme extraterrestrial environments, particularly ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus. His work centers on developing lightweight, rugged mobility platforms and lander autonomy testbeds capable of navigating the complex, icy terrains of these distant moons. Hans’s most cited paper, “Design optimization of a lightweight rocker–bogie rover for ocean worlds applications” (19 citations), presents a novel rover suspension system tailored for low-gravity, high-uncertainty surfaces, enabling future missions to study subsurface oceans and geological origins. He has also contributed to high-performance, web-based 3D visualization tools like Ranger, which support real-time telemetry and mission operations for deep space exploration. His 2021 work on the Lander Autonomy Testbed (5 citations) advances autonomous sampling under severe communication delays and resource constraints. Though early in his career, Hans’s integrated approach—from mechanical design to operational software—positions him as a key innovator in robotic exploration of our solar system’s most promising habitats.