Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Michael Sandoval is a leading robotics and autonomy researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whose work bridges multi-agent maritime systems and immersive 3D visualization for deep-space operations. His most impactful contribution is the development of CARACaS (Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing), a multi-agent autonomy framework that enabled a team of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to execute cooperative behaviors during the Swarm II harbor patrol demonstration. This work, published in 2017 and cited 19 times, demonstrated how distributed, decentralized control could allow small, low-cost USVs to autonomously patrol, track, and intercept intruders—a breakthrough for maritime security and swarm robotics. Beyond the water, Sandoval has pioneered high-performance, web-based 3D visualization tools. He led the creation of Ranger, a browser-based system that provides engineering-accurate, interactive visualization for robotic system development and flight mission operations, and later extended this technology to deliver real-time telemetry visualization for deep-space missions. These tools have been used to support mission trajectory designers and operators, making complex spacecraft data instantly accessible. Sandoval’s work uniquely combines field-tested autonomy with cutting-edge visualization, enabling both robots and humans to perform at their best in the most demanding environments.