Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Thomas Stastny is a leading roboticist specializing in autonomous aerial systems, with a focus on solar-powered endurance flight, multimodal locomotion, and advanced control for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). His most impactful contribution is the development of the *AtlantikSolar* UAV, a 6.9 kg hand-launchable solar-powered aircraft that set a world endurance record with an 81-hour continuous flight—a milestone in perpetual flight capability for small UAVs. This work, published in 2017 and cited over 118 times, demonstrated the potential for multi-day search-and-rescue missions using updraft-aware aerial sensing. Stastny also pioneered the *Dipper* (2021, 71 citations), a dynamically transitioning aerial-aquatic vehicle capable of controlled motion in both air and underwater environments, addressing a key challenge in multimodal robotics. His research on Model Predictive Control (MPC) for trajectory tracking (2017, 210 citations) has become a foundational reference for implementing real-time control on UAVs using the Robot Operating System (ROS). With over 470 total citations, Stastny’s work bridges theoretical control and practical deployment, earning recognition for pushing the boundaries of UAV endurance, autonomy, and environmental adaptability.