Event
ECE Special Seminar - Dr. Kerianne Hobbs, The Aerospace Corporation
Thursday, November 5, 2026
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
2328 A.V. Williams
Darcy Long
301 405 3114
dlong123@umd.edu
Speaker: Dr. Kerianne Hobbs, Vehicle Autonomy and System Trust, The Aerospace Corporation
Title: You Can't Crash the First One: Testing Safety-Critical Aerospace Autonomy
Abstract: This talk addresses the "trust gap" in deploying AI-enabled aerospace autonomy through an integrated verification framework combining offline ground testing with online flight monitoring. The offline phase progresses systematically through simulation studies, processor-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and robotic emulation testing, culminating in flight validation. The online phase employs AI watchdog systems for performance monitoring and safety guardrails for real-time constraint enforcement. Key contributions include: (1) systematic organization of verification techniques emphasizing closed-loop behavioral testing at each phase, (2) integration of AI watchdogs with runtime assurance, and (3) demonstration of the framework through a reinforcement learning-based attitude control case study. This approach integrates mature technologies to provide a viable pathway for safe deployment of AI-enabled autonomy in high-consequence space operations while addressing simulation-to-reality transfer challenges.
Bio: Dr. Kerianne Hobbs leads space vehicle autonomy and trust research at The Aerospace Corporation. Previously, as Safe Autonomy Lead at the Air Force Research Laboratory, she directed the Safe Trusted Autonomy for Responsible Spacecraft (STARS) program, developing neural network control systems using reinforcement learning, runtime assurance technologies, and human-AI interfaces for multi-vehicle autonomous satellite operations. Her research expertise includes formal methods and runtime assurance for autonomous software assurance. Prior to STARS, she contributed to the development and testing of automatic collision avoidance technologies for the F-16. She holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, an M.S. in Astronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Hobbs was a member of the inaugural AIAA 30/30 class in 2026, is a 2024 AIAA Associate Fellow and 2020 AFCEA 40 Under 40 recipient. She was part of the team awarded the 2018 Collier Trophy for the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System.
