Rita CunhaView profile
Associate Professor
Rita Cunha is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Systems and Robotics (ISR) within the University of Lisbon. Her academic role includes teaching courses such as Introduction to Robotics, Signals and Systems, and Control Engineering. Her research focuses on advanced robotics and control systems, with particular emphasis on multirotor drones, formation control, trajectory planning, and autonomous systems. She has contributed significantly to the development of control strategies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), sensor-based navigation, and distributed multi-agent systems. Her work integrates theoretical control methodologies with practical applications, addressing challenges in aggressive drone maneuvers, collision avoidance, and sensor network deployment for wildfire surveillance. She leads research in collaborative robotics, including multi-drone cinematography and cooperative load transportation systems. Her contributions span both algorithm design and experimental validation, leveraging tools like the Pegasus simulator and physics-informed neural networks. Key Research Areas: Autonomous Systems, Aerial Robotics, Formation Control, Trajectory Optimization, Sensor Networks Teaching: Introduction to Robotics, Control Systems, Signals and Systems Labs/Teams: ISR (Institute of Systems and Robotics) - active in UAV control and autonomous systems research Her over 50 publications since 2013 demonstrate sustained innovation in robotics control, with recent emphasis on high-order consensus algorithms, adaptive control under uncertainties, and real-time trajectory generation for confined spaces. Current projects include LiDAR-based autonomous inspection systems and distributed mission execution frameworks for aerial cinematography.







