David Wettergreen

David Wettergreen is a Research Professor at the Robotics Institute within Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, where he has been a faculty member since 2000. He directs the PhD Program in Robotics and holds a courtesy appointment in Mechanical Engineering.

His research focuses on robotic exploration systems for extreme environments, spanning planetary surfaces, underwater caves, and terrestrial deserts. Key areas include autonomous navigation, science autonomy, multi-modal perception, and resource-cognizant planning. Field validation drives his work, with deployments in the Atacama Desert, Antarctic volcanoes, and lunar analog sites.

• Co-founder of Mesh Robotics LLC for off-road autonomy
• Former Research Fellow at Australian National University
• Former National Research Council Research Associate at NASA Ames Research Center

His 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate expertise in autonomous path planning, machine learning applications, terrain modeling, and science-driven exploration. Collaborations span planetary science, environmental monitoring, and space systems engineering.

He has advised 17 PhD and 33 MS students, many of whom now work in space exploration or field robotics, and teaches courses in Robotics Systems Engineering. Current projects include the MoonRanger lunar micro-rover and technologies for autonomous resource mapping.