Erik Komendera

Erik Komendera is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. He leads the Field and Space Experimental Robotics (FASER) Laboratory, focusing on autonomous assembly, space robotics, and field robotics. His research integrates perception, machine learning, and multi-agent systems to enable precise robotic operations in large workspaces and off-nominal scenarios.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Colorado (2014)
• M.S. in Computer Science, University of Colorado (2012)
• B.S.E. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan (2007)

Research Interests:

• Autonomous assembly and construction
• Space robotics and in-space assembly
• Field robotics for disaster response and environmental monitoring
• Perception and state estimation for large-scale operations
• Multi-agent motion planning and collaborative manipulation
• Machine learning for anomaly detection in robotics

Key Projects:

• Built On-Orbit Robotically Assembled Gigatruss (BORG) system
• Development of lightweight manipulators for in-space operations
• Autonomous damage detection in constructed structures
• COVID-19 response efforts: PPE production via robotic prototyping

Awards:

• NASA Early Career Achievement Medal (2018)
• Center Achievement Award (NASA Langley, 2017)
• First NASA Space Tech Fellow to earn a Ph.D. (2014)
• Outstanding Research Award (University of Colorado, 2014)

Labs/Teams: Director of the FASER Lab, which advances robotics for space and terrestrial applications. Current projects include modular space systems, autonomous assembly algorithms, and robotic collaboration frameworks.