Huan Xu

Huan Xu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, with a joint appointment at the Institute for Systems Research. Her work focuses on formal methods for multi-agent autonomous systems, particularly in cyber-physical systems and UAVs.

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (2013)
• M.S., Mechanical and Civil Engineering (2008)
• S.B., Mechanical and Materials Sciences and Engineering, Harvard University (2007)

Her research interests lie in control and dynamical systems, formal methods, and optimization, with applications in autonomy, planning, and system identification. She develops robust cyber-physical systems that perform complex tasks in dynamic environments, emphasizing rigorous theory and real-world applications.

Her recent publications focus on collision avoidance algorithms, swarm robotics, and autonomy certification. These works integrate formal logic with practical implementations for UAVs and multi-agent systems.

• DARPA Cooperative Agreement (2018)
• AIAA Awards for UAS Collision Avoidance (2020)
• DoD SMART Scholarship (2023)

She advises current Ph.D. and MS students in aerospace engineering and robotics, including John Schmidt, Sarah Wielgosz, and Estefany Carrillo. Her lab (MATRIX Lab) collaborates on autonomous drone racing, hazard mitigation, and swarm tactics projects.

Facilities like the USMSM SMART Building and UROC support her research on autonomous aerial systems and flight software validation.