Jesús Tordesillas Torres

Jesús Tordesillas Torres is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronics, Automation, and Communications at the School of Engineering, Comillas Pontifical University. He joined the institution in June 2024, bringing extensive experience from postdoctoral research at MIT and ETH Zurich, and prior academic training from MIT and the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Education:

• PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2022
• MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 2019
• MS in Industrial Engineering, Polytechnic University of Madrid, 2019
• BS in Industrial Engineering, Polytechnic University of Madrid, 2016

His research focuses on robotics, particularly autonomous navigation, trajectory planning, and optimization under uncertainty. He integrates deep learning and control theory to develop systems capable of safe, fast, and perception-aware navigation in dynamic and unknown environments. His work spans aerial and ground robots, multiagent systems, and challenging terrains, with strong emphasis on real-world deployment and robustness.

The recent publications highlight a consistent trend in trajectory optimization, perception-aware planning, and multiagent coordination. His work bridges theoretical advances in optimization and learning with practical robotic applications, especially in safety-critical and communication-constrained scenarios.

Scientific Awards:

• Best Paper Award, IEEE ICRA 2023
• 1st Place, Urban Circuit, DARPA Subterranean Challenge (2020)
• 2nd Place, Tunnel Circuit, DARPA Subterranean Challenge (2021)
• Finalist, Best Paper, IEEE IROS 2019

Jesús Tordesillas Torres has been actively involved in research grants and projects, including the ADS FERRARI WP-2 Project funded by Airbus Defence and Space (2025–2025). He mentors students and collaborates with leading institutions such as MIT, ETH Zurich, and the University of Pennsylvania. He also serves as a reviewer for top-tier journals including IEEE Transactions on Robotics, International Journal of Robotics Research, and IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, as well as major conferences like ICRA and IROS.

He leads and participates in research teams focused on autonomous systems, with affiliations to the Institute for Research in Technology (IIT) at Comillas. His invited talks at ETH Robotics Summer School and University of Pennsylvania reflect his growing influence in the robotics community.