September 15, 2020

Meet Joe Bartels, a postdoctoral researcher in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and a 2020 – 2021 Innovation Fellow.  He completed his MS and PhD in Robotics at CMU and also holds a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.  During his graduate studies at CMU and in collaboration with others in the Illumination and Imaging Lab, Joe developed a new class of 3D imaging systems for use in automation and robotics.  These imaging systems include a long-range outdoor depth camera and a fully programmable 3D light curtain sensor. These next-generation 3D sensors will equip automated systems with enhanced perception capabilities, such as high-resolution obstacle detection and adaptive mid-range sensing.  As a Swartz Innovation Fellow Joe is working with Mobility21 and the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship to commercialize this technology for smart cities, self-driving cars, and robotics.