Robert C. Michelson
Robert C. Michelson is a roboticist whose aerial robotics work brought cognition to unmanned aircraft and led to the insect-inspired Entomopter. He worked on aerospace radar at the Naval Research Laboratory from 1971 to 1973, joined the Georgia Tech Research Institute in 1974, and earned electrical engineering degrees from Virginia Tech in 1973 and Georgia Tech in 1974. At GTRI, he led the Technology Development Division, coined “aerial robotics” in 1990, started the International Aerial Robotics Competition, and taught UAV avionics and micro air vehicle design. He received the 1998 AUVSI Pioneer Award and the 2001 Pirelli Award, retired from GTRI in 2004, and created Millennial Vision; he is Principal Research Engineer Emeritus at the institute.
Timeline
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1971–1974
From the Naval Lab to GTRI
He works on aerospace radar systems at the Naval Research Laboratory from 1971 to 1973, then joins the Georgia Tech Research Institute in 1974. He earns electrical engineering degrees from Virginia Tech in 1973 and Georgia Tech in 1974.
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1990
Naming aerial robotics
In the late 1980s, he heads GTRI's Technology Development Division as his interests turn to unmanned aircraft. In 1990, he coins “aerial robotics” to describe adding cognition to unmanned aerial vehicles and starts the International Aerial Robotics Competition.
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1997–2004
Teaching and Millennial Vision
From 1997 to 2004, he teaches UAV avionics and micro air vehicle design at Georgia Tech's School of Aerospace Engineering. He retires from GTRI in 2004 and creates Millennial Vision, LLC to continue research into biologically inspired aerial robots and remote sensing.
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1998
An AUVSI Pioneer Award
In 1998, he receives the AUVSI Pioneer Award for technical contributions to unmanned systems.
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1998–2000
The Entomopter patent
He files a patent for the Entomopter in 1998; the patent is published in 2000 as a multimodal insect-like micro air vehicle with flapping wings and legs for ground locomotion. The Georgia Tech design uses liquid fuel to flap its wings like a moth.
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2001
A Pirelli Award
He receives the Pirelli Award for the diffusion of scientific culture in 2001.
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2003
Discussing micro-UAV design
On NOVA in 2003, he explains how flapping-wing micro-UAVs could travel indoors and might survive a wall strike.
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As of October 2026
GTRI emeritus role
As of October 2026, he is Principal Research Engineer Emeritus at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
Career
- Since 1974Georgia Institute of TechnologyHead
- From 2004Millennial Vision, LLCFounder
- 1971–1973Naval Research Laboratory
Education
- 1974Georgia Institute of TechnologyElectrical Engineering Degree
- 1973Virginia TechElectrical Engineering Degree
Most-cited works
Colleagues
Sources and credits
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