The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

In September 2013, the Danish bulk carrier Nordic Orion became the first hauler to traverse the Northwest Passage. As more ships follow, they’ll need accurate sea ice forecasts to navigate safely. ???? From developing AI-generated models that can predict sea ice extent with up to 97% accuracy to creating wearable augmented-reality tools that can autonomously search for ice cracks and fissures, researchers at Johns Hopkins APL continue to bring creative solutions to the challenges of Arctic research and safety. Read the full story: https://jhuapl.link/ksv #JHUAPL | #ArcticResearch | #ArcticOcean | #ClimateChange | #AI | #ArtificialIntelligence | #EnvironmentalScience | #NavigationTechnology

Johns Hopkins APL will be attending oSTEM October 18 and 19 at the Portland Convention Center. As the largest chapter-based LGBTQ+ STEM organization, oSTEM offers a unique space for attendees to connect, share experiences and explore both personal and professional growth. If you're attending and want to learn more about career opportunities at Johns Hopkins APL, come see APL recruiter Miriam Grap at the Career Fair and Graduate School Expo in booth 320. ???? With a wide range of innovative projects and mission areas, APL offers a unique opportunity for team members to contribute to pioneering research and technology across STEM fields. If you're passionate about making an impact in the world of STEM, APL is a great place to grow your career. Not able to attend? Interested in learning more about APL before the event? Explore our current job openings: www.jhuapl.edu/careers #JHUAPL | #oSTEM2024 | #STEMCareers | #LGBTQinSTEM | #DiversityInTech | #Innovation | #Internships | #NowHiring

Three exceptional APL innovators have been honored by the SASE - Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers for their contributions to science and engineering: ?? Jason Kalirai (Executive Achievement Award) leads a team developing bold space science mission concepts, including the successful NASA DART mission. ?? Ray Espiritu (Achievement in Engineering) has played critical roles on missions like OSIRIS-REx and Psyche, and is now leading the data management team for the Europa Imaging System on the Europa Clipper mission. ?? Stacy Teng (Achievement in Engineering) has been a principal investigator in our National Security Space Mission Area and is contributing to NASA's Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative. Read more about their groundbreaking work and achievements: https://jhuapl.link/rca #JHUAPL | #SpaceExploration | #SASEAwards | #Leadership | #STEMInnovation | #DARTMission | #Awards | #EuropaClipper | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Time is running out! ? In-person registration for the 2024 Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium’s (LSIC) Fall Meeting closes on Sunday, October 20 at 11:59 pm ET for US citizens and foreign nationals. If you’re unable to attend in person, virtual registration is available for US citizens until October 27 at 11:59 pm ET. Whether you’re joining in person or virtually, don’t miss the chance to participate in this exciting event. Register today: https://lnkd.in/e5AzupmS #JHUAPL | #EventReminder | #LastChance | #ProfessionalDevelopment | #EventRegistration

Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL have made significant progress toward tackling the fundamental challenges preventing fieldable multi-robot teams from becoming a reality. ?? https://jhuapl.link/ac7 One key challenge the team is addressing is the immense computational complexity involved. Each robot must not only navigate unpredictable environments and perform tasks but also synchronize its movements and actions with its team. On top of that, both teams must coordinate their movements and actions in real-time, adapting to dynamic, fluid situations. As each additional robot contributes exponentially to the complexity of the calculations involved, it’s easy to see how the problem quickly becomes intractable. Joseph Moore, chief scientist for the Robotics Group in APL’s Research and Exploratory Development Department, and his team applied a creative spin to topological graph techniques used for multirobot collision avoidance. They discovered a relationship between a robot’s location on a graph and the characteristics of the graph itself. For example, if a robot is currently at point A and can navigate to either point B or C, the relative risk of each choice differs quantifiably from the risks if the robot were navigating from point D. In other words, the robot’s current state directly relates to the relative risks of each possible action, and these risks can be represented as “costs” for each action — and crucially, those costs are quantifiable. The team successfully implemented a framework called Stratified Topological Autonomy with Learned Contexts (STALC) in simulations of real-world missions using multi-robot teams. This framework manages everything from high-level planning to individual robot actions. They also demonstrated their algorithms on live robots during an exercise in Texas this past June. #JHUAPL | U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory | #Robotics | #MultiRobotSystems | #ArtificialIntelligence | #Automation

At the intersection of biology and technology lies the future of national security. ???? At Johns Hopkins APL, researchers are using biomanufacturing to address critical defense needs. From creating bio-enabled sensors to developing 3D-printable materials from microbial organisms, APL id shaping the future of secure, on-site production. A team of researchers from the Lab are using biology to create real-world solutions for warfighters and the defense industrial base. Discover more about how we’re integrating biology with traditional technologies to strengthen national security: https://jhuapl.link/5y6 #JHUAPL | #Biomanufacturing | #DefenseInnovation | #NationalSecurity | #BioTech

APL is playing a pivotal role in The Johns Hopkins University’s Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. With 20 of the plan’s 24 objectives involving APL, the Lab is committed to transformative action: ?? Net zero emissions by 2040 ?? Purchasing 100% renewable energy ?? Fleet electrification ?? Waste reduction ?? And more! APL is aligning sustainability with smart business practices, ensuring a resilient future for our campus and beyond. https://jhuapl.link/h7w #JHUAPL | #Sustainability | #ClimateAction

#HispanicHeritageMonth “I was born in Guantánamo — a forgotten place in the eastern part of Cuba — but spent most of my life in Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city in Cuba. Some people have misconceptions about Cuba, often thinking it’s all about old American cars, cigars, food, good music, and dancing. While these are certainly distinctive aspects of the Cuban culture, living in Cuba also comes with difficult challenges, such as a lack of freedom, government control, limited opportunities and economic hardship. When I look back on my childhood, I see a kid who was always eager to learn new things, help others and embrace challenges. Like other kids, I dreamed about becoming an astronaut, a doctor, or a firefighter. However, I quickly discovered a love for helping my friends with schoolwork, and my passion for teaching and doing research began to grow rapidly. I still remember my first physics class in middle school and how I decided to raise my hand when the teacher asked if anyone was interested in participating in the local physics contest. That decision led to six state championships and two national titles in the Cuban Physics Olympiads. In 2007, I immigrated to the United States with my parents and began a new life with a bag full of dreams, $100 in my pocket, and the conviction to start over. I worked as a hardware and software engineer before enrolling in graduate school to pursue a master’s in electrical engineering. Soon after, I enrolled in a doctorate program. After completing my doctorate, I became a full-time APL employee in June 2020. The fact that, in just 17 years, I went from walking the streets of Cuba without a clear goal in life to leading research projects at APL speaks to the U.S. being the ‘land of opportunity.’ Although these have been course-changing moments, nothing compares to the joy of being a father to my two beautiful children, Amelia and Lucas, and they mean everything to me. I do my best to set a good example for them, walk with them through life, and hold their hands through both the good and bad moments.” – Leo Babun is a senior cybersecurity researcher in Johns Hopkins APL’s Asymmetric Operations Sector.

The Europa Clipper spacecraft, developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in partnership with Johns Hopkins APL, launched on Oct. 14, beginning its 5 1/2-year journey to Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa. ??? ?? Europa Clipper is equipped with advanced instruments to study Europa’s subsurface ocean and determine if it has the right conditions to support life. APL played a pivotal role, contributing to the spacecraft’s body, propulsion system, and science instruments. Over the course of 49 flybys, the Europa Clipper spacecraft’s sophisticated suite of science instruments will embark on an in-depth exploration of Europa’s interior, composition and geology to determine its habitability. https://lnkd.in/ecHvP8aR #JHUAPL | #SpaceExploration | #EuropaClipper | #NASA | #SpaceScience | #OceanWorlds | #Jupiter | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Learn more about how science instruments developed at Johns Hopkins APL will play a crucial role in NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to study this ocean world: https://lnkd.in/eEtHgsEF #JHUAPL | #EuropaClipper | #NASA | #SpaceScience | #OceanWorlds | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration