Dr. Sebastian Scherer

Associate Professor

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Biography

Sebastian Scherer is an Associate Research Professor at the Robotics Institute (RI) of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). His research focuses on enabling unmanned rotorcraft to operate in low altitude, cluttered environments, thereby pushing the potential of these technologies. He has demonstrated significant advancements in algorithms for obstacle avoidance, including the fastest tested capability on the Yamaha RMax in 2006 and efforts to achieve obstacle avoidance for micro aerial vehicles in natural environments in 2008. His contributions also encompass automatic landing zone detection for full-size helicopters, realized in 2010. Dr. Scherer's educational background includes a BS in Computer Science, an MS, and a Ph.D. in Robotics from CMU, completed in 2004, 2007, and 2010 respectively. He has been recognized with several awards, including the Siebel Scholar title and the AIAA@Infotech Paper Runner-up Award in 2010. Additionally, his work on self-landing helicopters garnered media attention, receiving the Popular Science What's New Award in 2010.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Research Professor

— Present

Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA

Focuses on research enabling unmanned rotorcraft functionality in various environments.

Awards

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Siebel Scholar

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AIAA@Infotech Paper Runner-up Award

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Popular Science What's New Award

Requirements for Carnegie Mellon University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
Verbal
Required:158
Quantitative
Required:149
Analytical Writing
Required:4
Overall
Required:4
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field Research experience/publications
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • GRE scores (optional but reported in profile)
  • English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)
Specialization Notes

Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.