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Chris Heckman is an AssociateÌýProfessor in the Department of Computer Science at the 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó at 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó and the Jacques I. Pankove Faculty Fellow in the College of Engineering & Applied Science. HeÌýearned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2008 and his PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Cornell University in 2012, where he was an NSF Graduate 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó Fellow. He had postdoctoral appointments at the Naval 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó Laboratory in Washington, DC as an NRC 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó Associate, and at CU 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó as a 91ÃÛÌÒ¸ó Scientist, before joining the faculty there in 2016. From 2021-2023, Heckman also worked with Amazon as a Visiting Academic with their Scout program, focused on mobile robots for sidewalk delivery.

Heckman's research focuses on autonomy, perception, field robotics, machine learningÌýand artificial intelligence. He directs the Autonomous Robotics and Perception Group, a dynamicÌýand close-knit research team aiming to develop practical and explainable techniques in probabilistic artificial intelligence.ÌýHis work in computer vision, machine learning and sensor fusion has applications to intelligence, defense, andÌýenvironmental monitoring. His roboticsÌýwork is used by both government and industry partnersÌýin the development of autonomous vehicles, agricultural platforms and other mobile robots including for medicine, search & rescue, and automation.

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