Sertac Karaman

Sertac Karaman is a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).34 He currently serves as the Director of the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), MIT's longest continuously-running lab, a position he has held since July 1, 2021.15

Karaman's research focuses on robotics, control theory, and autonomous systems, particularly in the areas of:

1. Computing for autonomous vehicles
2. Algorithms for planning and control
3. Embedded systems and mobile robotics

He has worked on various projects including driverless cars, unpiloted aerial vehicles, and air traffic control algorithms.1 Karaman co-founded Optimus Ride, an MIT spinoff company developing self-driving vehicle technologies, where he served as President and Chief Scientist from 2015 to 2021.25

Karaman's academic journey includes:

• BS degrees in mechanical engineering and computer engineering from Istanbul Technical University (2007)
• SM degree in mechanical engineering from MIT (2009)
• PhD in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT (2012)3

He has received several prestigious awards, including:

• IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Early Career Award (2017)
• Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award (2017)
• National Science Foundation Faculty Career Development (CAREER) Award (2014)3

Karaman is widely recognized for his contributions to the field, with highly cited papers on sampling-based algorithms for optimal motion planning and real-time motion planning for autonomous urban driving.6