# Episode 155: Making aerial robots smarter - Melissa Greeff

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2026-05-08
- Length: 24m
- Episode: 155
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff

## Summary

Melissa Greeff, an Assistant Professor at Queen's University and leader of the Robora Lab, discusses her research on autonomous aerial systems, including vision-based navigation and safe learning-based control. She details projects involving drones landing on surface vessels for maritime operations, tiny drones using custom optimization solvers for agile flight, and multi-robot teams where aerial vehicles teach ground robots routes. Greeff emphasizes the challenges of bridging perception and control, limited onboard compute, and the gap between academic prototypes and persistent industrial autonomy.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff#t=7) Introduction: Melissa Greeff and Queen's University Robora Lab
- [2:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff#t=146) Maritime Applications: Drones Landing on Surface Vessels
- [6:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff#t=388) Challenges: Bridging Perception and Control with Limited Compute
- [9:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff#t=564) Tiny Drones: Learning-Based Model Predictive Control on Microcontrollers
- [12:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff#t=754) Multi-Robot Teams: Aerial Robots Teaching Ground Robots Routes
- [17:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff#t=1070) Underwater Retrieval: Aerial Vehicles Deploying Submersibles
- [20:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-08-episode-155-making-aerial-robots-smarter-melissa-greeff#t=1233) The Gap in Persistent Autonomy Between Academia and Industry

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Queen's University (company)
- Robora Lab (other)
- Bitcrazy Flight 2.0 (product)
- University of Toronto (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [49. What Robots Can Learn from Starfish and Falcons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-12-21-49-what-robots-can-learn-from-starfish-and-falcons) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [234: The Good Word About AI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-02-14-234-the-good-word-about-ai) (Embedded.fm)
- [Seeing Robotics and Machine Vision as Dynamical Systems](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2023-10-13-seeing-robotics-and-machine-vision-as-dynamical-systems) (EE Times Current)
- [Ep059: Hydraulic Rockets & Presses, Machine Vision Bounces & Stares, Smart Speakers Listen to You](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-03-19-ep059-hydraulic-rockets-presses-machine-vision-bounces-stares-smart-speakers-lis) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [170. Robot That Drives Better Than The Average American](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-16-170-robot-that-drives-better-than-the-average-american) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

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