Lucas De La Garza
About Lucas De La Garza
Lucas De La Garza is a Senior Robotics Engineer with extensive experience in aerospace engineering and robotics. He has contributed to significant projects in GPS-denied navigation and serves as a Subject Matter Expert in state estimation technology.
Work at Near Earth Autonomy
Lucas De La Garza currently serves as a Senior Robotics Engineer at Near Earth Autonomy, a position he has held since 2019. In this role, he leads the state estimation area and contributes to the development of internal roadmaps alongside top leadership. Prior to this, he worked as a Robotics Engineer at the same company from 2016 to 2019, where he was involved in various projects related to robotics and navigation.
Education and Expertise
Lucas De La Garza earned a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied from 2007 to 2011. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master of Science (MS) in the same field from Cornell University, completing his studies from 2011 to 2016. His academic background provides a strong foundation for his work in robotics and navigation.
Background
Lucas De La Garza has a diverse background in engineering, having completed two internships at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in 2010 and 2011. These experiences contributed to his development in engineering principles and practices. His career has included significant roles in robotics engineering, particularly focusing on GPS-denied navigation technologies.
Achievements in Robotics Engineering
Lucas has led key projects in the field of robotics. Notably, he led the GPS-denied navigation component of a large-scale drone cargo delivery project from September 2020 to September 2021. Additionally, he has served as the tech lead on a GPS-denied ship deck landing project since January 2021, showcasing his expertise in advanced navigation systems.
Role as Product Owner
In addition to his engineering responsibilities, Lucas acts as a part-time Product Owner while participating in a Scrum team as a developer. This role allows him to contribute to project management and agile development processes, enhancing his versatility within the field of robotics.