Elia Kaufmann
About Elia Kaufmann
Elia Kaufmann is a Senior Autonomy Engineer at Skydio, where he has worked since 2023. He has a strong academic background in robotics and extensive experience in autonomy engineering, having previously held positions at Rheinmetall Defence and the University of Zurich.
Work at Skydio
Elia Kaufmann currently serves as a Senior Autonomy Engineer at Skydio, a position he has held since 2023. His role involves developing advanced autonomy systems for drones, leveraging his expertise in machine learning, planning, and control. Prior to this position, he worked at Skydio as an Autonomy Engineer from 2022 to 2023, where he contributed to various projects aimed at enhancing drone capabilities.
Education and Expertise
Elia Kaufmann has a robust educational background in engineering and robotics. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Zurich, focusing on vision-based agile flight, under the supervision of Prof. Davide Scaramuzza. He also holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Robotics, Systems and Control from ETH Zürich and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution. His academic training has equipped him with a strong foundation in robotics and autonomous systems.
Background
Elia Kaufmann has a diverse professional background that includes internships and research roles. He began his career as an intern at Rheinmetall Defence in 2014, where he worked for five months. He then transitioned to the University of Zurich as a Research Assistant in 2017. Following this, he held a position as a System Engineer at Rheinmetall Defence from 2015 to 2016. His experience in both industry and academia has contributed to his expertise in autonomy engineering.
Achievements in Autonomous Systems
Elia Kaufmann has made significant contributions to the field of autonomous systems, particularly in drone technology. He worked on autonomous vision-based drone racing, where he developed a pioneering approach that enabled drones to outperform top human pilots in head-to-head races. This work highlights his innovative approach to enhancing drone performance through advanced algorithms and control systems.