Tanguy Gerniers: From the University of Klagenfurt to NASA and a career with drones
Tanguy Gerniers completed his master’s degree in “Information and Communications Engineering” with honours in June of this year. After writing his master’s thesis at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, he is now pursuing his career in aerial robotics in South Tyrol at FlyingBasket SRL, which specializes in the manufacturing and operation of heavy-lift cargo drones.
Congratulations on your new job, Mr. Gerniers! Have you settled in well in Bolzano? What excites you most about this new professional challenge?
Thank you! Yes, I am well settled in a cozy apartment not far from Bolzano. At FlyingBasket, I work as a flight control software engineer and remote pilot. This means that I help develop, maintain, and flight test our drone fleet’s control algorithms to ensure efficient and reliable flight operations. What particularly excites me about working here are the opportunities I have been given to actively get involved in a lot of other things such as manufacturing, operations, and flight testing.
Have you always wanted to work with drones and UAV systems?
I have always been passionate about aircraft and robotics in general, but only really started specializing in drones during my bachelor thesis in business engineering in Belgium, where I developed a business plan for drones-as-a-service in the medical sector. This is something that we’re working towards here at FlyingBasket right now, for example, because drones could quickly transport supplies and aid to the mountain during rescue operations.
So your current job is not only about cargo drones. When do you think the use of cargo drones will be widespread in practice?
I think that the widespread use of cargo drones is coming sooner than we think thanks to the continuous improvement of propulsion and energy storage systems, as well as growing interest and support from legislators and investors. Today, cargo drones are already frequently used in the energy, telecom, medical, and consumer logistics sectors.
At FlyingBasket, I work as a flight control software engineer and remote pilot. This means that I help develop, maintain, and flight test our drone fleet’s control algorithms to ensure efficient and reliable flight operations.
You were born in Namur, Belgium. Why did you decide to study in Carinthia?
As my bachelor’s degree in Belgium was coming to an end, I knew I wanted to continue with a relevant Master’s degree abroad. I love the mountains, so I also knew that I wanted to pursue my education somewhere in the Alps. While searching the internet, I came across the study programme “Information and Communications Engineering” at the University of Klagenfurt and was immediately drawn to it’s various specializations, to the campus and the research opportunities available in aerial robotics at the “Drone Hall”.
So, you just enrolled from “far away”?
Indeed! After a really enriching exchange at the Online Open-Days, I enrolled to the study programme and booked a room at the Nautilusweg student dorm, where I would spend three unforgettable years with amazing people. Shortly after that, I visited Klagenfurt for a few days to check things out and was amazed by the beauty of the campus and its surrounding nature, which set a great tone for my first semester there.
Your favourite place on the campus of the University of Klagenfurt was…
The Lakeside Labs.
During your studies, you did not only work as a student researcher in the Control of Networked Systems research group, but you also completed a study visit at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the USA. A breathtaking experience?
It was! I am really grateful to Stephan Weiss for giving me the opportunity to join his research group, where I learnt an incredible amount about aerial robotics from PhD students, in parallel to his control theory and state estimation courses. I was also supported in applying for a master’s thesis at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory with Roland Brockers, who is an expert in computer vision and a key contributor to the 2020 Mars helicopter “Ingenuity”. My seven-month research stay at JPL was a truly transformative experience which I would recommend to any student with interest in robotic space exploration. Together, these research internships prepared me exceptionally well for my current role at FlyingBasket.
In your master’s thesis you dealt with high-altitude vision-based navigation for future Mars rotorcraft. Can you tell us more about your work?
Unlike here on earth, there is no GPS on Mars to help UAVs keep track of where they are. Instead, NASA Mars UAVs use a camera, a laser altimeter, and vision-based navigation algorithms, but their performance at high altitude and over rough terrain was uncertain. In my thesis, I designed a 3D flight simulation framework using satellite Mars imagery and performed outdoor flight experiments to demonstrate that high-altitude vision-based navigation was viable for the Mars Science Helicopter concept.
You won the Best Performer Award of the Faculty of Technical Sciences – with the highest score of the year – and graduated from your study programme with honours. What is your (academic) secret?
I would probably attribute that to good time management and the flexibility to pick subjects you are passionate about.
After passing an exam, your favourite drink was…
A cold glass of rhubarb lemonade.
Would you study a technical degree programme such as “Information and Communications Engineering” at the University of Klagenfurt again?
Yes, I would absolutely recommend it. The professors and their assistants were both friendly and academically excellent, which made for a truly stimulating learning environment. Additionally, you have a lot of freedom to follow your interests though electives and research projects, which also made the degree programme feel very practical.
What advice would you give to students who want to pursue a technical career?
Personally, I’ve seen most people go about it in one of two ways: either tailoring their education to a specific field in which they see good potential for employment, growth, and satisfaction, or rather following opportunities as they come, which might involve changing fields, research stays abroad, starting a PhD, or even launching a start-up. In my view, both ways are valid, often combined and can lead to great careers.
In 10 years, you will be…
Fluent in German and Italian, in a senior position in the UAV industry, and much better at skiing and rock climbing.
Thank you very much for the interview, Mr. Gerniers!
