Postdoc Researcher| Autonomous systems | Ai | Philosophy & Technology

Johannes Betz postdoc researcher for autonomous systems Update: I am joining the Depart of Mobility Systems Engineering at the Technical University of Munich as an Assistant Professor in January 2023.

Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania where I am working with Prof. Rahul Mangharam at the xLab for Safe Autonomous Systems. My research is focusing on holistic software development for autonomous systems with extreme motions at the dynamic limits in extreme and unknown environments. My research is motivated by the aim to create the next generation of intelligent autonomous vehicles. These vehicles will be able to interact with each other, including humans, while acting safely, efficiently, and with high performance. By using modern algorithms from the field of artificial intelligence I am trying to develop new and advanced path planning and control methods. Based on my additional studies in philosophy I want to extend current path and behavior planners for autonomous systems with ethical theories and then implement them in software.

During my Ph.D. and first Postdoc time at the Technical University, I was working together with Prof. Markus Lienkamp where we founded the TUM Autonomous Motorsports Team. With this team, we successfully took part in the Roborace competition and the Indy Autonomous Challenge – which we won. As head of the research group Intelligent Vehicle Systems I was researching autonomous systems at the handling of limits, electric vehicles, and vehicle dynamics.

Academic Positions

Education

  • M.A. 2020

    Master of Arts in Philosophy and Technology

    Technical University of Munich

  • Ph.D. 2019

    Ph.D. in Automotive Technology

    Technical University of Munich

  • M.Sc. 2012

    Master of Science in Automotive Technology

    University of Bayreuth

  • B.Eng. 2011

    Bachelor of Engineering in Automotive Technology

    University of Applied Science, Coburg

  • 2008

    Higher Education Entrance Qualification (A-Levels)

    Gymanasium Burgkunstadt

Honors, Awards and Grants

  • 2022
    Selected as DAAD AInet fellow 2022
  • 2022
    1st Place, 3rd Japan Automotive AI Challenge
  • 2022
    2nd Place, Indy Autonomous Challenge @CES Las Vegas
  • 2021
    1st Place, Indy Autonomous Challenge - $1 Million Grand Prize
  • 2021
    2nd Place, Indy Autonomous Challenge Ansys Simulation Race -$50k Grand Prize
  • 2020
    Best Paper Award, IEEE CiSt 2020, Agadir, Morocco
  • 2019
    Best Student Paper Finalist, IEEE ICCVE 2019, Graz, Austria
  • 2019
    PhD graduation with highest distinction (summa cum laude)
  • 2019
    1st Place, Roborace Season Alpha Event 5
  • 2019
    Young Author Award, IFAC IAV 2019, Gdansk, Poland
  • 2018
    Selected for German-Japan Young Professional Exchange Program 2018
  • 2018
    1st Place, Roborace “Human + Machine Challenge”
  • 2017
    Nvidia GPU Grant: Sponsoring of one “Titan Xp” GPU
  • 2012
    3rd best graduate in Bachelor of Engineering at FH Coburg