Chuck Thorpe, President of Clarkson University and a key figure in Carnegie Mellon’s autonomous vehicle research, shares insights into the university's groundbreaking work. He discusses the early days of autonomous vehicles, including CMU’s remarkable 1995 cross-country drive with minimal human intervention. Thorpe details the collaborative spirit that transformed CMU into a robotics powerhouse, highlighting innovative strategies in mentorship and project management. He emphasizes the importance of autonomy in research, fostering partnerships that advance technology, especially with DARPA.
