Students from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School recently engaged in a specialized course at Stanford University, focusing on artificial intelligence and aerospace technology. This 10-day course, known as the Test of AI & Emerging Technologies, aimed to prepare participants for evaluating AI-guided aircraft and satellites anticipated to be integral in future defense operations.
The course’s initial phase involved lectures on advanced topics such as deep learning, decision-making algorithms, and robotic perception. Participants also gained practical experience by programming autonomous mobile robots called TurtleBots and competing to determine which team excelled. Insights were provided by research scientists from NVIDIA and a former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In the latter part of the course, students toured several Silicon Valley technology and aircraft companies. John Alora, an Air Force major and graduate student at Stanford’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, stated that “the idea behind this course is to enhance Test Pilot School curriculum modernization efforts.”
The collaboration between Stanford School of Engineering and the Department of the Air Force’s Stanford AI Studio facilitated this educational initiative. Marco Pavone, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics, noted that airmen learn about “the latest and greatest from the field of AI and robot autonomy,” while university researchers gain insight into challenges faced by the Air Force.
Established in June 2024, the studio aims to advance AI-based research benefiting Air Force operational needs. It is led by Col. Jason Hansberger with Major John Alora also playing a key role. Charbel Farhat serves as principal investigator alongside co-principal investigator Pavone.
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