Jose Martinez-Carranza, PhD
I am a Tenured Senior Research Scientist C (equivalent to Full Professor) in the Computer Science Department at the Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica Optica y Electronica (INAOE) based in Puebla City, in Mexico.
My research interests primarily focus on robotics, computer vision for robotics, Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs), and intelligent unmanned systems. As the head of the Intelligent Unmanned Aerial Systems (iUAS) group at INAOE, I have spearheaded research into novel methods for autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Our investigations span various approaches aimed at enhancing UAVs' perception of their environment, encompassing visual perception, aerial robot audition, and navigation scenarios in GPS-denied environments. Specifically, we delve into techniques such as visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), visual odometry, and neural localization to enable robust navigation. Furthermore, I am actively involved in exploring aerial interaction, which includes the utilization of a robotic arm and object lifting with a suspended cable.
I was honoured to have received the highly prestigious Newton Advanced Fellowship granted by the Royal Society in the UK. Additionally, I hold an Honorary Senior Research Fellowship in the Computer Science Department at the University of Bristol. I am Senior Member of the IEEE, and member of the National System of Researchers in Mexico, Level 2 for the period 2024-2028.
My team, QuetzalC++, has achieved outstanding performance in various international competitions related to aerial robotics. Notably, we were the first Mexican team to win an autonomous drone competition by achieving 1st Place in the IEEE IROS 2017 Autonomous Drone Racing competition. We also won 2nd Place in the IMAV 2016 and the Best Performance Award in the IMAV 2019. QuetzalC++ ranked 3rd Place in the Game of Drones competition Tier 1 of NeurIPS 2019, organized by Microsoft and Stanford University, 1st Place in the Regional Prize (Latin America) of the OpenCV AI Competition, with a 5,000 USD cash prize, sponsored by Microsoft Azure and Intel, and recently, qualified to the Drone Challenge Finale of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, competing for a $1 million prize in April 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
I have been invited to serve as member of the Editorial Board of the Unmanned Systems Journal (2022-2027), Guest Editor for the International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles (2021), and Associate Editor for the IEEE IROS conference in the period 2022-2024. I have served as General Chair of the IMAV 2021, Local Chair of the Mexican International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (MICAI) 2024, and I have also Chaired the Workshop on Intelligent Drones in 2017, 2023 and 2024. I am currently serving as the General Chair of the International Micro Air Vehicle Conference and Competition (IMAV) 2025, held in Puebla, Mexico, and also serving as President of the Mexican Robotics Federation.
Note: There is a PhD position available in my group with the possibility of getting a full scholarship. If you are interested then send an email with the subject: "PhD Candidate", attach a full CV and a motivation letter; make sure you include a research topic of interest.
Click on the button below to download my full CV (in English)
