Dr. Bob Touchton has spent most of his career helping clients understand and leverage emerging technologies, especially applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to solve some of their toughest business problems. He currently applies this expertise to advancing the intelligence of autonomous systems through the thoughtful incorporation of AI. After serving as their Chief Autonomy Scientist since 2016, Dr. Touchton is now a Consulting Employee at Leidos (a Fortune 500® Defense Contractor) focused on Collaborative Mission Autonomy for heterogeneous systems and enabling autonomous robots to comprehend their surroundings. Through his recently-formed company, Advanced Autonomy Specialists, Inc., he also provides independent consulting services to help organizations (that do not create a conflict of interest with Leidos) understand and capitalize on the role and value of intelligent autonomy and applied AI. Dr. Touchton also serves as the Chair of SAE International’s Technical Committee on the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (AS4 JAUS), which is an interoperability standard that enables uncrewed vehicles to exchange information and work as a team regardless of manufacturer, software programming language or degree of autonomy.

Dr. Touchton has over 40 years of experience in technology innovation and leadership, engineering, software development, and project management, spanning autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, decision support systems, and intelligent control. He has led and participated in numerous robotic, autonomous perception and control, and uncrewed system projects sponsored by the US military and private industry. Dr. Touchton was a team member and Finalist at both DARPA Grand Challenges and the DARPA Urban Challenge, events that catalyzed the movement towards self-driving automobiles.

Prior to joining Leidos in 2016, Dr. Touchton headed the Autonomy, Perception and Cognition Department of the Applied Research Lab at Penn State University. Past positions include Vice President of Business Innovation and Robotics at Prioria Robotics and Managing Director of Autonomous Systems for Honeywell’s Business Innovation Center. In 1984, he co-founded PathTech Software Solutions in Jacksonville, FL, an applied AI development firm, and served as its Chief Technology Officer for almost 20 years. Dr. Touchton began his career at Westinghouse/Offshore Power Systems as a Nuclear Engineer in the commercial nuclear energy sector. Dr. Touchton holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Florida in Nuclear Engineering, two MS degrees, one in Nuclear Engineering from Carnegie Melon University and the other in Computer Science from the University of North Florida. In 2006, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Florida in Mechanical Engineering where his doctoral research focused on autonomous robotics. He is a native of Jacksonville, Florida and is a licensed Professional Engineer.