Namhoon Cho, PhD, FHEA
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[Contact Information] |
Current Position
Assistant Professor
Aerospace Autonomy and Intelligence Laboratory
Department of Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
Seoul National University
Affiliation
Artificial Intelligence Institute
Institute of Advanced Aerospace Technology
Education
2012.9~2017.2: PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University
Dissertation: Nonlinear Guidance Law for Three-Dimensional Path-Following Using Differential Geometry
Supervisor: Prof Youdan Kim2009.3~2012.8: BSc in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University
Thesis: Dynamic Modeling, Vertical Flight Controller Design, and Attitude Control Experiment of Quad-Tilt-Ducted Fan UAV (in Korean)
Supervisor: Prof Youdan Kim2007.3~2009.2: Seoul Science High School
Experience
2025.9.1~Present: Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University
2025.9.1~Present: Visiting Academic, Centre for Assured and Connected Autonomy, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cranfield University
2024.11.29~2025.8.12: Lecturer in Control and Optimisation, Centre for Assured and Connected Autonomy, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cranfield University
2024.10.25~Present: Academic Advisor, Mechanical AI, Inc.
2021.1.18~2024.11.28: Research Fellow (Cranfield 75th Anniversary Fellowship, Press Release), Centre for Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University
Line Manager: Prof Hyo-Sang Shin2019.3.1~2020.12.31: Senior Researcher, Team 2, 4th Directorate, The 1st R&D Institute, Agency for Defense Development
2017.12.1~2019.2.28: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University
2017.3.1~2018.8.31: Researcher, Automation and Systems Research Institute, Seoul National University
2015.11.14~2016.4.28: Visiting Research Student, Centre for Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University
Supervisor: Dr Hyo-Sang Shin, Prof Antonios Tsourdos2008.8.19~2008.8.28: The 2nd International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), Member of the Korean National Team, Silver Medalist
2007.11.21~2007.11.29: The 3rd Asian-Pacific Astronomy Olympiad (APAO), Member of the Korean National Team, Bronze Medalist
Research Projects
Research Projects participated in Aerospace Autonomy and Intelligence Laboratory, Seoul National University
2026.8~2031.7: Physical AI (NIPA)
2026.7~2033.6: Engineering Research Center for Trustworthy Distributed Physical Systems, National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
2026.1~2027.1: D3C: Direct Data-Driven Control for Safe and Efficient Autonomous Systems, Seoul National University (SNU)
2025.9~2027.8: Data-Driven Safe and Adaptive Control of Autonomous Systems, Seoul National University (SNU)
2025.9~2028.10: ReUSV-41, Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT)
2025.9~2027.5: UAVRC, National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
2025.9~2027.2: TD-21, Agency for Defense Development (ADD)
Research Projects participated in Cranfield University
2024.12~2026.11: Meta-Learning for Safe Adaptive Control, The Royal Society
2024.10~2026.9: Learning for Scalable Automated Design of Reliable Control Systems, UK-RAS Network
2024.3~2024.12: Implementation of Advanced Adaptive Control Algorithms for Aerospace Applications, EPSRC-Cranfield
2022.9~2022.12: Flight Control Technologies - Control Allocation Algorithms: Understanding the State of the Art and Future Development Opportunities, BAE Systems
2022.7~2023.1: Developing Methods for Coherent Integration of Learning and Control for Autonomous Aerospace Systems, The Alan Turing Institute
2021.1~2024.1: AI for Exploitation of Data-Driven Approach in Control for Aerospace Systems, Cranfield University
Research Projects participated in Agency for Defense Development
2019.3~2020.12: Development of Guidance and Control Systems for Missiles
Research Projects participated in Flight Dynamics and Control Laboratory, Seoul National University
2017.1~2019.2: Study on Trajectory Generation and Improved Guidance/Control System for Precision Guided Munition, LIG Nex1
2016.12~2017.8: Development of Simulation Program for Performance Analysis of Guided Weapon Systems, Hanwha
2014.7~2017.6: Development of Guidance, Navigation, and Control Algorithms and Corresponding Source Code for Experimental Lunar Orbiter, National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
2014.1~2016.12: Study on Trajectory Generation for Mission Planning of Guided Bomb, LIG Nex1
2013.2~2014.12: Study on Distributed System of Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Agency for Defense Development (ADD)
Honours & Awards & Scholarships
2025.12: Excellent Reviewer for JGCD in 2025
2025.5: Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA)
2024.11: Associate Fellow of Advance HE (AFHEA)
2022.11: Recognised C-DICE Fellowship, Centre for Postdoctoral Development in Infrastructure Cities and Energy (C-DICE)
2021.1: Cranfield 75th Anniversary Fellowship, Cranfield University
2017.2: Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University
2012.8: Summa Cum Laude Graduate, Seoul National University
2011.3~Present: Member of STEM (Honor Society of College of Engineering, Seoul National University)
2009.9~2012.8: Academic Excellence Scholarship from Seoul National University
Short Bio
Namhoon Cho is Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Seoul National University, South Korea since September 2025. He received his BSc and PhD degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Seoul National University, South Korea, in August 2012 and February 2017, respectively. Previously, he was Lecturer in Control and Optimisation in the Centre for Assured and Connected Autonomy at Cranfield University, United Kingdom from November 2024 to August 2025. He was a research fellow at Cranfield University from January 2021 to November 2024 with the award of a Cranfield 75th Anniversary Fellowship to pursue research on AI for Exploitation of Data-Driven Approach in Control for Aerospace Systems. He was a senior researcher in the 1st R&D Institute, Agency for Defense Development, South Korea, from March 2019 to December 2020, where he was involved in research and development of guidance and control systems for missiles and developed design tools based on optimisation techniques. He was a research fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, South Korea, from March 2017 to February 2019. He develops constructive methodologies to design control algorithms for aerospace and robotic systems. His research interests include control-theoretic design of optimisation algorithms, robust adaptive control with online model learning, data-driven safe control frameworks, learning-enabled control with safety assurance, and automated control engineering.
Media
2021.6: Early Career Researcher Interview, “Unified Design Frameworks for Control and Estimation with Aerospace Applications,” Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research Information Center, Written Interview (in Korean)