01
Integrity-aware estimation
Quantify when navigation and state estimates remain trustworthy under degraded GNSS, sensor faults, and model mismatch.
Input: State + uncertaintySafety-critical intelligent flight systems
Assured autonomy for Advanced Air Mobility in uncertain environments.
My research goal is to develop AAM aircraft that can reason about navigation integrity, environmental uncertainty, energy limits, and evolving vehicle health—then select a safe, feasible action in real time.
Concept architecture Research direction
GNSS degradationWind + densityEnergy uncertaintyVehicle health
Assurance
envelope
envelope
01Integrity
02Planning
03Control
04Health
ContinueReplanDegradeDivertLand
Estimate uncertainty → preserve constraints → monitor assurance → choose the safest feasible action.
Research thesis
An autonomous aircraft should not only complete a mission. It should know when its estimates are trustworthy, how much risk and energy remain, and which safe action is still feasible.
01 / Research agenda
The long-term direction
Assurance is an architecture, not a final safety check.
I am interested in connecting four tightly coupled capabilities so that an AAM aircraft can remain predictable and useful when sensing, dynamics, environment, energy, or hardware depart from nominal assumptions.
02
Risk- and energy-aware planning
Plan trajectories that balance mission progress, obstacle and weather risk, energy reserve, and feasible diversion options.
Input: Risk + energy margins03
Robust nonlinear control
Maintain constraint-aware flight performance through nonlinear dynamics, gusts, payload motion, and uncertain disturbances.
Input: Dynamics + constraints04
Health-aware contingency management
Use vehicle-health indicators and runtime assurance to decide when to continue, replan, degrade, divert, or land safely.
Input: Health + safe actionPreferred validation path
- 01Theory
- 02Algorithms
- 03Simulation
- 04Hardware-in-the-loop
- 05Flight validation
My current UAS work is progressing from PX4 simulation toward hardware-in-the-loop and experimental flight validation.
02 / Research trajectory
Evidence → questions
From operating evidence to trustworthy autonomy.
What I bring now
- Experimental dynamicsRotorcraft payload oscillations and Pixhawk-based flight experimentation
- Field deploymentUAV sensing, mapping, photogrammetry, and data interpretation
- Operational assuranceAircraft maintenance, quality audit, root-cause analysis, and safety-risk assessment
- Simulation foundationPython, MATLAB, PX4 SITL, Gazebo, and numerical modelling
What I aim to investigate
- Navigation integrityState and uncertainty estimation under degraded sensing
- Constrained decision-makingStochastic, risk-aware, and energy-aware trajectory planning
- Assured controlNonlinear MPC, safe learning-enabled control, and runtime assurance
- Health-aware autonomyFault-responsive replanning, degraded modes, diversion, and safe landing
03 / Selected work
Research grounded in real systems
A foundation built across dynamics, sensing, field operations, and assurance.
01Completed
Payload-induced oscillations in an unmanned rotorcraft
Designed and conducted experiments with a Pixhawk 4-controlled S500 quadrotor and suspended payload to characterize oscillatory behavior across flight phases.
Evidence for reasoning about uncertain coupled dynamics, disturbance rejection, and constraint-aware control.
02In development
Modular high-altitude cargo UAS for Himalayan missions
Co-leading system definition for logistics, medical delivery, and search-and-rescue; guiding seven engineering students across architecture, prototyping, and risk-based testing.
Current stack uses PX4 SITL, Gazebo, QGroundControl, and ROS 2, progressing toward HIL and experimental flight validation.
03Completed
UAV sensing and field deployment for precision irrigation
Developed and field-tested a crop-monitoring workflow integrating RGB and thermal sensing, photogrammetry, and geospatial analysis in Nawalparasi East, Nepal.
Built experience translating sensing, mission planning, and data interpretation into a usable workflow under field constraints.
04Completed
High-resolution UAV mapping and spatial assessment
Led UAV mission planning, aerial data collection, photogrammetric reconstruction, and GIS analysis for a rooftop-area assessment in Kathmandu.
Connected vehicle operation and sensing with decision-ready spatial evidence in a dense urban environment.
04 / Technical foundation
Current capabilities
Tools for modelling, building, testing, and assuring flight systems.
Autonomy & UAV
Pixhawk 4, PX4 SITL, Gazebo, QGroundControl, UAV mission planning, flight experimentation
Programming & computing
Python, MATLAB, C, Linux, Git, numerical modelling, data analysis, scientific computing
Navigation & sensing
GNSS fundamentals, IMU/autopilot integration, RGB and thermal imaging, photogrammetry
Aviation assurance
Aircraft maintenance, internal audit, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, safety-risk assessment
Current development boundary ROS 2 integration is under active development; machine-learning experience is foundational and supported by the 128-hour Neuromatch Academy Interactive Deep Learning track.
05 / Publications
Selected research outputs
Experimental work across flight dynamics and thermal systems.
- 01AAM-relevant
Experimental Evaluation of Payload Induced Oscillations of an Unmanned Rotorcraft System
Bhattarai, B., Rimal, B., Karki, A., & Bhattarai, S. Proceedings of VETOMAC 2022, Vol. 17.
- 02
Heat Transfer Enhancement of Concentric Heat Exchanger Using Compound Techniques
Acharya, S., Bhattarai, B., et al. International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology, 9(II), 125-133.
- 03
An Experimental and Simulation Study on Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Smooth Tube Using Twisted Tape Insert
Acharya, S., et al., Bhattarai, B. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science, 3(1), 1202-1211.
- 04
Study on Effects of Grooves on Tube Heat Exchangers
Acharya, S., et al., Bhattarai, B. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 9(2), 299-306.
06 / Updates
Current work and direction
What I am building and investigating now.
Current development
01PX4–ROS 2 simulation toward Pixhawk 6X HIL
Building from PX4 SITL, Gazebo, and QGroundControl toward a reproducible ROS 2 integration and hardware-in-the-loop validation workflow.
2025–present
02Himalayan cargo UAS architecture and test planning
Co-leading system definition and guiding a seven-student engineering team across modular airframe, avionics, control, and risk-based validation decisions.
Research direction
03Health-aware assured autonomy for AAM
Developing a focused research agenda that links navigation integrity, energy- and risk-aware planning, robust control, and fault-responsive contingency decisions.
07 / Aviation experience
Dec 2018-present
Safety-critical practice shaped by maintenance and quality leadership.
At Nepal Airlines Corporation, I have progressed through aircraft maintenance, maintenance-support leadership, and quality assurance—experience that grounds my interest in certifiable and health-aware autonomy.
Mar 2023-present
Quality Engineer / Auditor
Nepal Airlines Corporation
Conduct risk-based audits, surveillance, and inspections of maintenance and continuing-airworthiness activities; investigate findings through root-cause analysis and monitor corrective and preventive actions.
Dec 2020-Mar 2023
In-Charge, Aircraft Support Shop
Nepal Airlines Corporation
Led a ten-person technical team responsible for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of aircraft-support equipment, maintenance planning, inspection checklists, job orders, and equipment records.
Dec 2018-Dec 2020
Aircraft Maintenance
Nepal Airlines Corporation
Supported inspections, scheduled maintenance, component replacement, documentation, and conformity checks on DHC-6 Twin Otter, Airbus A320, and A330 aircraft.
EducationM.S. Mechanical System Design & EngineeringDistinction · Tribhuvan University · 2023
EducationB.E. Mechanical EngineeringDistinction · Tribhuvan University · 2015
Research supportNAST grants · KMC fellowshipUAV dynamics, precision irrigation, and urban mapping
08 / Let’s connect
Let’s make autonomous flight worthy of trust.
I am seeking PhD research opportunities in aerospace engineering focused on intelligent control, autonomy assurance, and resilient systems for Advanced Air Mobility.