Matt Larson

Matt Larson is an R&D Staff scientist in Autonomous Systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He leads defense and energy projects in unmanned systems, maritime autonomy, and tactical geospatial intelligence. He has led the integration of unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater systems (UAS, USV, and UUV) into NATO and multinational military exercises across six continents, and he advises U.S. and international defense stakeholders on autonomous technology integration. He established ORNL’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Program and has led expeditionary UAS operations in austere environments, including a 100 km survey of the Río Coca in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He invented MAPSTER, a tactical edge common operating picture used to share drone, underwater, and surface vehicle data in disconnected and low-bandwidth environments. He holds a B.S. in Geology and Environmental Science from St. Norbert College, a M.S. in Geology and Geospatial Technology from Bowling Green State University, and is completing a Ph.D. in Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota.