Hello, and thank you for visiting my website!

I’m Takuma Nakamura, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech. I work under Dr. Johnson in the UAV Research Facility alongside many talented collaborators.

I began my undergraduate studies at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan (2009–2013), earning a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering in March 2013. In August of the same year, I started graduate work at Georgia Tech, obtaining a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering in August 2015, and I am now continuing in the Ph.D. program.

My research interests lie in computer vision systems, sensor fusion, autonomous flight control for UAVs, six-degrees-of-freedom flight simulation, and modeling. Repeatedly, I have developed filters and vision-based systems, especially for visual target tracking. For example, in the American Helicopter Society MAV Student Challenge, I worked on detecting both a target and a helipad using vision.

In the DJI Developer Challenge, I implemented a ROS node in C++ to estimate the position, velocity, and attitude of a moving platform. Part of that included integrating an AprilTag detection framework into existing software. I have also developed a quadrotor simulation in C/C++ to explore strategies for the International Aerial Robotics Competition, where I focused on detecting moving ground targets.

As a graduate research assistant at UAVRF, I’ve gained substantial experience in computer vision and sensor fusion through research, fieldwork, coursework, and an internship.

I’m also a licensed FAA private pilot and a hobby drone operator. During my undergraduate studies, I had the wonderful opportunity to design, build, and pilot a human-powered airplane — an experience that inspired my path into aerospace engineering.

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to connecting with you.