Professor
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
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.
Research Interests
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.
- (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 Kim - (2009.3 ~ 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 Kim - (2007.3 ~ 2009.2) Seoul Science High School
- (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 Shin - (2019.3.1 ~ 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 Tsourdos - (2008.8.19 ~ 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
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