Mark Mueller

Mark Mueller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley, where he leads the High Performance Robotics Laboratory (HiPeRLab). His research explores the intersection of dynamics, design, and control, with a strong emphasis on first-principles analysis, data-driven modeling, and rigorous experimental validation. Mueller’s group works across aerial robotics and advanced mobility systems, studying platforms that range from compact delivery UAVs to large-scale, passenger-carrying eVTOL air taxis. Their research outputs include novel vehicle designs with enhanced survivability, improved energy efficiency, and unique operational capabilities. The lab also investigates autonomy stacks for aerial robots, focusing on how perception and control interact, and how systems can ensure safety, reliability, and robustness under uncertainty. A third major thrust concerns fault tolerance and adaptability to disturbances or unexpected scenarios. Mueller joined Berkeley in 2016 after completing his Ph.D. at ETH Zurich under Prof. Raffaello D’Andrea. He previously earned an M.S. from ETH Zurich and a B.S. from the University of Pretoria. His work has been recognized by awards such as the George Giralt PhD Award for the best robotics dissertation in Europe and the Jacob Ackeret Prize for outstanding research in aeronautical sciences.