Spotlight: Tanner Chase Aviation Week's 20 Twenties Winner 2026
Tanner Chase, a 2026 20 Twenties winner from Utah State University, shares his journey in UAV innovation and advice for aspiring aviation professionals.
Chase leads autonomy research for uncrewed aerial systems at the Space Dynamics Laboratory, a Defense Department University Affiliated Research Center. His expertise centers on model predictive control, sensor fusion, and computer vision for resource-constrained embedded platforms, delivering precise onboard autonomy capabilities. He directs multidisciplinary teams through the complete development lifecycle—from algorithm creation and custom hardware design to flight testing—in direct support of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS programs.
Beyond his technical work, Chase contributes to his community through amateur radio emergency communications. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in electrical engineering with a concentration in autonomous aerospace systems.
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