Founded by engineers who built Field AI's Federal defense subsidiary, won the Army xTech Overwatch competition, and fielded autonomous ground vehicles under DARPA. We help defense programs and defense tech companies move from R&D into operational deployment — without losing momentum.
From concept to fielded capability — we bring deep technical expertise and operational understanding to every engagement.
Architecture, integration, and fielding of UGVs and autonomous platforms for defense programs — from DARPA-funded R&D through production DoD deployments and A-Kit retrofit programs.
GPU-accelerated perception, sensor fusion, and closed-loop AI for platforms operating in off-road, GPS-denied, and contested environments.
SBIR/STTR and OTA capture, DARPA transition planning, RFI/RFP development, and direct engagement with DoD program offices and prime contractors.
Standing up field testing infrastructure, autonomy system validation, and cross-functional team leadership for complex defense technology programs.
Iokath is a defense autonomy consulting firm founded by engineers with direct, recent experience inside DoD programs. Our founders built Field AI's Federal defense subsidiary from scratch, led teams that won the Army xTech Overwatch competition, contributed to multiple DoD contract awards, and now architect autonomous UGV systems at Detroit Defense.
We draw on firsthand depth from DARPA RACER, DARPA SubT, Army Research Laboratory, and Booz Allen Hamilton's Digital Battlespace Group. When we advise on fielding — we've done the fielding.
Get in TouchSystems engineer and roboticist with deep experience in autonomous ground vehicles, DARPA programs, and production-grade robotic systems. M.S. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University; thesis focused on GPU-accelerated MPPI optimal control for off-road autonomous vehicles. Led the CMU team on DARPA RACER (one of three Phase 1 selectees) and was part of DARPA SubT's Team Explorer, which placed 4th globally. At Field AI, built the Federal subsidiary from scratch — winning the Army xTech Overwatch competition, contributing to multiple DoD contract awards, and standing up field testing capabilities for autonomous systems across domestic and international programs. Early-stage co-founder of Mach9 Robotics.
PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at the University of Rochester's Robotics and AI Laboratory (RAIL), advised by Prof. Thomas Howard. Research spans differentiable motion planning for off-road UGVs under DARPA RACER (developing the DiEASL state lattice planner) and dialogue-based human-robot teaming under a NASA Early Career Faculty grant — with hardware integration on the Astrobee free-flyer at NASA Ames Research Center. Previously an Autonomy Engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton's Digital Battlespace Group and an ORAU Fellow embedded at Army Research Laboratory. Space systems background from two JHU Applied Physics Lab internships (NASA Dragonfly mission) and a NASA JPL internship on the NEOWISE mission.
Whether you have a defined program, an RFI to respond to, or an early-stage problem — we're happy to talk through how we can help.
contact@iokath.ai