Shwetabh Singh: From Childhood Wonder To Autonomous Navigation

Growing up near an Indian Air Force base, aerospace engineer and sensor fusion specialist Shwetabh Singh was fascinated by the aircraft and sought to understand the technology behind their movement.

From photographing aircraft as a boy to calibrating complex navigation systems, his journey reflects an persistent focus on one question: how do machines move so precisely through space?

Here’s an overview of his life, career, and significant work in sensor fusion at Inertial Labs and as a research scholar at the Centre for Air Power Studies in New Delhi, India.

From Childhood Wonder to Engineering Resolve

Singh’s earliest memories are filled with airplanes and the stories of his grandfather, a decorated veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War whose tales of aerial combat fueled Singh’s imagination and brought the thunderous sounds overhead to life.

“I would wake up to the noise of military cargo planes taking off and landing,” he recalls. “Instead of being bothered by it, I would excitedly run outside to photograph these magnificent machines.”

This passion led Singh to enroll at Ashoka University to study physics, where he discovered he had a natural aptitude for experimental physics. He gained the attention of professors Dr. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Dr. Pramoda Kumar: “Their mentorship helped me realize that engineering—particularly aerospace engineering—would allow me to combine my love for hands-on experimentation with my childhood passion for engineering.”

Singh earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Virginia Tech University, where he gained experience in developing integrated sensor fusion systems for autonomous vehicles as a graduate research assistant.

Seeing drones navigate precisely with the systems he helped build deepened his commitment to advancing aerospace navigation.

How Shwetabh Singh Drives Engineering Innovation at the Edge of Autonomy

Today, Singh works at navigation technology company Inertial Labs working on sensor fusion, which takes data from multiple sensors and blends it into a single, clearer picture, like combining different puzzle pieces to reveal the full scene. Singh’s work focuses on Visual SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), which combines the drone’s eyes and memory as it feeds into RESEPI, Inertial Lab’s flagship product.

RESEPI is a compact hardware system designed for drones and other autonomous vehicles. It relies on data inputs from Visual SLAM, which combines the information from cameras, LIDAR sensors, GPS, and GNSS to build a real-time, detailed map of the environment while simultaneously tracking the vehicle’s position within it. This use of multiple types of data inputs has proven to be beneficial.

“We’ve successfully deployed these enhanced systems in various challenging environments where traditional navigation methods fail,” Singh explains. “The improved Visual SLAM capabilities have enabled our customers to maintain precise positioning even in complex urban canyons, underground structures, and other satellite-challenged locations.”

To optimize Visual SLAM, Singh developed new calibration protocols and testing methods spanning RESEPI’s hardware, firmware, and software, all aimed toward improving reliability and accuracy.

Singh’s work goes beyond theory and code. As an FAA-certified pilot of small drones, he personally tests his innovations and refines his navigation systems in real flight conditions. He also regularly leads training sessions for customers and system integrators on RESEPI LiDAR system operation and integration. He personally validates system performance, ensuring that his technology functions in real-world scenarios as he looks to refine his sensor fusion algorithms.

Contributing to India’s Military Aviation Strategy

Over the course of his career, Singh has published extensively on topics ranging from India’s hand in the development of one of the most popular fighter planes in the world to the role of private military companies in modern international relations and force multipliers in the Indian Air Force, reflecting his continued passion for aviation.