With growing interest among the global scientific community in investigating caves and lava tubes on the Red Planet, the Mars Society has invited Dr. Wolfgang Fink, a senior researcher from the University of Arizona and CalTech, to give a plenary talk about this field of exploration during the 26th Annual International Mars Society Convention October 5-8, 2023 at Arizona State University (Tempe).
The title of Dr. Fink’s plenary address during the convention will be: “To boldly go where no robot has gone before: Martian caves and lava tubes – the next frontier in planetary space exploration.”
Currently serving as an associate professor for the Inaugural Edward & Maria Keonjian Endowed Chair of Micro-Electronics at the University of Arizona, Dr. Fink’s area of research focuses on artificial vision and vision prostheses, autonomous robotic space exploration, biomedical sensor and system development, cognitive and reasoning systems, and computer-optimized design.
In addition, Dr. Fink is the founder and director of the Visual and Autonomous Exploration Systems Research Laboratory at CalTech and the University of Arizona, as well as the founder and director of the University of Arizona Center for Informatics and Telehealth in Medicine.
Dr. Fink has a B.S. degree in physics and a M.S. degree in physics and physical chemistry (University of Göttingen, Germany) and has received a Ph.D. in theoretical physics (“summa cum laude”) from the University of Tübingen.
For additional details about the 2023 International Mars Society Convention, including online registration, call for papers, and volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit our web site at: www.marssociety.org. A list of confirmed speakers will also be posted in the near future.
