Dr. Don D. Haddad is a Research Engineer and Scientist specialized in Agentic AI, Lunar Imaging and Simulation Environments. He served as the Lead Research Engineer for the MIT and NASA Ames Lunar Imaging Payload onboard the MAPP Rover by Lunar Outpost, the first U.S. commercial Lunar Rover to land on the Moon at the South Pole region near Mons Mouton (March 6, 2025, IM-2 Mission).
Bio
Dr. Don D. Haddad is a Research Engineer and Scientist specialized in lunar imaging, agentic AI, robotics, and simulation environments. He served as the Lead Research Engineer for the MIT/NASA Lunar Imaging Payload on the MAPP Lunar Rover, the first U.S. commercial rover to land on the Moon (March 6, 2025, IM-2 Mission).
Don engineers AI-driven perception pipelines for data acquisition, 3D reconstruction, and spectral imaging to support lunar surface analysis. His work bridges computer graphics, machine learning, and human-robot interaction, with applications in space exploration and autonomous systems.
He holds a Ph.D. from MIT and has collaborated with NASA Ames, Lunar Outpost, Intuitive Machines, Rover Robotics, and Boston Dynamics.
Since 2014, Don has been investigating the coupling of the Real, the Imaginary, and the Virtual through interdisciplinary research spanning Computer Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Human-Computer and Human-Robot Interaction. He earned his Master of Science at MIT in 2018 for his work on "Resynthesizing Reality: Driving Vivid Virtual Environments from Sensor Networks," presented at SIGGRAPH 2017.
Don's broader interest in HCI expands into wearable computing, ambient technology, smart textiles, and fashion — featuring patented research on knitted fabric sensors and interactive installations such as Tapis Magique, winner of the 2022 SXSW Innovation Award and the 2022 International MIDI Award. He is also an electronic music improviser and inventor of award-winning instruments presented at NIME and CHI.
Education
Ph.D., Media Arts & Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 2018–2023
“New Paradigms in Blending Virtual and Physical Exploration through Human-Robot Operations.”
Prof. Joseph A. Paradiso · Prof. Dava J. Newman · Dr. Scott Greenwald
M.S., Media Arts & Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 2015–2018
“Resynthesizing Reality: Driving Vivid Virtual Environments from Sensor Networks.”
Prof. Joseph A. Paradiso · Prof. Ken Perlin · Prof. Glorianna Davenport
Research Areas
Collaborators
- MIT AeroAstro
- MIT Media Lab
- NASA Ames Research Center
- Intuitive Machines
- Lunar Outpost
- Boston Dynamics
- Rover Robotics
Languages
English · Arabic · French
Experience
Lead AI Engineer
Stealth Agentic AI Startup
- Led the design and development of an AI-native web intelligence platform that detected, classified, and analyzed autonomous agent traffic across websites, transforming early research on the agentic web into a production-ready product.
- Architected end-to-end systems for agent readiness and machine-consumable web interaction, including perception tooling, structured data generation, MCP integration, and conversational responder workflows.
- Built a hybrid semantic search engine that translates natural language into structured query filters through a three-layer pipeline — instant regex detection, LLM intent decomposition, and parallel vector search.
- Architected intelligence orchestration within web based applications, enabling LLM-driven routing, structured reasoning, and machine-assisted user interactions.
Lead Research — Lunar Imaging
MIT Space Exploration Initiative
- Built Mission Control Software and digital twins for lunar operations using Unreal Engine 5.
- Developed the Azure Kinect à La Luna (AKALL), a Dockerized system to operate a space-graded Microsoft Azure Kinect on the Moon, deployed on the first U.S. made Lunar Rover by Lunar Outpost.
- Integrated NVIDIA AI Workbench with Omniverse to enable upscaling of 3D lunar analog data using USD-based assets and containerized inference pipelines.
- Published in IEEE Aerospace, SIGGRAPH, LPSC, LPI.
Planetary Science Software Engineer
NASA Ames Research Center
- Designed .ND3, a lightweight format for compressed ToF-based imaging data.
- Developed 3D reconstruction software and NIR spectral imaging pipelines for lunar surface analysis.
- Conducted field tests at NASA Ames Lunar analog testbeds to assess various depth imaging platforms.
- Published in IEEE Aerospace, LPSC, ASCEND, Acta Astronautica.
Research Assistant
MIT Media Lab — Responsive Environments Group
- Research in Digital Twins, Sensor Networks, Virtual Environments, AI and Robotics.
- Guest lecturer and keynote presenter at MIT on topics of VR, HRI, AI, Space Systems and Electronic Music.
- Published in ACM, SIGGRAPH, IEEE, UIST, CHI, NIME, ASCEND, AGU, 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.
Engineering Skills
C, C++, C#, CUDA, Python, Go, Java, TypeScript, JavaScript, Node.js, Linux, Bash, software architecture, backend systems, API design, distributed services, real-time software, performance optimization, low-level debugging, cross-platform engineering, infrastructure-aware development, testing frameworks, and technical documentation.
Agentic AI, agent orchestration, autonomous software agents, LLMs, Claude Code, Gemini, Antigravity, Codex, Cursor, generative models, GANs, PyTorch, TensorFlow, machine learning, deep learning, robotics software, ROS1/ROS2, SLAM, perception, sensor fusion for intelligent systems, embodied AI, HRI, multimodal AI, intelligent human-machine interfaces.
Digital twins, Unreal Engine, Unity, NVIDIA Omniverse, NeRF, Gaussian Splatting, photogrammetry, Open3D, OpenCV, ffmpeg, WebGL, 3D reconstruction, simulation environments.
PCB design (Altium, Eagle), microcontrollers (ESP32, STM32), edge AI (NVIDIA Jetson, Xavier), ToF depth cameras, RGB-D sensing, LiDAR, sensor fusion, real-time sensing systems.
UI/UX, Docker, CI/CD, Git, Nginx, AWS, Vercel, Kubernetes, cloud deployment, backend services, infrastructure engineering.
ClickHouse, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Turbopuffer, JSON, XML, vector databases, structured data pipelines.
UDP, TCP, UNIX domain sockets, WebSockets, WebRTC, OSC, MIDI, SDR, networked systems, real-time communication protocols.
System security, network analysis, nmap, Wireshark, penetration testing, web security, vulnerability assessment, reverse engineering, SDR, RF analysis, RF hacking, protocol analysis.
Rapid prototyping, CAD, Fusion 360, Rhino, Grasshopper, 3D modeling, 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC fabrication, digital fabrication, wearable prototyping, digital knitting, smart textiles, physical computing.
Scientific Skills
Lunar and planetary surface imaging, visible and near-infrared sensing, reflectance analysis, optical maturity assessment, regolith characterization, and planetary analog studies.
Depth sensing, RGB-D imaging, time-of-flight sensing, microtopographic terrain modeling, multimodal data fusion, and real-time spatial workflows.
Scientific imaging system design, multimodal sensor integration, hardware control, sensor calibration, field and lab data acquisition, and experimental sensing workflows.
Robotic perception for planetary exploration, rover payload integration, mission software pipelines, terrain awareness systems, and science operations support.
Quantitative image analysis, grayscale and reflectance-based measurement, signal interpretation, preprocessing, calibration workflows, and comparative analysis across simulants and conditions.
Scientific digital twins, simulation environments, immersive visualization, telepresence, hybrid real-virtual systems, and spatial interfaces for mission operations.
Fundamental reasoning, controlled sensing studies, comparative testing, instrument evaluation, scientific validation, prototype iteration, and interdisciplinary research methods.
Academic writing, scientific visualization, interdisciplinary communication, publication development, conference presentation, and translating engineering systems into scientific workflows.
Selected Projects
A selection of projects that showcase my work in AI, Space Systems, Computer Graphics, Virtual Reality, Sensing Technologies, Wearable Computing, and Electronic Music Instruments Design.
Agentic Web Intelligence Platform
AI-Native Agent Traffic Analytics
Led the design and development of a production platform that detects, classifies, and analyzes autonomous agent traffic on the web. Architected agent readiness systems including perception tooling, MCP integration, and agent to agent web interactions.
Lunar Mission Control
Unreal Engine Interface for Rover Operations
Designed and built mission control software in Unreal Engine to communicate with the MIT/NASA RESOURCE Camera payload onboard of Lunar Outpost's MAPP rover. Developed a photorealistic lunar surface environment integrating rover operations, visualization, and interface workflows for remote mission support.
MIT/NASA RESOURCE Camera
Lunar Imaging Payload for the MAPP Rover
Lead Software Engineer and Research Scientist for a lunar imaging payload on the MAPP Lunar Rover (Lunar Outpost IM-2 mission). MAPP became the first U.S.-made commercial rover to touch down on the lunar surface on March 6, 2025.
Azure Kinect à La Luna (AKALL)
Dockerized Depth-Camera Framework for Space Robotics
A Dockerized system to operate a space-graded Microsoft Azure Kinect on the Moon. Deployed on the first U.S. made Lunar Rover by Lunar Outpost. Integrated with NVIDIA Omniverse for USD-based 3D upscaling.
ND3 Data Format
Lightweight Format for Real-Time 3D Reconstruction
Developed at NASA Ames Research Center. ND3 efficiently stores compressed 2D imaging data from Time-of-Flight sensors for real-time 3D reconstruction of microtopographic lunar terrain.
Responsive Space Environments
PhD Thesis — Blending Virtual and Physical Exploration
Doctoral research on new paradigms in blending virtual and physical exploration through human-robot operations. Systems for telepresence and mixed-reality in space exploration contexts.
Virtual Analog Environments
Photogrammetric Terrain Worlds for Space Research
Built high-fidelity virtual analog sites from large-scale photogrammetry for space exploration research. Transformed real terrestrial terrains into simulated planetary environments, including Mars-like landscapes, for visualization, experimentation, and mission planning.
Doppelbots
Game Engine Teleoperation for Robotics
A series of robotics experiments connecting the Unity game engine to teleoperation, navigation, and control workflows for custom rovers and quadrupeds. Explored real-time robotic interaction through game-engine interfaces and simulation-driven control systems.
Tapis Magique
Machine-Knitted Electronic Textile Carpet
Interactive choreo-musical carpet combining machine knitting, electronic textiles, and immersive environments. Winner of the SXSW 2022 Innovation Award and the 2022 International MIDI Award.
SensorKnit
Architecting Textile Sensors with Machine Knitting
Research on designing and fabricating textile-based sensors using industrial knitting machines. Published as a cover article in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. Patented technology.
Resynthesizing Reality
Driving Virtual Environments from Sensor Networks
Master's thesis and SIGGRAPH 2017 presentation exploring how real-time sensor data from environmental networks can drive vivid, responsive virtual environments — bridging the physical and digital worlds.
Fragile Instruments
Constructing Destructible Musical Interfaces
Musical instruments designed to be destroyed during performance, questioning the permanence of physical interfaces. Best Presentation Award at NIME 2017.
SoundFORMS
Manipulating Sound Through Touch
Actuated shape display for tangible sound manipulation. Best Paper Honorable Mention at CHI 2016.
Publications
36 peer-reviewed papers, theses, and conference proceedings.
Don D. Haddad, Cody Paige, Ariel Ekblaw, Joseph A. Paradiso, Dava J. Newman, Amanda M. Cook, Ariel N. Deutsch, Jennifer Heldmann, Anthony Colaprete
IEEE Aerospace Conference (AeroConf)
Don D. Haddad, Ariel N. Deutsch, Anthony Colaprete, Amanda M. Cook, Cody Paige, Eyal Perry, Jennifer Heldmann
Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC)
Leonie Bensch, Cody Paige, Don D. Haddad, Fangzheng Liu, Nathan Perry, Gerrit Olivier, Joseph A. Paradiso
IEEE Pervasive Computing
Severin Meyer, Daniel V. Levine, Don D. Haddad, Irmandy Wicaksono, Joseph A. Paradiso
54th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES-2025-242)
Liu, F., Blanchard, L., Haddad, D. D., & Paradiso, J. A.
arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.18196
Fangzheng Liu, Lancelot Blanchard, Don D. Haddad, Joseph A. Paradiso
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
Cook AM, Paige C, Haddad DD, Ekblaw A, Auffinger S, Heldmann J, Ward FS, Rademacher A, White B, Shimada J, Colaprete A
LPI Contributions, 3074, p.5007
Fangzheng Liu, Don Derek Haddad, Joseph A. Paradiso
UIST Adjunct '24
Don D. Haddad, Cody Paige, Ferrous Ward, Joseph A. Paradiso, Dava Newman, Ariel Ekblaw, Amanda Cook, Jennifer Heldmann
IEEE Aerospace Conference
Irmandy Wicaksono, Aditi Maheshwari, Don D. Haddad, Joseph A. Paradiso, Andreea Danielescu
Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies
Don D. Haddad
MAS PhD Thesis — MIT Media Lab
Don D. Haddad, Stefan Unterhauser, Cody A. Paige, Ben Brokaw, Ferrous S. Ward, Joseph A. Paradiso, J. Heldmann, Dava J. Newman
Conference on Human-Computer Interaction for Space Exploration (SpaceCHI 3.0)
Cody A. Paige, Don D. Haddad, Ferrous S. Ward, Trent J. Piercy, Jessica E. Todd, Joseph A. Paradiso, Dava J. Newman
Conference on Human-Computer Interaction for Space Exploration (SpaceCHI 3.0)
Ferrous S. Ward, Cody A. Paige, Don D. Haddad, Jessica E. Todd, Jennifer Heldmann, Darlene Lim, Ariel Ekblaw, Dava Newman
International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES)
Cody A. Paige, Don Derek Haddad, Ferrous Ward, Jessica Todd, Ariel Ekblaw, Dava Newman
International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES)
Ekblaw, A., Cherston, J., Liu, F.Z., Wicaksono, I., Haddad, D.D, Sumini, V., Paradiso, J.A
IEEE Pervasive Computing — Best Paper of the Year
C. Paige, F. Ward, D. D. Haddad, J. MacNeil, P. McGaffigan, A. Ekblaw, D. Newman
Acta Astronautica
Wicaksono, I., Haddad, D. D., & Paradiso, J.
Creativity and Cognition (pp. 262-274)
Forsey-Smerek, A., Paige, C., Ward, F., Haddad, D. D., Sanneman, L., Todd, J., Heldmann, J., Lim, D., Newman, D.
IEEE Aerospace Conference (AERO)
Paige, C.A., Forsey-Smerek, A., Haddad, D.D., Ward, F., Piercy, T., Heldmann, J., Lim, D., Colaprete, A., Cook, A., Newman, D.
ASCEND 2021
Paige, C., Ward, F., Haddad, D.D., Forsey-Smerek, A., Sanneman, L.M., Todd, J., Colaprete, A., Lim, D.S.S., Heldmann, J., Newman, D.
AGU Fall Meeting
Cody A. Paige, Dava Newman, Don Derek Haddad, Ferrous Ward, Trent Piercy
50th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES-2021-227)
Fei Jiang, Don D. Haddad, Joseph A. Paradiso
HCI International (HCII)
Joao Wilbert*, Don D. Haddad*, Hiroshi Ishii, Joseph A. Paradiso
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
Ou, J.*, Oran, D.*, Haddad, D.D.*, Paradiso, J.A., Ishii, H.
3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, Vol. 6 Issue 1 — Cover Issue
Don Derek Haddad, Joseph A. Paradiso
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
Gabriela Bila Advincula, Don Derek Haddad, Kent Larson
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
Don Derek Haddad
MAS Thesis — MIT Media Lab
Don Derek Haddad, Joseph A. Paradiso
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
Don Derek Haddad, Xiao Xiao, Tod Machover, Joseph A. Paradiso
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) — Best Presentation Award
Don Derek Haddad, Gershon Dublon, Brian Mayton, Spencer Russell, Xiao Xiao, Ken Perlin, Joseph A. Paradiso
SIGGRAPH 2017
Brian Mayton, Gershon Dublon, Spencer Russell, Evan F. Lynch, Don Derek Haddad, Vasant Ramasubramanian, Clement Duhart, Glorianna Davenport, Joseph A. Paradiso
Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 26(2), MIT Press
Gershon Dublon, Brian Mayton, Don Derek Haddad, Clement Duhart, Spencer Russell, Glorianna Davenport, Joseph A. Paradiso
Society of Wetland Scientists
Xiao Xiao, Don Derek Haddad, Thomas Sanchez, Akito van Troyer, Rébecca Kleinberger, Penny Webb, Joe Paradiso, Tod Machover, Hiroshi Ishii
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
Aubrey Colter, Don Derek Haddad, Patlapa Davivongsa, Halla Moore, Brian Tice, Hiroshi Ishii
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) — Best Paper, Honorable Mention
Basheer Tome, Don Derek Haddad, Tod Machover, Joseph A. Paradiso
New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME)
Awards & Patents
Selected awards, press recognition, and patented innovations.
IEEE Pervasive Computing — Best Paper of the Year
IEEEFrom UbiComp to Universe — Moving Pervasive Computing Research Into Space Applications
SXSW Innovation Award
South by SouthwestTapis Magique: Interactive Textile Sensor System
MIDI Innovation Award
International MIDI AssociationTapis Magique: A Choreo-musical Interactive Carpet
Rhode Island International Film Festival — Semi-Finalist
RIIFF (Oscar-qualifying)Synthetic:Sync — short experimental film
Best Presentation Award
NIME 2017Fragile Instruments: Destructible Musical Interfaces
Best Paper Award — Honorable Mention
CHI 2016SoundFORMS: Manipulating Sound Through Touch
Patents
Jifei Ou, Daniel Oran, Don D. Haddad
A sensor may include a knitted pocket and loose yarn that is inside a cavity of the pocket. A resistive pressure sensor may include a knitted pocket and loose conductive yarn, where pressure compresses the loose yarn, increasing electrical shorts and decreasing resistance.
Filed September 16, 2019