Not Your Average 9 to 5: Computer Engineer Helps Deliver Unique Counter-Drone Capability

What can a new college graduate expect to accomplish in their first year of a job? For computer engineer Hannah Roberts, the answer is: way more than she ever imagined. 

From flying in a Blackhawk helicopter, to demonstrating counter UAS capabilities in Saudi Arabia, to training soldiers in Poland on new technology, Roberts’ early-career experiences might not be typical—but at MITRE, they are possible.

The Clemson University alum took a position at our Sumter, S.C., site in June 2023. She describes the work environment as one where “everyone takes you under their wing.” 

The metaphor is especially apt for Roberts, who engages daily with winged technology, specifically, our CARPE Dronvm (Seize the Drone) capability. She’s one of the team that debugs errors and helps resolve problems that arise during system deployment. 

Roberts describes the technology as something that “makes every warfighter a counter UAS sensor”—especially important with the evolving threat of drone technology. 

With CARPE Dronvm, “anyone with a smartphone can use the app to take a picture of the drone. The app uses AI to detect the drone and then can alert command and control authorities and other nearby users,” she explains. 

Applying Tech Skills “Behind the Scenes”

Roberts didn’t always know she wanted to work with computers. When her older sister got involved in theatre in high school, she thought she might want to do the same. After realizing dancing, singing, and acting weren’t her thing, she decided to join the backstage support team. There she discovered an aptitude for—and an interest in—the technical side of things.

In college, she opted to major in computer engineering and considered pursuing a career with the FBI after graduation. When a family friend told her about MITRE, Roberts found herself intrigued by the chance to work on a diverse set of problems for multiple public agencies. 

“Working at MITRE has proven to be exactly what I was hoping for—and then some,” she says. “I want a career where I know I’m contributing to something greater. From getting to demonstrate new capabilities around the world, to interacting with government sponsors, I am sure that what we do matters.”

She’s currently applying her development and testing skills across several Department of Defense projects. Besides CARPE Dronvm, she’s helped create algorithms and metrics for scoring in our GameX crowdsource experimentation platform. 

They’re the kind of innovations that Roberts, who wants to stay hands-on even as she progresses in her career, sees herself inventing in the future. “For me, being impactful isn’t just making something that’s grand and great. It’s creating something that’s going to protect the lives of the people who are out there protecting us.”