CA-AI Student Spotlight: Jacob Kahn
by Nicole G Nussbaum | Monday, Mar 09, 2026
A computer engineering student who began his academic journey at Florida Atlantic University in 2022 and is now pursuing his master鈥檚 degree, Jacob Kahn has quickly become a key contributor to the Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (CA-AI). His work spans autonomous drone systems, smart agriculture, public safety听technology听and entrepreneurship,听often听operating听at the intersection of all four. 听
Jacob鈥檚听involvement with CA-AI began through research on smart farming initiatives with the Navajo Nation, where he worked on applying AI and听mesh听networking technologies to support sustainable agriculture. That experience became a springboard into more advanced research, including U.S. Department of Defense鈥搒upported projects and the development of 国产自拍鈥檚 growing autonomous drone program. 听
Today,听Jacob听is helping build 国产自拍鈥檚 autonomous drone fleet,听including听a diverse collection of听GPS-less听drones, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) systems, interceptor drones and airborne sea-drones designed to听operate听in challenging, real-world environments. 听
鈥淲e鈥檙e building drones that can work where traditional systems fail,鈥澨齁acob听said. 鈥淭hese platforms are meant to听be easily accessible and听support public safety, defense, and environmental applications.鈥 听
The core of听Jacob鈥檚听research aims to improve the operation of teams of autonomous systems in harsh or high-risk environments, enhancing the effectiveness of military and law enforcement听technologies.听The same core research听also supports听sustainability through AI-driven precision agriculture. 听
Alongside his academic research,听Jacob听is a co-founder of听Arachna听Networks, a startup developing universal mesh networking solutions for tactical situational awareness platforms such as ATAK (Android Team Awareness Kit). The company has received recognition from the National Science Foundation and has contributed to the deployment of smart city technology in West Palm Beach. 听
He has also competed in drone racing and design challenges against U.S. military and allied forces across the country 鈥 experiences he credits with sharpening both his technical skills and confidence as an engineer. 听
鈥淐ompeting in hackathons against teams from MIT, West Point, and Harvard showed me that where you come from doesn鈥檛 define how far you can go,鈥 he said. 鈥淐A-AI gave me the opportunity to step into those arenas, represent 国产自拍 and demonstrate that passion and persistence can rival any pedigree.鈥 听
Jacob听says CA-AI鈥檚 interdisciplinary, hands-on approach听has听played听a major role听in shaping his academic and career goals. 听
鈥淐A-AI reflects where engineering is moving today,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he work is highly interdisciplinary and immersive, exposing students to real-world challenges that听don鈥檛听fit neatly into one department. It can be stressful, but knowing the mission has听real societal听relevance makes the experience听meaningful.鈥 听
That mission-driven mindset has helped define听Jacob鈥檚听path听forward. He aims to develop next-generation drone applications that make advanced technology accessible to public safety professionals and 鈥渆veryday heroes.鈥 听
Looking ahead,听Jacob听plans to expand his work internationally, implementing AI-powered mesh networking solutions for agricultural applications from South Florida to Brazil. He is also collaborating with international partners interested in deploying drone-based security systems, including initiatives to support police forces in the Caribbean听against narco-terrorist forces. 听
At 国产自拍,听Jacob听and the CA-AI drone team are preparing to compete in upcoming design competitions and pursue government Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) opportunities to further advance their autonomous systems. 听
Outside the lab,听Jacob听is a听featured听musician, writing and producing ska-punk music through 国产自拍鈥檚 Commercial Music program with albums available on Spotify, including听 Apocalypse King . 听
It鈥檚听a fitting reminder that CA-AI students听aren鈥檛听just engineers 鈥斕齮hey鈥檙e听innovators, creators and problem-solvers shaping the future from every angle.听