Robotics, Automation and Autonomy

Robotics, Automation and Autonomy research is focused on fundamental, enabling science and engineering techniques related to robotics. Topics range from kinematics and mechanisms, dynamics and control, and intelligent materials to artificial intelligence. Areas of practical application of robotics and automation include macroscale/microscale manufacturing, mobile robots, assistive and prosthetic devices, soft robots, legged robotic systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Research topics under this area include:

Kinematics and dynamics of multi-body systems (Hereid, Siston, M. Srinivasan, Su) develops numerical methods and mathematical framework for kinematic analysis and dynamic simulations of complex articulated multi-body systems including but not limited to industrial serial and parallel manipulators, precision machinery, flexible continuum robots, human walking, biped and quadruped robots.
Design of novel robotic systems (Hoelzle, Menq, Siston, M. Srinivasan, Su) focuses on practical hardware implementation of new robotic systems including variable stiffness compliant mechanisms for human-safe corobots, transformable wheels for mobile robots, programmable soft robots, continuum robots, high precision nanopositioners, assistive devices, prostheses and exoskeletons, solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles and networked UAV systems.
System Optimization and control (Ahmed, Goswami, Hereid, Hoelzle, Kumar, Menq, M. Srinivasan, Stockar) creates numerical algorithms for modern optimization and control framework that integrates kinematic and dynamics simulation into algorithm objective functions. This includes the synthesis and design of optimal multi-body systems, motion plans of multi-body systems, or provably stable and robust control of the energetics and/or motions of multi-body systems.
Autonomy (Ahmed, Aksun Guvenc, Goswami, Guvenc, Hereid, Hoelzle, Kumar, M. Srinivasan, Stockar) focuses on intelligent machines that operate robustly under a variety of operating conditions with considerable uncertainties and without explicit human supervision, being perhaps capable of autonomously improving performance over time through learning and adaptation to the environment, potentially using modern AI and machine learning techniques.

Labs and Centers

Graduate Courses

ME 5030: Intermediate Dynamics
ME 5339: Simulation Techniques for Control System Analysis and Design
ME 5372: Design and Control of Mechatronic Systems
ME 5374: Smart Materials and Intelligent Systems
ME/ECE 5463: Introduction to Real Time Robotics Systems
ME 5700: Introduction to Musculoskeletal Biomechanics
ME 5751: Design and Manufacturing of Compliant Mechanisms and Robots
ME 6700: Musculoskeletal Biomemechanics
ME 7230: Advanced Dynamics
ME 7290: Digital Control Engineering
ME 7384: Energy Modeling, Simulation, Optimization and Control of Advanced Vehicles
ME 7385: Dynamics and Control of Human and Animal Movement
ME 7751: Advanced Kinematics and Mechanisms
ME 7752: Mechanics and Control of Robots
ME 8220: Continuous Time Optimal Control
ME 8230: Nonlinear Dynamics
ME 8322: Vehicle System Dynamics and Control
ME 8352: Robust Control of Mechatronic Systems
AAE 7720: Advanced Stability and Control of Flight Vehicles
AAE 8820: Robust Multivariable Control with Applications