Independent Projects
As part of the degree curriculum, each student completes an independent project that is tailored to the student's interests.
Our students don't just tell people what they can do — they show them
From speaking with leaders in industry and academia, we know that our students are hired by companies and invited to join prestigious labs based on the strength of their portfolios. Therefore, instead of writing a typical master's thesis, one requirement of the Master of Science in Robotics program, is to develop an online project portfolio. Students benefit from ample guidance throughout the program to ensure their portfolios feature their most relevant experience, capabilities, and knowledge. Graduates leave the program with a valuable tool to present to prospective employers and PhD programs alike that showcases their comprehensive abilities.
The types of projects included in our students' portfolios are:
As part of the degree curriculum, each student completes an independent project that is tailored to the student's interests.
At the end of the program, all students complete a final research project while working in a faculty member’s lab.
As part of other coursework within the degree program, students complete group and individual projects.
Students often pursue their own projects and ideas outside the scope of program coursework.
Sample Student Projects
Robotics & Controls Engineer, Johnson & Johnson
Portfolio Focus: Machine learning, robotic manipulation, human-robot interaction, rehabilitation robotics
Project Highlight: Musheng used machine learning and manipulation to train a two-armed robot to detect human emotion and play the piano to alleviate perceived stress.
Software Robotics Development Engineer, The AI Institute
Portfolio Focus: Navigation, quadrupeds, computer vision
Project Highlight: Katie implemented an algorithm to allow a quadruped robot to efficiently navigate through large crowds of people without collisions.
Robotics Software Engineer, Bonsai Robotics
Portfolio Focus: Drones, path planning, computer vision, machine learning
Project Highlight: Marno built a drone from scratch for autonomous missions in the agriculture sector.
Robotics Software Engineer, Diligent Robotics
Portfolio Focus: Rehabilitation robotics, exoskeletons, machine learning, mechatronics
Project Highlight: Anna helped develop the framework for real-time torque prediction for an adaptive ankle exoskeleton controller intended for stroke rehabilitation.
Software Engineer, Boston Dynamics
Portfolio Focus: Machine learning, SLAM, navigation, legged locomotion
Project Highlight: Maurice Rahme used machine learning to train a spot-micro quadruped to walk, built the spot-micro robot, deployed his algorithm, and submitted a paper to the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).
Computer Vision Engineer, Rivian
Portfolio Focus: Computer vision, SLAM, machine learning
Project Highlight: Shangzhou Ye built a stereo visual SLAM system and is working on fusing point-cloud data from multiple sensors to navigate inside an office environment. He used machine learning to detect desks, chairs, and people.
