Thanks for your interest to conduct undergraduate research in our group. Please read the following information before submitting an application. To submit your application please fill in the form linked to at the bottom of this page.
(1) Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we now require a minimum GPA of 3.6 (preferably 3.75 or higher), and give priority to students that can put in at the very minimum 10hrs per week for research in the lab. We offer training opportunities on contemporary robotics research all the way from hardware design to artificial intelligence, but commitment is critical to master these concepts. We also highly recommend reaching out to us before Summer of Senior Year (or earlier) so that there is some meaningful span of time to learn and start contributing to active research projects.
(2) We particularly welcome students interested in performing research to earn course credits.
(3) We expect undergraduate students in the lab to apply for UCR's internal awards (such as the research minigrant). We offer advice and help to prepare the applications, but the drive to pursue such opportunities must come from the student.
(4) We feature the following areas of interest. When completing the form please mention the area you are interested in. Please check back at the end of a Quarter for updates on openings. The current application domain include Agricultural Robotics.
(i) Robotics Software Engineer (front-end): We expect that students have established strong programming skills (C++ and Python), can develop GUIs and deploy code in Github, are comfortable working in Linux (Ubuntu), and know (or can quickly pick up) ROS (Robot Operating System). The aim is to develop front-end ROS-based applications to visualize sensor data and interact with a robot.
(ii) Robotics Software Engineer (back-end): We expect that students have established strong programming skills (C++ and Python), can develop code in Github, are comfortable working in Linux (Ubuntu), know ROS (Robot Operating System), and know (or can quickly pick up) robotics simulation software such as Gazebo, Airsim, etc. The aim is to develop simulators for various aerial and ground robotic platforms.
(iii) Machine Perception Engineer: We expect that students have established strong programming skills (C++ and Python), are knowledgeable on computer vision and signal processing, can work in OpenCV, can develop code in Github, are comfortable working in Linux (Ubuntu), know (or can quickly pick up) ROS (Robot Operating System) and robotics simulation software such as Gazebo, Airsim, etc. The aim is to develop machine perception algorithms utilizing a variety of sensors such as stereo cameras and LIDARs.
(iv) Soft Robotics Engineer: We expect that students are knowledgeable on material science, mechanics, and composite manufacturing and testing, have established strong CAD skills (e.g., Solidworks and Ansys), are familiar with incompressible fluid mechanics, and are capable to perform rapid prototyping through casting, 3D-printing and laser-cutting. The aim is to develop, test and revise soft wearable components that are pneumatically actuated.
(v) Legged Robotics Engineer: We expect that students have established strong CAD skills (Solidworks), have a solid understanding of mechanics, machine elements, and mechanism design, have experience in building hardware prototypes, and are capable to perform rapid prototyping through milling, 3D-printing, laser-cutting, and metal/wood-working. The aim is to design, build, and test various prototypes of small legged robots (and/or small manipulators) that may exhibit compliant elements.
(vi) Robot Modeling Engineer: We expect that students have established strong skills in math (linear algebra, theory of probability, harmonic analysis, topology), control theory (linear systems, feedback control, dynamical & chaotic systems), and/or theory of computation, and/or theoretical machine learning, are knowledgeable on physics, have experience proving mathematical statements, and are capable of developing complex Matlab scripts (or, ideally, Python scripts). The aim is to study and model the behavior of various dynamical systems that can range from AI-powered legged robots to soft wearable components.