Prospective Students (Open Positions)

Our lab is accepting self-motivated, organized, responsible, and hardworking students to work in the field of control theory and applications to robotic systems.

University Admission Requirement for Master's

University Admission Requirement for PhD

More information on Application

Carleton University is #68 worldwide and #3 in Canada in Best Universities for Electrical and Electronic Enginneering according to 2022 Best Global Universities Rankings

Funded PhD Position Available (Winter 2023 or Fall 2023)  Read More

Funded PhD Position Available (Winter 2023 or Fall 2023)

[Description] 

We are looking for highly motivated students with interest in control, optimization, and robotics. The ideal candidate will be enrolled in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program at the PhD level in the SCE department at Carleton University. The student will be supervised by Dr. Chao Shen and will join the newly established Robotics Control and Optimization Laboratory, based at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

[Topics and Qualifications] 

The envisaged research will focus on the robust control strategies under the model predictive control (MPC) framework for robotic systems. The study of how uncertainties from model error, inaccuracy in the obtained optimal solution, and the interplay with environmental disturbances influence the performance of robots will be fully investigated, and robust control solutions are expected to be developed and applied to visual servoing applications. 

The candidate needs to have a master's degree in engineering, ideally, with concentration on automation, robotics, or mechatronics, or an (applied) mathematics degree with concentration on dynamics and control. Previous research in control theory, control applications to robotics, or machine/deep learning is an asset. We require excellent academic track record that demonstrates potential for successfully carrying on the project independently. 

The envisaged starting date is Winter 2023 or Fall 2023 (negotiable). Applications will be reviewed as received and the position will remain open until filled. Written and verbal communication skills in English are required, and must meet the admission requirements listed here:

 https://graduate.carleton.ca/international/english-second-language/ 

[Application] 

Applications should include a curriculum vitae and supporting documents. These should be sent electronically as a single PDF file to shenchao@sce.carleton.ca. Submitted documents should include:

1. A curriculum vitae

2. An academic transcript

3. A statement of interest including a summary of past research activities, detailing why you are interested and how you fit in the project. Please keep it brief. 2 pages Maximum. 

4. Names and contact information of 3 references.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of age, gender, race, religion, or ethnic background. Note that only selected applicants will be contacted.


MEng Projects

Master of Engineering students from Carleton or Universty of Ottawa interested in conducting their research project in robotics and control are invited to contact Dr. Shen to discuss potential projects. Starting date: all year round. 

Note that MEng-ECE students can take up to 1.0 credits in project courses by completing SYSC 5900 (0.5 credit, Systems Engineering Project) and SYSC 5903 (0.5 credit, Systems Engineering Project II)

For more details see https://carleton.ca/sce/meng-projects/ 

I-CUREUS Projects 2023-2024 (Carleton Students Only)

[Description] 

We are looking for one (1) highly motivated undergraduate students with interest in robotics and control. The ideal candidates should be enrolled in engineering or computer science at Carleton. The students are expected to apply for the 2023-2024 I-CUREUS call. For more information, please visit: https://carleton.ca/tls/teaching-learning-and-pedagogy/experiential-learning/i-cureus/ . The students will be supervised by Dr. Chao Shen and join his research group based at Carleton University.

[Topics and Qualifications] 

A project on perception and control of autonomous robots will be created. In the project, the students will work on the evaluation of visual tracker performances, and then work with a graduate student to apply advanced control method for visual servoing applications of an existing robot.


The ideal candidate will be in the 3rd or 4th year of an undergraduate program in engineering or computer science at Carleton. The candidate should have strong programming skills in Python and C++. Experience in coding with the robot operating system (ROS) and OpenCV, and/or a basic understanding of state estimation and control is an asset. We require an excellent academic track record that demonstrates potential for successfully carrying on the project. 


[Application] 

Applications should include a CV and supporting documents. These should be sent electronically as a single PDF file to shenchao@sce.carleton.ca. Submitted documents should include:

1. A curriculum vitae

2. An academic transcript (electronic, unofficial)

3. A summary of past research activities (optional, 1-page)

Contact me as soon as possible, ideally before June 7, 2023. Then we can have the project carried out in the summer term. Or the project can be in the Fall term as well. The application deadline for Fall 2023 participation is August 26, 2023. The expected workload is 15 hours per week for 10 weeks.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of age, gender, race, religion, or ethnic background. Note that only selected applicants will be contacted.

External-funded Opportunities

There are multiple opportunities for students to get graduate scholarships. Students holding scholarships are welcome to apply for unlisted positions at any time. Several scholarship programs are available to the prospective students who wish to join the lab. 

Graduate Students (Canadian Citizens and PRs)

International Graduate Students 

International applicants are also encouraged to apply for scholarships from their country of origin, examples include