Since the commercialization of foundational models that propelled AI into the limelight, engineers look for new ways to leverage sampled data from the real world and simulation to model and replicate complex behaviors. I survey and implement machine learning models to find their use cases, limitations, and where to apply each per application. My studies take a bidirectional thrust in robotics and controls as well as machine learning. Integrating their intersection in systems underlying our productivity and wellbeing excites me.