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Careers: Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Prosthetics | Search and Rescue | Cyber-physical Systems | Automation

It’s not science fiction – robotics researchers at U-M ECE have produced some uncanny walking, crawling, and rolling creations that move more independently and nimbly by the day. Robotics and autonomy are key technologies of the future. The technology can enhance search and rescue operations, develop lifelike prosthetics, explore the unknown reaches of space, and enable driverless vehicles.

ECE-trained engineers work on bipedal robots that can navigate tricky spaces meant for humans, or robots that build themselves for remote deployment, and cyber-physical systems to keep autonomous vehicles, aircraft, etc., safe. They develop advanced control algorithms that help robots adapt to their environments, and vision algorithms that help machines analyze images or search through data more effectively. They also work on robots that interact with people, and make them safe and useful for the public.

Related Undergraduate Courses:

Control Systems Analysis & Design
Hands-on Robotics
Computer Vision
Embedded Control Systems
Introduction to Machine Learning

MARLO finally got her shot at The Wave Field, a goal for the bipedal robot since she could first walk. For now, Jessy and his graduate students are only attempting the easiest routes, between the grassy two- to three-foot moguls, over smaller undulations that Grizzle calls merely very difficult.

ECE researchers are analyzing the reflexes of cockroaches to aid in developing steadier robots. This could help improve doctors’ understanding of human gait abnormalities.

Hands-On Robotics introduces students to the field of robotics and has them solve open-ended problems. The course covers concepts from kinematics, to control, to programming.