Michigan Robotics attends RSS 2023

June 30, 2023
A Digit robot stands in the Ford Motor Company Robotics Building
A Digit robot holds a box in the Ford Robotics Building. Photo: Marcin Szczepanski

Michigan roboticists, many representing the new University of Michigan Robotics Department, will be presenting a total of nine papers at Robotics Science and Systems (RSS). Their research covers a wide range of topics from robot teams and trust propagation to trajectory design and motion planning. The RSS conference is held in Daegu, Korea, from July 11 to July 14.

In addition to the nine accepted papers, two of the papers are nominated for awards of Best Paper and Best Student Paper. Below is a summary of all the submissions.

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Elliott Rouse earns Robotics Department Faculty Award

June 19, 2023

Congratulations to Professor Elliott Rouse, who has earned the Robotics Department Faculty Award for his exceptional work in robotics. The award recognizes his achievements in several areas, including serving on the Robotics Executive Committee and being a key advocate for the establishment of the new Robotics Department, creating and teaching the new undergraduate course ROB 311: How to Build Robots and Make Them Move, and for his significant strides in advancing the field of robotics.

Bringing a positive attitude, honest approach, and rigorous observational mindset, Rouse’s work produces exceptional results from curriculum design to research.

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ROB 102 team earns award for innovation in equity

March 31, 2023
Students in ROB 102 work on coding their Mbot, the three-wheeled robot that ROB 102 uses to teach AI and programming.

Jana Pavlasek and Professor Chad Jenkins have been awarded the Claudia Joan Alexander Trailblazer Award for their work as the ROB 102 team. This award, part of the Women in Science and Engineering’s Willie Hobbs Moore Awards, is given to those who have developed an innovation, intervention, or program that supports equity in STEM.

Pavlasek, a Robotics PhD student, and Jenkins developed ROB 102, Introduction to AI and Programming, a new freshman-level introductory programming course as part of the new Robotics Undergraduate Program at the University of Michigan. The course is intended to act as a core course for incoming Robotics majors, as well as serve freshman CoE students interested in robotics. The course uses robotic platforms in a novel approach to teaching introductory programming, with a commitment to remaining accessible and approachable to students from all backgrounds.

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2023 NSF GRFP Recipients of Michigan Robotics

March 31, 2023

We are thrilled to announce that two graduate students from Michigan Robotics have been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowships for 2023. This program recognizes graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing masters and doctoral degrees. The fellowship helps ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce.

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Robotics Student Award Winners of 2023

March 29, 2023
A student smiles with the iconic yellow staircase of the Robotics Building in the background.
Prince Kuevor, winner of the Kabamba Award, pictured before presenting a PhD defense in January, 2023.

The exceptional achievements of this year’s award-winning students in academia and leadership have brought pride to the new Robotics Department. These students have displayed a remarkable commitment to their education, research, and community. We extend our congratulations to the recipients:

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