Have you ever wanted to control a robotic arm as precisely as a human hand? Or teach a robot to learn new complex skills? Our lab is creating an advanced experimental platform that combines a KUKA LBR iiwa robot arm with cutting-edge dexterous robotic hands—and we're looking for talented undergraduates to join the team.
This platform will be a playground for exploring the future of robot manipulation: teleoperation devices you can design and build yourself, high-fidelity simulators for testing control approach, and state-of-the-art reinforcement and imitation learning algorithms. You'll work closely with graduate students, getting hands-on experience in robotics hardware, simulation software, and learning-based manipulation—all while contributing to a system that could one day perform complex tasks in manufacturing, warehouse, or healthcare.
If you're passionate about robotics, eager to learn, and ready to tackle real-world engineering challenges, this is your chance to make a real impact and gain skills that will stand out in your future career.
Requirement: Junior or senior major in computer science or electrical and computer engineering (highly motivated Sophomore students with relevant experiences also possible)
Undergraduate Research Assistants working on this project are expected to be interested in robotic system, learning-based control, and software-hardware integration, etc. Experience with reinforcement learning and imitation learning, simulation platforms like Unity or Isaac Lab, robot kinematics, design and manufacturing techniques.
Students are expected to work closely with graduate students leading the project for 5 - 10 hours per week during the Fall semester for pay or for credit with opportunities to continue in the future. Given the longer-term nature of the project, preference will be given to students who can commit to multiple terms.
In this project, you will participate in building and testing a robotic arm–dexterous hand manipulation platform. The work will involve both hardware and software tasks, including system operation, simulation development, device prototyping, and algorithm implementation. Specific duties may include but are not limited to the following:
- Robot arm & hand operation
- Simulation platform design and testing
- Teleoperation device design and prototyping
- Implementation and evaluation of learning-based algorithms
