Research Groups and Labs
Research groups involved in the Center for Autonomy
Parasol Lab – Nancy Amato
Parasol Lab at the University of Illinois conducts research at the intersection of robotics, algorithms, and parallel computing, with an emphasis on the foundations that enable computation at scale. The lab’s work is unified by a core theme: developing structured representations and principled methods that make complex, high-dimensional problems more tractable, both in robotic decision-making and in parallel execution on modern architectures.
Bretl Research Group – Timoty Bretl
Uncovering the fundamentals of Robotics and Neuroscience.
Distributed Autonomous Systems Laboratory (DAS Lab) – Girish Chowdhary
Conducts research in autonomous decision making to enable the next generation of robotic systems. The DAS Lab pursues research in AI for robotics, with applications to agriculture, defense, remote area exploration and more. The lab goal is to create highly autonomous mobile robots that can deal with harsh, changing, and uncertain outdoor environments. Students work at the intersection of learning, robot perception, autonomous control, decision theory, reinforcement learning, and multi-agent coordination. We are an interdisciplinary lab affiliated with multiple departments across Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Systems & Networking Research Group (SyNRG) – Romit Roy Choudhury
The Systems & Networking Research Group (SyNRG) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) focuses on experimental research in mobile computing, wireless networking, and human-computer interaction. The lab develops hardware and software prototypes to enable earable computing, robotic wireless networks, and gesture/activity recognition. The group is broadly interested in machine learning and generative models, with a focus on diffusion and flow matching models. Among a range of research interests, this lab explores “robotic wireless networks.”
Human-Centered Autonomy Lab – Katie Driggs-Campbell
Autonomous systems and robots are becoming prevalent in our everyday lives and are changing the foundations of our way of life. However, the desirable impacts of autonomy are only achievable if the underlying algorithms can handle the unique challenges humans present: People tend to defy expected behaviors and do not conform to many of the standard assumptions made in robotics. To design safe, trustworthy systems, we must transform how intelligent robots interact, influence, and predict human agents. The Human-Centered Autonomy Lab aims to develop safe and interactive autonomous systems, looking at methods for modeling and predicting human behavior, designing robust decision and control frameworks, and validating complex, multi-agent systems to verify safety. Active research topics include: Modeling Human Behavior; Human-Centered Robotics; Autonomous Vehicles; Social Navigation; and Field Robotics.
Gazzola Lab - Mattia Gazzola
The Gazzola Lab focuses on bringing together theory, computing and experiments for the discovery of rational designs principles, working with a diverse, interdisciplinary team that collaborates closely with biologists, neuroscientists and control experts. Areas of interest include: Bio-locomotion, Bio-hybrid robotics and computing, Fluid mechanics, Soft mechanics, and Numerics.
Real-time and Automated Monitoring and Control (Raamac) – Mani Golparvar-Fard
Uncovering the fundamentals of visual sensing and analytics to create methods that facilitate monitoring and control of projects during construction and operation, the Real-time and Automated Monitoring and Control (RAAMAC) Group a advances the science and practice of AI-driven sensing, analytics, and decision-making for the built environment. The group’s mission is to bridge the gap between design intent and as-built reality by developing scalable, data-driven solutions that transform how projects are monitored, controlled, and operated across the AEC/FM lifecycle.
Gupta Lab – Saurabh Gupta
The Gupta Lab works on computer vision, robotics and machine learning, with an interest in building agents that can intelligently interact with the physical world around them. The lab is specifically interested in improving their generalization capabilities. Some recent work has focused on 3D image and video understanding, understanding hand-object interaction, robot learning from videos, mobile manipulation, imitation learning, and control of humanoid robots.
Intelligent Motion Lab – Kris Hauser
The Intelligent Motion Lab is a "full stack" robotics lab that studies strategies for integrating planning, perception, and learning to enable autonomous and semi-autonomous operation in challenging tasks. The research conducted in the lab spans basic research on component algorithms up to application-driven projects on integrated robot systems. Applications of research have been wide ranging, including agriculture, construction, intelligent vehicles, robot manipulation, legged locomotion, human-robot interaction, robot- and computer-assisted medicine.
Advanced Controls Research Laboratory (ACRL) – Naira Hovakimyan
The Advanced Controls Research Laboratory (ACRL) works on a wide range of interdisciplinary problems, collaborating with industry and government laboratories on the transition and commercialization of solutions across different industries. The lab’s focus is on open problems in mathematical control theory and works with collaborators on the transition of solutions, to the extent possible, to real-world engineering problems.
Human Dynamics and Controls Lab - Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler
The Human Dynamics and Controls Laboratory applies principles from user-centered design, soft and hard robotics, wearables, musculoskeletal biomechanics, and movement analysis. The HDCL is currently focusing on three main research areas that our group and our healthcare and academic partners are exploring to improve the life of people with physical or mental disability, including: PURE (Personalized Unique Rolling Experience), a compact, self-balancing mobility device for manual wheelchair users that features multi-directional, hands-free movement; Robotic training simulators that mimic behaviors of human patients to help healthcare learners practice and improve their clinical techniques used during neurological examinations (spasticity, rigidity, clonus, tendon reflex, strength); and Development of wearable intelligent technologies to afford clinicians and researchers focusing on psychosocial and behavioral issues, such as stress and anxiety, with real-time multimodal data to assess human function in the real world. These projects involve large teams of faculty, staff, and students across engineering, industrial design, kinesiology, and disability services, and clinicians in neurology, physical & occupational therapy, and mental health.
KIMLAB (Kinetic Intelligent Machine LAB) - Joohyung Kim
KIMLAB (Kinetic Intelligent Machine LAB) focuses on embodied AI, robotic locomotion, and multimodal Large Behavior Models in collaboration with the Toyota Research Institute. KIMLAB is known for designing highly innovative, multifunctional robotic platforms. Notable projects include: Ringbot Quad: A versatile robot combining monocycle and quadruped locomotion, capable of seamlessly switching between rolling and walking modes to traverse diverse terrains; MOMO (Mobile Object Manipulation Operator): A mobile manipulation robot designed for service tasks, like sweeping and handing out objects, that utilizes PAPRAS arms and PSYONIC prosthetic hands; and 3D-Printed Robotic Hand: A cost-effective, three-fingered robotic hand equipped with soft tactile sensors that use air-pressure and capacitive proximity sensing.
Monolithic Systems Lab - Girish Krishnan
The Monolithic Systems Lab focuses on the design, manufacturing, and analysis of soft, compliant mechanical systems. The lab's research integrates principles of distributed compliance and elastofluidics to build advanced, bio-inspired robotic structures. Key research focuses include: Soft Robotics & Compliant Mechanisms: Developing structures that mimic the movement of muscles and tissues in humans and animals; Elastofluidics: Combining incompressible fluids, hyperelastic membranes, and materials that use elasticity to function; and Advanced Manufacturing: The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art polymer workstations, 3D printers, and CNC mills to test novel pneumatic actuators and components.
Reliable Autonomy Lab – Sayan Mitra
The Reliable Autonomy Lab research is focused on autonomy and intelligence. The lab works on theories, algorithms, tools and experimental testbeds to discover the principles for designing autonomous and robotic systems like driverless cars and aerial vehicles. Research focuses on safe autonomy, safe machine learning, formal methods, distributed systems, programming languages, and robotics.
Lab for Intelligent Robots and Agents (LIRA) - Huy Trong Tran
The Lab for Intelligent Robots and Agents (LIRA) operates within the Aerospace Engineering department and Coordinated Science Laboratory (CSL) to develop autonomous aerospace, aerial, and robotic systems. LIRA approaches robotics by merging modern AI with real-world autonomy. Their primary areas of focus include: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: Teaching groups of robots how to coordinate and complete tasks together without prior training; Ad Hoc Teaming: Developing algorithms that allow autonomous robots and AI agents to adapt to new, unfamiliar human and robotic teammates on the fly; Autonomous Air Mobility (CAAMS): Researching ways to structure and encourage safe coordination in future collective air transportation systems; and Explainable & Verifiable Learning: Ensuring that autonomous agent decision-making can be understood and validated by humans for safety.
N-ACXIS Lab - Hiroyasu Tsukamoto
The N-ACXIS Laboratory (Nano/Autonomous Control and Estimation for eXtreme Intelligent Systems) is a research group within the Department of Aerospace Engineering. Core Focus Areas include: Space Autonomy: Focuses on the research and development of sustainable, autonomous space mission design and intelligent spacecraft; Control Systems: Specializes in advanced controls, estimation algorithms, and planning for autonomous systems operating in extreme and uncertain environments; Small Satellites: Explores new techniques in guidance and control to facilitate complex, long-duration, multi-spacecraft operations.
Shenlong Wang Group – Shenlong Wang
The Wang group works at the intersection of 3D vision and robotics. The group builds (a) spatial intelligence—algorithms that perceive, reconstruct, and reason about the 3D physical world; and (b) digital twins—physics-informed models that faithfully replicate the real world, simulate its dynamics, and even predict how it will evolve. The group uses these world models to power real-world decision-making in robotics, autonomous systems, immersive computing, and agricultural and ecological applications.
Novel Mobile Robots Lab (NMbL) – Justin Yim
The Novel Mobile Robots lab (NMbL) develops robots that walk, hop, roll, and more with Prof. Justin Yim. The lab seeks new robot mobility strategies that increase locomotion performance, tackle challenging environments, or enable new robot abilities. Research areas include legged robot control, underactuated robots, jumping locomotion, balance control, and robot mechanism design.
RoboTouch Lab - Wenzhen Yuan
The RoboTouch lab works on helping robots use touch sensing to interact with real-world environments. The lab designs and builds new tactile sensors to extend the perceptual capability of robots and study how the tactile feedback, either in an active or passive way, could help robots in different perceptual and manipulation tasks. Research ranges from sensor modeling, sensor design, sensor manufacturing, algorithm design for signal processing, and robot applications such as grasping.