The AERIS Lab hosts an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site focused on unmanned systems foundations and applications. Our goal is to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of computer science, computer engineering, and robotics researchers.
Program Structure
Each summer, participants engage in a 10-week research experience combining:
- Research foundations -- defining a research agenda, literature review, experimental design, and data analysis in the context of unmanned systems
- Hands-on activities -- autonomous operation, sensor integration, prototyping, and field experiments with real UAS platforms
- Professional development -- seminars on graduate school preparation, responsible conduct of research, and career planning
Students are matched with faculty mentors and assigned a graduate student peer leader who guides them through the summer.
Research Themes
Projects span the key aspects of unmanned systems, including:
- Close interactions of UAS with the environment (leaf cutting, soil sampling, sensor emplacement)
- Human-robot interaction and user proficiency across aerial, surface, and underwater platforms
- Autonomous control, planning, and communications for multi-agent systems
- Field robotics and real-world system deployment
Commitment to Diversity
We are committed to broadening participation in computing and robotics. Our recruitment plan targets regional, primarily undergraduate liberal arts institutions with emphasis on reaching historically underrepresented groups.
For more information and to apply, visit the AFUS REU site.