Faculty Directory

Li, Ang

Li, Ang

Assistant Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Maryland Robotics Center
2365 A.V. Williams Bldg.

Dr. Li joined the University of Maryland, College Park as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Aug. 2023. During the deferral time before joining, he was a research associate at Qualcomm AI Research.

Dr. Li received his Ph.D. in 2022 from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Duke University. Li has also earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas. He has an MS in Management of Innovation and Venture Capital from Peking University, and a BS in Computer Science from Henan University in China.

His research interests lie in the intersection of machine learning and edge computing, with a focus on building large-scale networked and trustworthy intelligent systems to solve practical problems in a collaborative, scalable, secure, and ubiquitous manner. Dr. Li has been recognized with a variety of awards, including the IEEE TCCPS Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation Award, ACM KDD Best Student Paper Award in 2020, and the 2022-2023 Duke ECE Department Outstanding Dissertation Award.

My research interests lie in the intersection of machine learning and edge computing, with a focus on building large-scale networked and trustworthy intelligent systems to solve practical problems in a collaborative, scalable, secure, and ubiquitous manner.

  • Federated Learning
  • Distributed Machine Learning
  • Machine Learning System
  • Edge Computing
  • AI for IoT
  • Trustworthy Machine Learning

A list of publications can be found on Google Scholar.

NIH Funds "Smart Pill" for Gut Health Monitoring

University of Maryland research is advancing the early detection of gut inflammation

Engineering safer, more sustainable AI for all

We are equally focused on what AI can achieve and the infrastructure required to achieve it.

MATRIX Lab Advancing Smarter, More Affordable Autonomy

University of Maryland MATRIX Lab researchers present work at global forum

University of Maryland Research is Redefining Health Care

Work published in award-winning technology magazine IEEE Spectrum

MATRIX Lab Workshop Focuses on Fielding Autonomous Systems

An event by University of Maryland organizations gathers ideas to improve test and evaluation

Sensor Advancement Breaks Barriers in Brain-Behavior Research

Interdisciplinary University of Maryland study published in "Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X" journal

Small Business Connections Help Meet Researcher Needs

UMD MATRIX Lab partners with Southern Maryland companies, bridging basic and applied science

Tian Honored with Oral Presentation Award at MicroTAS 2025

UMD doctoral student receives international recognition in Adelaide, Australia

Innovative Engineering Course Has ‘Wicked’ Tie-in

Students design robots based on the film’s flying monkeys in a context that’s both challenging and fun.

MRC Seminar Series Starts with Jellyfish-Inspired Robotics

MRC Fall Robotics Seminar Series Opens with Talk on Biohybrid Jellyfish and Ocean Robotics

UMD Student Bridging Research Innovation and Education Advocacy

Engineering PhD student Sydney Overton advancing research while supporting peers

AI Robotics Research at UMD Puts Safety and Trust First

University of Maryland's Dr. Pratap Tokekar shares methods to create reliable AI-driven autonomous robots

Passing the Torch: Maryland Robotics Center’s Next Chapter

Derek Paley and Ryan Sochol Reflect on the Maryland Robotics Center's Past and Future

Summer Interns Build Pro-Level Skills at UROC

Unique internship program offers opportunities not found in the classroom.

Clark School Seed Grant Awards Announced

Projects promote multidisciplinary collaboration and innovative research

New Research Helps Robots Grasp Situational Context

Researchers from ISR has introduced a approach that helps robots understand the world more like humans do.

MATRIX Interns Overcome Setbacks and Succeed

Summer 2025 cohort pushing boundaries and turning curiosity into impact

National Science Foundation Invests $2M in AI Investigation to Advance Sustainable Biopolymers

Project will focus on building a design framework to speed the discovery of biodegradable materials with the potential to match petrochemical plastics' performance and use.

MATRIX Facilities and Talent Featured in New Video

Lab serves as hub for autonomous technologies and uncrewed systems research and education

Robot-Assisted Triage: UMD Team Answers the Challenge

Fresh from a strong showing in the first year of a DARPA competition, Team RoboScout levels up.
 

Celebrating a Legend: Matt Scassero's Retirement Event

University of Maryland MATRIX Lab hosts retirement sendoff for former leader Matt Scassero

MATRIX-Affiliated Faculty Solving Challenges From Sea to Space

Research provides opportunities for students and creates efficient systems that address needs

Scientists Fast-Track Nerve-on-a-Chip Design via Machine Learning Algorithms

Researchers design a modern platform to advance studies of fundamental brain functions and neurodegenerative diseases.

Innovation and Collaboration: Congressional Leaders Visit Southern Maryland

Academic institutions; nonprofit and government organizations highlight what makes the ecosystem strong

MRC Symposium Showcases Advances in Robotics and AI

Maryland Robotics Center hosted a symposium spotlighting breakthrough research in autonomous systems, human-robot interaction, and AI-driven robotics.

MRC Self-Driving Scooter Research Featured on WUSA9

Self-driving scooters developed at the Maryland Robotics Center were recently featured in a WUSA9 news segment.

MATRIX-Affiliated Faculty Solving Tomorrow's Challenges Today

Research covers fields from engineering to language to healthcare

Maryland Engineering: Top 10 Among Public Graduate Programs, 7 Years Running

For the seventh consecutive year, the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland ranks among the country’s top 10 public universities in graduate engineering programs, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025–26 rankings.

Tuna-Inspired Mechanical Fin Could Boost Underwater Drone Power

UMD Engineer Aims to Help Robots Undertake Tasks Often Costly, Unsafe for Humans

Developing Efficient Systems for Deep Sea Exploration

MATRIX Lab PhD’s research published in Applied Ocean Research journal

The Clark School Celebrates Women and Multiracial Engineers and Engineering Professionals

Join us this March as we celebrate Women’s History Month and Multiracial Heritage Month.

Looking A“Head” to the Future of Autonomous Robots

MATRIX Lab apprentice working toward fully functional autonomous robotic head

Autonomy Summit Explores Potential and Challenges of AI

University of Maryland MATRIX Lab Summit brings together academia, government, and industry

 Dinesh Manocha Receives 2024 Jimmy Lin Award for Innovation and Invention

Recognized for his patent on multimodal emotion recognition.

Inspired by Nature, Researchers Improve System Movement

MATRIX Lab PhD using concepts behind schooling fish to help robots move in groups more efficiently

University of Maryland Has Strong Presence at ICRA 2024

Researchers detail advancements in navigation, trajectory planning.

University of Maryland Represents at International Autonomy Event

Xponential brings together experts to address concerns and look to the future

Agents of Positive Change: Highlighting Women Maryland Engineers

In celebration of Women's History Month, we highlight some of the important contributions of women engineers within our campus community.

Transforming Engineering: Highlighting Maryland Engineers

In celebration of Black History Month, we highlight the many impactful contributions of Black engineers in our community—students, alums, faculty, and staff—to the Clark School, our university, and world.

Celebrating the Impact of Black Maryland Engineers and Leaders

The Clark School pays tribute to the many contributions and legacies of Black Americans in the United States by learning more about some of our most pioneering and influential community members, past and present.

Three UMD Students Named Among Aviation Week Network’s Class of 2024 20 Twenties

Annual awards recognize talented individuals on course to change the face of the aviation, aerospace and defense industry.

UMD Team Wins IEEE IROS Best Paper Award in Agri-Robotics

Award recognizes Gao's contribution to advancing robotic systems in agriculture.

Reinforcement learning is a game for Kaiqing Zhang

Zhang's research lies at the intersection of machine learning, reinforcement learning, game theory, and control theory.

UMD-led Team Selected for DARPA Triage Challenge

Researchers will work to develop novel methods to detect injuries in mass casualty incidents.

Celebrating Native and Indigenous Voices in Engineering

The Clark School joins UMD's celebration of Native and Indigenous Heritage Month 2023.

Advancing Ground Autonomy: UMD-ARL Collaboration Strides in ArtIMAS Research

ArtIAMAS (AI and Autonomy for Multi-Agent Systems) - Advancing into Its Third Year of Collaboration

Maryland Engineering Ranks Among the Nation’s Top 20 Undergraduate Engineering Programs

The A. James Clark School of Engineering ranks 19 overall among more than 200 undergraduate engineering programs—up three positions from its previous undergraduate ranking.

UMD's 40th Annual Convocation Honors Engineering Staff, Faculty

The University of Maryland's 40th annual Convocation will honor 33 faculty and staff—including four from the A. James Clark School of Engineering—for their contributions to education, research, and the campus community.

ECE Alum, Yinian Mao, is Breaking New Ground in Drone Delivery

Yinian Mao leads successful robotics program

UMD Student Team Lauded for Award-Winning Drone

U.S. Representative Glenn F. Ivey presented a proclamation honoring the AMAV team's NIST competition victory.

Yu Named Elkins Professor

Award to support research on marine ecosystem monitoring, boost collaboration.

An Internship with Impact

Student projects run the gamut from counterUAS to medical support in high-casualty scenarios.

Miao Yu receives NSF funding to develop ice-measuring sensors

Novel acoustic metamaterials will be incorporated into a tool that can provide long-range, high-resolution thickness and internal structure measurements for improved polar ice melt estimates.

Pneumatically controlled soft robotic catheters offer accuracy, flexibility

Researchers from UMD, JHU and UMSOM develop new robotic system for minimally invasive surgery.

Modi Briefed on UMD-led Aquaculture Research

Doctoral student Kaustubh Joshi delivered a presentation on modernizing the industry with advanced tech.

ECE and ISR alumni feature prominently at American Control Conference

Xiaobo Tan, Sean Andersson and Fumin Zhang played key roles at the conference.

UMD Takes Second at VFS Design-Build-Vertical-Flight Competition

Team’s Horizon drone leveraged unique design to balance hover and cruise performance with autonomous flight capabilities.

MRC Faculty, Researchers, and Students Present 24 Papers at ICRA 2023

MRC researchers have a strong showing at ICRA 2023.

Baras, Sadler part of large ARL DataDrivER project

They have been awarded a one-year, $850K contract for "Integrated Data-Driven and Model-Based Systems Engineering."

“Gambit” Pays Off in UMD Team’s Search-and-Rescue Competition Win

UMD Team wins NIST First Responder UAS Indoor Challenge with custom-built, low-cost drone, and takes home more than $150K in prize money.

Snow, Wind, and Drone Ops

UMD UROC pilots and engineers handle austere conditions while helping NOAA with satellite calibration.

UMD to Lead New $20M NSF Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law and Society

Institute to Aim for Broader Participation in AI Technology Development, More-Informed Governance of AI-Infused Systems

University of Maryland entities partnering with defense company BlueHalo

UMD Clark School of Engineering and BlueHalo support defense mission and workforce development in Southern Maryland

Just keep swimming, and schooling

MATRIX Lab research features robotic fish autonomously swimming together

Maryland Engineering Graduate Programs: Top 10 Among Public Universities, Five Years in a Row

For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering ranks among the country's top 10 public universities in graduate engineering programs, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2023–24 rankings.

Sochol Named “Rising Star” in Advanced Materials Technologies

UMD faculty member Ryan Sochol recognized in journal's March 10th issue.

Abhinav Shrivastava Receives NSF CAREER Award to Advance Computers’ Understanding of Temporal Phenomena

Abhinav Shrivastava Receives NSF CAREER Award to Advance Computers’ Understanding of Temporal Phenomena

Gearing Up for Battle

Sparks and creativity fly when combat robotics club enters arena

UMD’s SeaDroneSim can generate simulated images and videos to help UAV systems recognize ‘objects of interest’ in the water

The suite’s simulated objects could fill a large dataset gap for the UAV-based computer vision systems used in searching for maritime objects.

Alumnus Udit Halder’s work published as cover article in Proceedings of The Royal Society A

Now a postdoctoral researcher, Halder and his UIUC colleagues developed mathematical models and control based on flexible octopus arms.

Seven UMD Grand Challenges projects include ISR and MRC faculty

The $30 million program will accelerate innovative solutions to some of the world's most complex problems.

Maryland Engineers Awarded Grants to Address Humanity's Grand Challenges

Twelve projects led by or involving Maryland Engineering faculty have been awarded funding through the Grand Challenges Grants Program, the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind ever introduced at the University of Maryland.

Big Ten Network spotlights Maryland Engineering

During the 2022–23 basketball season, the Big Ten Network featured Maryland Engineering during Terp basketball broadcasts.

New algorithms for multi-robot systems in low communication situations

Work by Clark School faculty, alumni and students is published on IEEE Access.

Aloimonos, Sandini contribute chapter to MIT Press book, Cognitive Robotics

Their chapter defines and provides examples and explanations of 'computer vision.'

Autonomous drones based on bees use AI to work together

The minute robots could one day provide backup to pollinators.

SoCal Edison Taps UAS Service Provider for Inspections

Baltimore-based MissionGO wins one of the largest UAS service contracts in the world and traces roots to UMD. 

Po-Yen Receives 2022 John C. Chen Young Professional Leadership Scholarship

Scholarship supports leadership development of young professional chemical engineers.

Where-able Sensors

Researchers’ Robotic Activity Sensor System Travels Around Your Body to Optimize Monitoring

Navy Demos Wide Range Of VTOL Systems For Future Operations

Technical demo was conducted in partnership with the UMD UAS Research and Operations Center (UROC).

UMD Researchers to Have a Strong Showing at the 2022 European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV)

The 2022 International Conference on computer vision will be held in person and online from October 23 to October 27, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

'OysterNet' + underwater robots will aid in accurate oyster count

The ability to mathematically model and simulate oysters will help scientists more quickly and accurately detect the density of the bivalves in the Chesapeake Bay.

MRC Faculty and Researchers to Present 15 Papers at International Robotics Conference - IROS 2022

15 MRC faculty and researchers to present 15 papers at IROS 2022

Test Site Becomes UMD UAS Research and Operations Center

Change reflects expanded scope of history-making facility.
 

The Modern Battle for Maryland’s Oysters

UMD researchers use AI and robotics to help revive a struggling industry.

Interview: John Slaughter

UROC's new director discusses its role in UMD research and the planned Chesapeake UAS Route Network.

New Wearable Sensor Modules with Edge Machine Learning for Avatar Reconstruction

Po-Yen Chen and Sahil Shah Published in Nature Communications Journal

“An Opportunity to Conduct Novel Research”

Three UAS Test Site summer interns put their innovative ideas to the test.
 

CI Fellow Working to Improve Robotic Sensing Capabilities

Troi Williams, visiting UMD as part of prestigious Computing Innovation Fellows program, uses machine learning to predict sensor measurement accuracy in robotic systems.
 

UMD Dedicates IDEA Factory

Building designed to inspire innovation, entrepreneurship, and research across disciplines.

Faculty Spotlight: Steve Mitchell

An expert on lidar and laser systems, Mitchell draws from his industry experience to challenge and inspire students.

Extreme Drone Ops: Measuring Ice Packs

UAS Test Site teams up with NOAA to test use of drones in validating satellite imagery.

UMD Autonomous Navigation Research Featured in Tech Explore

Research explores navigational challenges for autonomous vehicles in dense urban environments.

Maryland Engineering Graduate Programs: Top 10 Public, Four Years in a Row

Maryland Engineering earns a top spot in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings among over 200 colleges.

New GAMEOPT framework will help future autonomous vehicles safely navigate unsignalized intersections

Algorithms for connected autonomous vehicles will help traffic safety in many ways.

Clark School's Online Engineering Programs Ascend to No. 12 National Rank

The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland rose to No. 12 among online graduate engineering programs in the U.S., according to rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report.

Alum Vikram Manikonda named CTO of BlueHalo

Manikonda is the former president and CEO of IAI, acquired by BlueHalo in 2021.

2022 BBI Seed Grant Awards to Fuel Innovation in Aging and Development Research

The five interdisciplinary projects funded by the BBI offer cutting-edge approaches to translational neuroscience.

$1.14M from the State of Maryland will Match Private Donation to Establish Two Brendan Iribe Endowed Professorships in ECE and CS at UMD

The endowed professors in electrical and computer engineering and computer science will conduct research in robotics, autonomy, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Ming Lin, Vincent Njar elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

The pair join nine other NAI Fellows with ties to the Clark School and the University of Maryland.

UMD Helps Test New Search and Rescue Technology

UMD UAS Test Site assists NASA, NOAA with beacon system.

USMSM Debuts SMART Innovation Center

New, $86 million facility to expand educational opportunities, autonomous vehicles research.

Welcome, Samuel Graham, Jr., Dean of Maryland Engineering

When an innovator wanted to engineer a more advanced and equitable society, he chose a research and education powerhouse with global impact, and came to Maryland.

Three Engineers Among 2021-2022 Distinguished Scholar-Teachers

Abshire, Fisher and Hu honored for outstanding success in scholarly accomplishment and excellence in teaching.

Bee drones featured on new Voice of America video

Active perception is an efficient, fast way for robots to complete task.

Derek Paley's e-scooter work featured in Washington Post

He envisions scooters that could bring themselves to you when you need them—autonomously.

University of Maryland Engineers Have 3D Printed a Soft Robotic Hand That Can Play Nintendo

Achievement opens the door for new advances in soft robotics.

Xu, Castano Recognized for Work on UAS Collision Avoidance

UMD professor, affiliate research scientist win AIAA awards. 
 

Three ECE Professors Ranked Top Scientists in the World by Guide2Research

They join seven other UMD faculty members breaking into the top 1000 scientist rankings based on their prolific research output.

UMD, UMBC, ARL Announce Cooperative Agreement to Accelerate AI, Autonomy in Complex Environments

The agreement leverages Maryland's national leadership in engineering, robotics, computer science, operations research, modeling and simulation, and cybersecurity.

UMD Researchers to Have a Strong Showing at ICRA 2021

University of Maryland researchers will present 15 papers at the IEEE International Conference on Robotis and Automation (ICRA 2021) to held on May 30 to June 5, 2021.

Student Researchers Recognized with Wylie Dissertation Fellowships

Fourteen Clark School students pursuing their Ph.D.s in engineering have been awarded Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowships by the University of Maryland Graduate School.

With MIPS funding, Herrmann and Azarm developing algorithm for ice forecasting app

Work will help route ice-sensing UAV fleets to problematic roads; take weather conditions into account.

UMD GAMMA Group Awarded Best Paper and an Honorable Mention at IEEE VR 2021

The awarded work focuses on improving the efficiency of virtual agents used in areas like virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), online learning, and virtual social interactions.

Maryland Graduate Engineering Ranked #10 Public in the Nation

From extreme batteries to windows made from wood, Clark School’s trendsetting work ranks it among the country’s Top 10 public engineering schools for the 3rd consecutive year.

Ganguly, Fiaz, Suryan are first MRC GRA recipients

The new program is open to mid-career UMD Ph.D. students with Maryland Robotics Center advisors.

New undergraduate minor in robotics and autonomous systems

The Maryland Robotics Center will administer the program, which begins in Fall 2021.

Stretchable, soft sensing skins for robots

Such skins could equip soft robots with integrated sensing and estimation.

'MorphEyes' stereo camera system improves quadrotor UAV navigation

The Perception and Robotics Group is the first to use morphable design to achieve a variable baseline stereo vision system on a quadrotor UAV.

Equipping Drones to Recover When Things Go Wrong

Flight safety software developed by University of Maryland researchers can help unmanned aircraft respond to anomalies, malfunctions, and collision risks.

UMD UAS Test Site Team Assists EPA and NSWC Indian Head Division

Drones were used to help measure emissions at an explosives decontamination site.

Maryland Robotics Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Research and education hub continues to expand programs, outreach

‘Smellicopter’ drone uses live moth antenna to seek smells, avoid obstacles

Timothy Horiuchi is a co-author on the research published in IOP Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.

With More Drones in the Sky, Safety Awareness is Critical

UMD UAS Test Site Marks National Drone Safety Awareness Week, now in its second year.

Report available from 2019 NSF Speech for Robotics Workshop

The workshop, chaired by Carol Espy-Wilson, identified key scientific and engineering advances needed to enable effective spoken language interaction with robotics.

MRC Faculty and Researchers to Present 16 Papers at International Robotics Conference - IROS 2020

International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems - From 25 October 2020 until 29 November 2020

Survivability as Sensor

New research could improve UAV use for search and rescues in hazardous conditions with no communication network.

DeVoe Awarded Elkins Professorship

UMD professor to develop new technology for studying individual cell behavior.

Investing in Environmentally Responsible Engineering

A grant from The Lemelson Foundation will accelerate environmentally and socially responsible engineering through innovation in undergraduate curricula.

Maryland engineers receive $10M to transform shellfish farming

The team will help farmers tap the economic potential and environmental benefits of shellfish aquaculture.

Zampogiannis, Ganguly, Aloimonos and Fermüller author "Vision During Action," chapter in new Springer book

Modelling Human Motion presents a comprehensive overview of human motion essential for robotics applications.

Navigating the "New Normal": A Role for UAS

COVID-19 has demonstrated possible future uses in public health emergencies, writes UMD's Matt Scassero.

Legacy through Impact: Dr. Darryll J. Pines

UMD President-Designate Darryll Pines inspires a culture of excellence at the Clark School, where everyone plays a part.

GAMMA Research Group is Developing Novel COVID-19 Prevention Robots

The NSF EAGER project intends to monitor pedestrian movements, using cameras and other sensors, that will automatically check for vital signs to gather reliable data, and investigate techniques to influence the behaviors of pedestrians to change their social behavior using robots.

MRC Researchers to Present 16 Papers at ICRA 2020

International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2020 will be held online from May 31st to August 31st. MRC researchers will be presenting 16 papers at this conference.  

Aerosol Containment Chamber to Make COVID-19 Intubations Safer

Researchers aim to prevent disease spread during endotracheal intubation procedures for COVID-19 patients.

UMD names Derek Paley as a 2020–2021 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher

The program recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly achievement along with equally outstanding accomplishments as teachers.

COVID-19 Engineering Solutions: In the News

Clark School researchers are working to create solutions and pool resources in efforts to minimize the spread of the disease, provide critical aid to health care workers and their patients, and monitor the impact of social distancing and travel restrictions.

Path planning for bridge inspection robots

Lin and La develop algorithm for teams of small mobile robots stationed on bridges.

Clark School Engineers 3D Print Protective Face Shields

Clark School faculty and additive manufacturing experts are working to 3D print protective face shields in response to critical PPE shortages.

GAMMA Group's Research on Emotional Modeling and Social Robotics Featured in Forbes

Dinesh Manocha and Aniket Bera’s latest development on a socially-intelligent robot known as ProxEmo, has been featured in Forbes.

Protection Collections Abound for Local Health Care Workers

Campus units donate masks, gloves, and other much-needed supplies.

Clark School Engineers Create Solutions for a Crisis

Engineering labs pivot to produce and distribute hand sanitizer and surgical masks.

How to steer a fish-inspired robot

Paley and students develop a state-feedback control law to allow the autonomous robot to demonstrate 'pure pursuit.'

Spread Hope: The "Smart Bra"

The "smart bra" is a low-cost wearable device that could conceivably detect breast cancer early enough for treatment.

New model predictive control framework improves reactive navigation for autonomous robots

The framework could be used in navigation algorithms for robots ranging from aerial vehicles to autonomous cars.

A cooperative control algorithm for robotic search and rescue

The algorithm can guide a team of autonomous quadrotors to simultaneously build an occupancy graph of an uncertain environment and detect a single target moving on this graph.

John Baras named Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Citation reads, "for fundamental and high impact contributions to Internet over satellite technology, cybersecurity, automatic control, model-based systems engineering, and for academic leadership."

UMD's Paley Wins Grant for Micromobility Study

Quantitative research will help better assess risks and benefits, while providing a foundation for planning.

Tokekar Receives NSF CAREER Award to Make Multi-Robot Systems More Reliable

Pratap Tokekar is an MRC faculty member and assistant professor of CS

Fuge Receives NSF CAREER Award

Funded research will explore new algorithms that learn how to design complex systems.

UMD Online Engineering Graduate Program Ranks 18th Nationally

Online Graduate Program Recognized as a Best Online Program by U.S. News & World Report

Daring Vision. Lasting Impact.

125 Years of Engineering Excellence at the University of Maryland (1894–2019)

Manocha Keynote Speaker at 2019 ODSC Conference

Manocha spoke on “Autonomous Driving: Simulation and Navigation” at the Open Data Science Conference Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

Tokekar Using Robots to Collect Important Data

Pratap Tokekar, an assistant professor of computer science and a member of MRC, is working in an area of robotics research that he identifies as “3D problems”-robots doing jobs that can be dull, dirty and dangerous.

Ph.D. student Usman Fiaz competes in Unix 50 challenge at Nokia Bell Labs

Fiaz's team won the award for "Outstanding Achievement in Robotic Orchestration."

UMD Transplant Organ Flight Named Invention of the Year

The Technical.ly Awards honored an history-making drone flight that helped save the life of a kidney patient.

Found in Space

How an 18-year-old student engineering project showed up in a new sci-fi book.

Advancing Healthcare through Robotics and Machine Learning

You may not be able to see undiagnosed, internal hemorrhagic bleeding ... but a robot can.

Special Delivery

To build an unmanned aerial vehicle worthy of a groundbreaking three-mile flight on the night of April 19, a team of UMD engineers worked over the course of two and a half years.

University of Maryland Launches Quantum Technology Center

The new research center will catalyze the development of high-impact quantum technologies.

Hyperdimensional computer theory featured in Voice of America video

The video features the work of UMD faculty Yiannis Aloimonos and Cornelia Fermuller and their students.

Building Tomorrow’s Aviation Together: Airport, UAS Test Site Celebrate Ties

Unmanned systems are helping to power economic growth in Southern Maryland.

Do Good Robotics Start-Up Competition coming this fall

Deadline for submitting an application is July 30.

Manocha Named to 2019 ACM SIGGRAPH Academy

Manocha was recognized for his contributions to geometric modeling, GPU computing, interactive rendering of large complex scenes, and interactive sound simulation.

Clark School student teams sweep MAV competition

FIRE freshmen, AE undergrads and MEng Robotics students take first place in both categories at VFS Micro Air Vehicle Student Challenge.

Helping robots remember

Hyperdimensional computing theory could change the way AI works

Maryland Robotics Center Demonstrates Robots at Maryland Day 2019

Maryland Robotics Center Demos on Maryland Day 2019

Pioneering Breakthrough: Unmanned Aircraft Delivers Organ for Successful Kidney Transplant in Maryland

The groundbreaking effort by Maryland faculty and researchers could help expand donor access to transplantation.

UMD workshop examines risks related to new transportation technology

Key concerns include vehice safety, software reliabillity, and cybersecurity.

Machine Learning's Translational Medicine

Axel Krieger, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, specializes in medical robotics and computer vision.

Realistic simulator improves safety of self-driving vehicles before road testing

Data-driven tech combines photos, videos, real-world trajectory, and behavioral info into autonomous driving simulator.

Do Good Robotics Symposium to explore technologies that benefit society and the planet

The Maryland Robotics Center is holding the two-day event Oct 3–4.

Regli is co-PI for ARM functional interoperable compiler project

The research, led by Siemens Corporate Technology, will create a high-level, standardized declarative language for robot programming.

In the news: Transplant organ delivery by drone

Unmanned aircraft may be the ultimate method for delivering life-saving organs from donors to recipients.

A Fearless Flight

Maryland tests demonstrate how human organs can be transported safely by drones.

University of Maryland Links Drone and Robotic Boat in Communication Network

Test site engineers modified a limited-use remote-control boat for the test.

Wen, Horiuchi are runners up for BioCAS 2018 Best Paper Award

Power-law compression can expand the dynamic range of a neuromorphic echolocation system.

It takes a swarm: These robots talk to each other, make decisions as a group

"Power in numbers" is how Michael Otte, an engineer at the University of Maryland, approaches robot decision making.

Students Earn Second Place for ExoHand Design 

Rappaport and Tanner win scholarships in Northrop Grumman 3D Printing Design Challenge

Maryland students place third in autonomous drone race

The team competed at the 2018 IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Madrid.

Shoukry, Krishnaprasad receive NSF grant for resilient-by-cognition cyber-physical systems

The researchers will equip autonomous systems with an additional layer of intelligence to improve safety and resilience.

Maryland Robotics Center launches a new postdoctoral fellowship program

The program will foster multidisciplinary collaborations among Maryland Robotics Center faculty.

Lu, Gollob win ISR annual awards

ISR's outstanding graduate student and undergraduate student awards were given at the Institute's welcome back reception.

Bioinspired robotics REU students present final projects

The REU was led by Hugh Bruck and Sarah Bergbreiter, along with Clark School faculty and graduate student mentors.

GapFlyt helps aerial robots navigate more like birds and insects

Bio-inspired sensorimotor framework allows quadrotors to fly though unknown gaps without building 3D maps.

Supporting Diversity in Engineering

The Clark School partnered with the National Society of Black Engineers to host the National Leadership Conference.

Director’s Message: Robust Counter UAS is Integral to Successful Airspace Integration

For the UAS Test Site this means supporting and catalyzing progress in three key areas.

UMD Risk Expert Contributes to National Academies Report on National Drone Policy

The 14-person committee found that FAA overestimates the risks associated with drone operations.

Student Teams Win $5,000 In Scholarship Funding

Radar systems featured in Northrop Grumman Sensing for Autonomous Vehicles Challenge.

Haptic Safety for Unmanned Vehicles

UMD research advances networked control and virtual reality for added safety.  

Dinesh Manocha Elected AAAI Fellow

Manocha has been recognized for his significant contributions to robotics and multi-agent simulation.

Maryland researchers awarded DARPA cooperative agreement to develop robotic swarm strategies

Maryland's is among the first “core swarm sprints” projects awarded in DARPA’s OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program.

New MRC members

MRC Welcomes Four New Faculty Members: Dr. Bill Regli, Dr. Dinesh Manocha ,Dr. Yasser Shoukry, and Dr. Ryan Sochol.

University of Maryland, Navy Control Robot From 6,000 Feet Above Ground

The operation is the highest altitude test conducted by the UAS Test Site since launching in 2015.

University of Maryland UAS Test Site Adds TigerSharks to Fleet

Their debut project aims to establish a communications relay to remotely control ground robots.

Pamela Abshire elected IEEE Fellow

Abshire was selected for her contribution to CMOS biosensors.

FPE Undergrad Benefits from University FIRE Program

Will Calcagno is developing a multi-use robot that can detect fire, in addition to other capabilities.  

Alumni Naomi Leonard and Xiaobo Tan part of public lecture on underwater robotics

The lecture was part of the Halcyon Dialogues on Robotics held at AAAS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Empowering Voices in Engineering

Moving towards a more diverse and inclusive campus.

Relive Totality With Clark School Images, Videos

View landscapes and research operations at three locations.

Researchers part of two NSF Neural & Cognitive Systems grants worth more than $1.2 million

The NSF awards have been issued to U.S. cross-disciplinary teams to conduct innovative research focused on neural and cognitive systems.

MRC faculty hosting REU summer program in bioinspired robotics

Ten undergraduate students from throughout the US are conducting research under the guidance of MRC faculty.

William Regli named sixth director of ISR

Regli, an ISR alumnus, will begin his appointment in January 2018.

Congratulations Spring 2017 Graduates!

Congratulations Spring 2017 Graduates!

Alumnus Fumin Zhang promoted to full professor at Georgia Tech

His research interests are in the design and control of marine robots and mobile sensor networks, as well as cyber-physical systems theory.

UMD Team Takes Second at NASA BIG Ideas Design Competition

Aerospace Engineering undergrads design winning solar electric propulsion (SEP)-powered space tug.

UMD Engineers Developing Robots to Compete in RoboMasters 2017

The team will find out if they are qualified for the competitive RoboMasters 2017 Wild Card this summer.

UMD Pushes Beyond Line of Sight to Map Impacts of Traditional Farming in Belize

The project marks the first time a UAS Test Site operator has flown using only instrumentation and cameras.

To the Stars: UMD Alumna to Be First African-American Crew Member on the International Space Station

UMD alumna and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps makes history as first African-American ISS crew member.

Two UMD Teams NASA BIG Idea Challenge Finalists

Two UMD Aerospace Engineering student teams selected as finalists in NASA's BIG Idea Challenge.

UMD Engineering for Social Change Class Awards Non-Profit V-LINC $10,000 Grant to Support Custom Assistive Technology Program

Grant marks more than $30,000 in student-awarded grants given through landmark engineering philanthropy course.

Synchronized swimming: How startled fish shoals effectively evade danger

Understanding response dynamics of startled fish reveals how orientation within the group effects escape chances, may offer insights into emergency response planning.

Paley presents at NAE 2016 Frontiers of Engineering Symposium

Three Clark School faculty attend NAE 2016 Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.

John S. Baras inducted into Clark School Innovation Hall of Fame

Baras created algorithms and protocols by which Internet services can be delivered over satellite.

Nau and colleagues publish new AI Planning book

Automated Planning and Acting introduces complex computational techniques for planning and performing actions.

UMD Microrobotic Work Featured in IEEE Spectrum

IEEE Spectrum spotlights Bergbreiter and St. Pierre's work on "the tiniest little quadruped robot ever seen."

Olusola-Ajayi to Deliver Student Speech for Clark School Spring Commencement

Aerospace Engineering senior Oyinkansola Elizabeth Olusola-Ajayi student speaker for the Clark School of Engineering's Spring 2016 Commencement Ceremony.

Maynord and Guha are Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship winners

They will receive a $100K fellowship for their project, "Feedback for Vision."

Maryland research contributes to Google’s AlphaGo AI system

Chang, Fu, Hu and Marcus developed ideas at the core of the system that defeated Go master Lee Se-Dol in early March.

Naomi Leonard to be inducted into Innovation Hall of Fame

Clark School honoring alumna for work in cooperative control

Visionary choreographer Huang Yi performs at Maryland, visits Robot Realization Lab

Yi programs a KUKA industrial robot to dance with humans in his work.

Building a smarter industrial robot

RoboSAM can assess its situation and call a human for help before making a mess.

Gupta is PI for NSF NRI unmanned surface vehicle grant

The research will make advances in risk-informed decision making so that teams of USVs and human supervisors can work cooperatively on a wide variety of missions.

S.K. Gupta wins NSF grant for human robot collaboration in manufacturing

Research will enable proactive management of contingencies arising during human-robot collaboration in hybrid work cells in small production volume manufacturing operations.

Bio-inspired robots invade Aspen Hill Library

NaviGator, Robo Terp III, SUR Hand and Robo Raven V delight teens and parents.

Alumnus Xiaobo Tan promoted to full professor at Michigan State

Tan earned a 2002 Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland.

UMD Students Win 2015 RASC-AL Competition

Aerospace engineering students design winning concept for a Mars settlement and lunar refueling station.

UMD Team Wins 2015 Robo-Ops and Sets New Course Record

Maryland students and their rover 'Frigg' win first place at the 2015 Robo-Ops Competition.

Desai Named ASME Fellow

Mechanical Engineering Professor Jaydev Desai named ASME Fellow.

Sterbing-D'Angelo interviewed by Forbes magazine

She explains her work using 3D printers to create large polymer fiber hairs that mimic hairs on bat wings.

Bats' touch sensor cells enable precision flight

ISR's Moss, Sterbing-D'Angelo among research team publishing results in Cell Reports

Maryland Robotics Center presents demonstrations at Maryland Day

Visitors meet bio-inspired, miniature, networked, underwater robots, and more.

New AFOSR NIFTI Center features eight Clark School faculty

Center will create bio-inspired solutions for small, remotely operated aircraft.

Maryland Robotics Center students participate in National Robotics Week kick-off

Bio-inspired robots star at the National Air and Space Museum.

Optimal control and strong interactions imply flock cohesion

New work suggests that copying behavior in social groups may be governed by optimal control theory

UMD Robot Visits White House

Grad student Bryan Hays and NAO robot volunteer to teach programming to K-12 students.

Robots learn kitchen skills by watching YouTube videos

Autonomous robots can learn and perform complex actions via observation

Workshop on Geometry of Collective Behavior organized by P. S. Krishnaprasad

The workshop was part of the 53rd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control.

Alumnus Matteo Mischiati is lead author of sensorimotor control study in Nature

Research shows dragonflies use predictive control strategies, not just simple reactions, to capture prey.

UMD Clark School Announces Inaugural Awards Winners

New awards honor alumni, friends for career achievements and contributions to Clark School.

UMD President Loh hosts robotics demonstrations at University House

Maryland Robotics Center shows a variety of robotic platforms.

Alum Xiaobo Tan developing robotic fish to 'stalk' real fish in the Great Lakes

The MSU professor's fish will track the movements of lake trout, walleye and lake sturgeon.

Virtual Demonstrations and Crowdsourcing Could Lead Advancements in Autonomous Robots

UMD researchers discuss new approaches to imitation learning for robots in ASME's Mechanical Engineering's September issue.

UMD Clark School to Host Mpact Week: Disaster Resilience

Research showcase to highlight role of engineers in developing innovative solutions to help prevent, mitigate, and respond to disasters.

New NSF grant funds research to build network of tiny robots for bridge inspection

Nuno Martins, Sarah Bergbreiter, Richard La to collaborate with Resensys on development of semi-autonomous system.

University of Maryland Orbital Debris Education and Research Center to Host Inaugural Workshop

First academically led center will lead workshop to connect academe, industry and government to address critical issues in orbital debris policy, management and mitigation.

Students present final projects for 2014 NSF Microrobotics REU

Research ranged from robotic skin to leg designs, inertial tail actuators, and more.

Clark School Faculty Promotions Announced

Faculty promoted to full professor, associate professor with tenure.

UMD Alumni Hatch Sub-$300 Consumer 3D Printer, Raise $3.3 Million on Kickstarter

Alumni-founded company races past $50,000 goal in 11 minutes, hits $1 million in 25 hours.

Robotic fish research profiled in Baltimore Sun

Derek Paley, Sean Humbert and alumnus Xiaobo Tan are collaborators on the project.

UMD's Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory Featured in The Accelerator

American Society for Engineering Education Highlights Bio-Inspired Engineering.

UMD Hackathon Team Featured on NPR

Terrapin Hackers students interviewed by "All Things Considered"

UMD Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program Wins National Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education

EIP takes first place in the Outstanding Specialty Entrepreneurship Program category.

Clark School's Online Graduate Programs Highly Ranked in 2014 by U.S. News and World Report

Office of Advanced Engineering Education's online graduate program are excellent opportunities for working engineers worldwide.

Engineering Dynamics textbook by Paley, Kasdin in use at top schools

The textbook introduces undergraduate students to engineering dynamics with an accessible, comprehensive and innovative approach.

NSF-Backed DC I-Corps Kicks Off First Cohort with 20 Federal Laboratory, University and Regional Inventors, Entrepreneur Teams

The Silicon Valley-tested, Lean Startup-based initiative is slated to train 300 top entrepreneurial research teams over three years.

ECE Students Take Top Prize at Michigan Hackathon for Intelligent Trashcan

Three ECE students win MHacks, a hackathon with more than 1200 students competing.

UMD Receives Largest Ever Software Grant from Siemens

UMD students and researchers to gain access to industry technology used to design and manufacture sophisticated products.

Desai's Neurosurgical Robotics Technology Featured in NIH Story

Mechanical Engineering Professor Jaydev Desai was featured in an NIH article on robotics in neurosurgery.

Galloway, Justh, Krishnaprasad publish chasing and flocking research in Proceedings of the Royal Society A

New models and equations aid in understanding of natural phenomena, has implications for engineered networks of robots.

REU in Miniature Robotics holds final project symposium

Nine projects range from wings for MAVs to vision sensors for small robots to small grasping hands.

Robotics @ Maryland Takes Fourth Place in International RoboSub Competition

Student-run robotics team builds autonomous underwater vehicle for competition.

Luke Roberts awarded NSF Graduate Fellowship

Ph.D. student is part of the Robo Raven project.

Sagar Chowdhury wins ISR graduate student award

Chowdhury’s research focuses on optical tweezers.

Pioneering flight of ‘Robo Raven’ is major breakthrough for micro air vehicles

Robotic bird's independently controllable wings makes more realistic flight maneuvers possible.

Robotics Team Mentored by UMD Students Advances to FIRST Championship Competition

Clark School of Engineering undergrads help middle and high school students prepare, compete.

Robotics, Service & STEM Education

Freshmen and sophomores teach and learn "hands on."

Mote Nominated to be Next NAE President

Clark School professor, former UMD president would lead National Academy of Engineering beginning July 2013.

Faculty Members Take On New Responsibilities

Flatau, Martins, Kofinas to serve Clark School in new roles; Gupta to lead NSF initiative.

MERIT-BIEN and TREND Fair Showcases Undergraduate Research

More than 20 undergraduate students participate in research projects sponsored by ECE and IREAP.

Why Engineering Looks Like an "Awesome" Career

Clark School high school summer program participant writes newspaper column about her experience.

"Nebuchadnezzar" Takes Autonomous Hovercraft Honors

Freshman design competition introduces payload challenge.

Lyles to Speak at Commencement

Retired U.S. Air Force general to address engineering grads.

Maryland Robotics Center featured on live TV broadcast

Robots from five research groups help promote Maryland Day activities.

University of Maryland and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Partner on $1.6 M NIH Grant

Dr. Jaydev P. Desai  (UMD) and Dr. David J. Foran (CINJ) Principal Investigators on study to improve understanding and management of breast cancer

Alum Xiaobo Tan's research featured in NSF Highlight

Story features Tan's artificial muscle-enabled robotic fish.

Federal Region Is Nation's Most "Tech-centric"

New rankings in The Atlantic show Maryland, D.C., Virginia as leaders in tech economies.

Campus Seeks to Conserve Energy in Classrooms

New occupancy sensors to reduce use of lighting in empty classrooms.

Clark School, DARPA Launch Pilot Academic Fellows Program

Seek blend of military and academic personnel perspectives to generate new technologies.

Tiny hairs on bats’ wings act as speedometers

Finding could lead to new air speed and stall detectors for aircraft

Defense Department Funding Supports Research Instrumentation

Balachandran, Chellappa, Shamma win awards for micro-air-vehicle, sensing, audio-visual saliency research.

Ching Teo and Yezhou Yang win in Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship competition

Teo is advised by ISR affiliate faculty member Yiannis Aloimonos.

Dean's Doctoral Research Awards Announced

Research on microbatteries, graphene and flapping-wing flight recognized.

Robotics forum opens doors to collaboration

Event draws UMD officials and robotics researchers.

Avis Cohen is co-PI on NSF neuromechanics and dynamics of locomotion grant

Research will coordinate neural and mechanical studies on lamprey locomotion.

Maryland students impress at National Robotics Week

Projects highlight Maryland Robotics Center research.

Giving Robotic Flight More Buzz

Bee study could improve micro air vehicle agility in wind gusts.

Horiuchi, Baras, Humbert participating in Department of Defense MURI projects

Projects focus on autonomous unmanned aircraft vehicle systems.

CNN airs special program on Cohen, Etienne-Cummings research

Work on biologically inspired computer chip appeared on Earth's Frontiers.

Synchronized Swimming for Submarines

Paley studies schooling fish to improve motion coordination in unmanned vehicle teams.

Alum Fumin Zhang wins ONR Young Investigator Program award

Former student of P.S. Krishnaprasad is one of only 17 recipients nationwide.

S.K. Gupta awarded NSF grant for autonomous optical manipulation of cells

Researchers will develop a system that features holographic optical tweezers.

Nikhil Chopra receives NSF grant for wireless sensor and robotic networks

Researcher will investigate fundamental issues in control and distributed coordination.

Paper by Krishnaprasad, Justh, Wei published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A

Paper offers possible evolutionary basis for flight behavior in echolocating bats.

Horiuchi, Humbert Developing Bio-Inspired Navigation for Micro Air Vehicles

PANOPTIS system uses both echolocation and optic flow sensors.

S.K. Gupta and teammates win 2007 'Invention of the Year' physical science award

Gupta also finalist in information science category; Gary Rubloff finalist in physical science.

Martins receives AFOSR grant for control of mobile multi-agent systems

Research will develop guidance, control, and wireless communication modules for networked systems.

Alumnus Xiaobo Tan receives ONR grant for biomimetic robotic fish

Robots are based on biological principles and incorporate biomimetic electroactive polymers.

Wired magazine discovers Horiuchi research

Micro-air vehicle projects profiled in "Danger Room" national security blog.

Space Systems Laboratory's Ranger robot is proposed to NASA

Proposal is made to assist in upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope

Moss, Horiuchi win $1.6 million NIH grant

Research to study the integration of auditory information with motor programs for spatially-guided behavior in mammals.

Leonard conducts underwater robotics research

Team launched fleets of underwater vehicles into the Pacific Ocean

Shamma, Horiuchi, Baras, Krishnaprasad, Moss awarded acoustic sensors contract

Team will develop intelligent and noise-robust interfaces for MEMS acoustic sensors for DARPA