Motion Planning, Active Learning, and Autonomy (MPALA) Lab
We are seeking to build a lab with dynamic students and researchers of diverse backgrounds and skillsets who are passionate for developing robotic systems and algorithms that will have high societal impact. We are interested in robotics applications including autonomous navigation, environmental monitoring, healthcare, rehabilitation, search and rescue, and urban air mobility.
Lab Diversity Statement
At MPALA Lab we are dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment. We recognize that minorities and under-represented groups, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+, immigrants, and native Americans have been historically marginalized and overlooked. We firmly believe that some of the most important breakthrough discoveries and impactful contributions in research originate from diverse groups with out-of-the-box thinking.
To support this mission, we commit to:- Building and maintaining a diverse group of people by welcoming individuals regardless of national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and transgender status), color, race, religion, class, cultural background, age, or disabilities
- Striving to secure funding for all of our students and researchers
- Providing mentorship and access to educational resources to all our lab members
- Helping students develop their self-confidence and at the same time conveying that the lab is a place of mutual respect
- Educating all group members on cultural norms to create a respectful and inclusive environment
Team Members
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Colorado School of Mines
george.kontoudis@mines.edu
CV
Graduate Students
PhD Student, Colorado School of Mines
MS New York University
Multi-robot systems
Webpage
PhD Student (jointly with Anthony Petrella), Colorado School of Mines
MS National Aviation University
Soft robotics
Undergraduate Students
BS Student, Colorado School of Mines
Multi-robot systems
BS Student, Colorado School of Mines
Robot hands
BS Student, Colorado School of Mines
Robot hands
One PhD position available
The position will begin in Fall 2025 and is fully funded, covering both tuition and monthly stipend. If you are interested, please submit your application through the Mechanical Engineering Department on this webpage. In your application, choose the focus area "Robotics and Automation," and list Dr. Kontoudis' name as your preferable supervisor in both the application and your statement of purpose. Please note that the deadline for PhD applications in the Mechanical Engineering Department is December 15. Additional information about admission requirements for graduate applicants in the Mechanical Engineering Department can be found here. The GRE requirement may be waived upon request. In case you have any questions about the position, the application process, or would like to request a GRE waiver, please reach out to Dr. Kontoudis after reviewing the next section (Join the MPALA Lab).
Topic: Multi-robot learning and motion planning- Related research in our lab: [IROS23] | [TNNLS23] | [Access24] | [ICRA21-1]
- Basic requirements
- Self-motivated students with passion for robotics and machine learning
- Bachelor's degree in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field
- Coding experience in MATLAB and Python
- Relevant coursework in control systems, linear algebra, and probability theory
- Good writing and speaking skills in English (see the minimum requirements for admission to Mines here)
- Desired skills
- Master's degree in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or related field
- Coding experience in C/C++ and Julia
- Hardware experience with real-life robotic systems using ROS
- Relevant coursework in robotics and/or machine learning
- Experience in paper writing
Join the MPALA Lab
We are always happy to discuss about research opportunities in our lab, but please do not stop by the lab or Dr. Kontoudis' office without coordinating first via email. Potential students and researchers should be familiar with our work (see Research and Publications pages) and justify their research interests. If you are interested in joining our lab, send us an email at george.kontoudis@mines.edu prior submitting your application and include the following items.- Title: Interested in joining the MPALA Lab
- Express interest in a specific job opening (if any)
- Research background and experience including any projects that you participated and/or publications (even work in progress)
- Research interests including some publications that you liked from our lab (see Publications page)
- Attach your CV, publications, and transcripts