Research Threads

Deep dives into the problems and methods that drive our lab.

Digital Twins

Simulation, Validation & Chaos Engineering

High-fidelity digital twins built on ROS 2 and Unity let us validate control logic, inject faults, and stress-test cyber-physical systems before deployment — bridging the sim-to-real gap for robotic workcells and logistics hubs.

  • ROS 2 / Gazebo hardware-in-the-loop testbeds
  • Unity-based 3-D visualization dashboards
  • Automated fault-injection and recovery scoring
Smart Mfg & CNC

Intelligent Machining & Tooling

We develop GCode interception and validation pipelines for CNC systems and produce custom tooling on our in-house machines, closing the loop between digital design and physical production.

  • Real-time GCode validation for CNC machining
  • Custom tooling fabrication and rapid iteration
  • Sensor-rich machine monitoring
Optimization

Scheduling, Coordination & Process Control

From job-shop scheduling to multi-agent coordination in smart factory layouts, our algorithms minimize cycle time and energy use while meeting throughput targets.

  • Deep reinforcement learning for production scheduling
  • Genetic ML algorithms for process optimization
  • Multi-agent coordination in flexible workcells
Vision & QC

Computer Vision for Quality Control

We build computer vision systems that inspect parts in real time, catching defects at the point of manufacture and feeding data back into process-control loops.

  • Defect detection via convolutional neural networks
  • Camera-guided robotic pick-and-place
  • Dimensional measurement and tolerance verification
Data & IIoT

Data Pipelines & the Industrial Internet of Things

Sensor data flows from PLCs, conveyors, and robotic arms into pipelines that clean, transform, and visualize operational metrics — providing the data layer that makes Industry 4.0 possible.

  • End-to-end data pipeline design for manufacturing testbeds
  • SCADA and OPC-UA integration
  • Real-time dashboards and anomaly alerting
Cyber-Physical

Resilient Cyber-Physical Systems

Our testbed automation work ensures that cyber-physical systems remain operational under adverse conditions — validating edge-first architectures for contested and degraded environments.

  • Automated testbed provisioning and orchestration
  • Edge inference under intermittent connectivity
  • MANET routing and zero-knowledge identity verification

Projects & Tools

Applied software built and maintained by the lab.

Applied Systems

Tower of Hanoi Solver

Interactive solver and algorithmic visualization for production scheduling reasoning.

Open Project
Human-Centered

RSVP Speed Reader

Rapid serial visual presentation research tool for cognitive workflows.

Open Project