The ICON Laboratory’s research is mainly robotics-based, with many studies and experiments relating to multiple robots and components systems.

Lately, one of the main research areas at ICON Lab has been on a multi-robot monitoring system. Once the system is designed and tested, it will assist in many missions, including search and rescue, wildlife monitoring, infrastructure inspection, smart farming, and planetary exploration. The goal is for a group of robots (both on the ground and in-flight) to cover a large area of space most efficiently. This project has been in the works for years, but significant progress is being made. Dr. Lee projects that the system will be ready for a demonstration within the next couple of years. 

Dr. Lee has each graduate student working on robotics projects of great interest. For instance, Geronimo Macias, who has worked with the lab since August 2020, is currently designing and analyzing a helium-assisted hybrid drone. Once this drone is complete, it will be a fundamental tool in exploring caves and other potentially dangerous unexplored areas. Luke Strebe, another graduate student who has been with the ICON Laboratory since August 2021, is working on the design and program for a solar-powered autonomous robot. This project aims to create the right program to get the robot to take the “best” path in an unknown environment. The “best” path for the robot in this project is considered the path that provides the robot with the most energy while getting it to its destination in the shortest distance possible.

           

Robotics is a rising industry within the engineering field. The ICON Lab provides both undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to research and learn more about robotics and its applications. Undergraduate students are given a smaller research project to work on. Graduate students then have the opportunity to assist in Dr. Lee’s research, such as the multi-robot system being developed. For more information on the research being pursued at ICON Lab or to learn more about getting involved, you can visit the ICON Lab webpage.