SML PERSONNEL

Building upon his foundational study (a B.Sc. specialized in Mechatronics Engineering). Alexander’s research is dedicated to advancing cross application aspects of robotics, with a specific focus on developing innovative perception and control solutions.

Christian Luedtke received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering and computer science from Michigan State University in 2019. Christian returned to MSU in 2021 to pursue his PhD in electrical and computer engineering with the Smart Microsystems Lab. His current research focus is on PVC gel sensors.

Claudia received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University in 2022. She was a summer research intern at Georgia Tech in 2021. She has been with SML since 2019 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. Her current research focuses on soft sensor panel arrays.

Eric joined the SML lab in 2019 as a Ph.D. student, coming from the University of Oklahoma with B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. His research is focused on the control of unmanned surface vehicles and drifter platforms and characterizing the performance of marine robots as sensor platforms. Eric has been fascinated by Marine robotics from a young age as they have potential applications in ecological monitoring, search and rescue, archaeology/salvage, and more.

Paul has been a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering since 2022, though he began at the lab in 2016 as an undergraduate research assistant. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University and a M.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University. Paul is also an Aviation Officer and HH-60 pilot in the Michigan Army National Guard. His interest is in Space Robotics and he currently studies control systems for Mars helicopters.

Preston received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Lake Superior State University in the Fall of 2020 and started his PhD at the Smart Microsystems Lab in the Summer of 2020. His research focuses on robotics, specifically on soft robotics and their design, fabrication, modeling, and control.

Shangyuan received his bachelor's degree in Automation in 2021 and his master's degree in Artificial Intelligence in 2024, both from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. He joined SML to pursue his PhD degree in Fall 2024. His current research focuses on robotic systems.

Xinda received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2016 and master's degree in Mechatronics Engineering in 2018, both from Harbin Institute of Technology, China. He joined SML to pursue his PhD degree in Fall 2018. His research topic is on robotic systems.

Xinyu received his bachelor's degree in Robotics Engineering in 2023 from Peking University, Beijing, China. He joined SML to pursue his PhD degree in Fall 2023. His research topic is on smart materials and robotic systems.

Yu received the B.S. degree in robotics engineering from the School of Automation, Southeast University (SEU), Nanjing, China, in 2020. He was a summer intern at Tsinghua Automotive Research Institute, Suzhou, China, in 2020 and a research assistant at SEU from 2020 to 2021. He started his PhD studies in Fall 2021. His current research focuses on modeling and control in soft robotics, as well as flexible sensors.

Mr. Thon is a technology and art teacher at Holt Junior High School. He was a K-12 Outreach Coordinator for MSU College of Engineering in 2006. He was an NSF-sponsored RET (Research Experience for Teachers) teacher in SML and a key research personnel of the lab. In close collaboration with other SML researchers, he performs research on mechanical design, machining, and packaging for underwater robots, and develops curriculum material for students at school based on the robotic fish project.