Center for Autonomous and Robotic Systems |

The Center for Autonomous and Robotic Systems (CARS) is a collaborative group of researchers that work on answering questions at the intersection of systems theory, automatic control, artificial intelligence, and applications to real-life problems spanning a wide range of domains, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of people and contributing to a general effort toward a cleaner environment and a healthier, sustainable ecosystem.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

CARS supports and array of educational activities related to systems, artificial intelligence, and robotics, most notably the interdisciplinary Masters of Science in Robotics program.

RESEARCH

CARS faculty and students are engaged in innovative, purpose-driven research aimed at maximizing the societal benefits from the deployment of artificial intelligence and robotic automation.

PEOPLE

CARS draws expertise from all UD Colleges, forming truly interdisciplinary teams across departmental boundaries to tackle the most challenging, exciting, pressing, and impactful research questions.

HIGHLIGHTS

Erin Sparks, assistant professor in Plant and Soil Sciences, dreamed of a robot she could use in her research. A perfect partnership was formed when Adam Stager, then a mechanical engineering Ph.D. student, reached out about a robot he had a gut feeling might be useful in agriculture. The pair moved forward with their research with corn at the UD Farm, using the robot to capture dynamic phenotyping information of brace roots over time.