With the first-of-its-kind bachelor’s degree in robotics engineering and one of the first such graduate programs in the nation, WPI is at the forefront of robotics education and research.
Our passion for robotics is evident in everything we do—we have a dedicated and enthusiastic faculty and staff along with strong industry connections; perform breakthrough research; provide hands-on work with robotic devices in our many state-of-the-art labs; prioritize space for experimentation; and foster competitive teams that routinely win national robotics awards. Our graduates leave well prepared to tackle the technical, social, cultural, and ethical challenges of a robotics workforce that remains dynamic and constantly changing.
We celebrated our 10-Year Anniversary on Tuesday October 22, 2019. You can see photos and videos from the research symposium here:
Launching to a Robotic Future: WPI Robotics Engineering 10-Year Anniversary Research Symposium
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Degrees & Certificates
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Robotic Recycling Centers
Assistant Professor Berk Calli and eight other researchers will use $2.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation’s Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier program for the four-year project, which will include building a mock recycling line at WPI.
Safer, More Accurate Cancer Detection
Assistant Professor Haichong (Kai) Zhang received a five-year $1,869,423 Director's Early Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his ongoing work to create a robotic system that will detect and analyze three different indicators of prostate cancer.
Human-Robot Interaction in the Workplace
Anticipating a future of work that establishes a division of labor between humans and robotic technology, WPI robotics engineering researchers have secured a five-year, $3 million National Science Foundation grant focusing on research and training related to the adoption of robotic assistants in the workplace.
Announcements
News
Media Coverage
Mike Gennert, professor of robotics engineering; Carlo Pinciroli, assistant professor of robotics engineering; and Ashay Aswale, a PhD student in robotics engineering, were featured in a TV segment describing their participation in the NASA-sponsored Space Robotics Challenge. About a dozen undergraduate and graduate students have made measurable contributions in the competition.
Mike Gennert, professor of robotics engineering, offered his thoughts on the impact of NASA’s Perseverance rover landing on Mars. “Perseverance picked its own landing spot as it got near the surface,” said Gennert, “so it was able to avoid rocks and other obstacles as it landed.” In the TV segment, Gennert added that it has “much more autonomous ability” than other rovers.
Implementing the First High School Robotics Competition
At the Albania Project center, WPI students have played a major role over the last few years in advancing Albania’s first high school robotics club. Most recently, students took the club a step further by introducing its members to one of WPI’s signature activities: the Savage Soccer robotics competition. Read more.
BS/MS Option
Students may opt to earn a BS/MS degree in robotics engineering in an accelerated time. The bachelor's degree can be in any major at WPI and the master's is in robotics engineering. Students interested in the program are encouraged to contact the Robotics Engineering Department for guidance about any undergraduate requirements for the program.