Organizers of the ICON RISE Expo (from left): Shaoshuai Mou, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics and co-director of ICON; Sooraj Chetput (ECE); Revanth Senthil (ECE); Nikhil Irukula (Finance); Mouli Sangita (CS); Haddy Alchaer (ECE); Nithin Anand (FYE); Aytac Aslanli (FYE); Tyler Hsieh (FYE); Pranav Krishnamoorthy (FYE); Vijay Muthukumar (FYE); and Tim Nadolsky (CS). Not pictured: Yu She, assistant professor of industrial engineering and director of the MARS lab.

Over 200 students attended the inaugural Institute for Control, Optimization and Networks (ICON) Robotics and Intelligent Systems (RISE) Expo on April 15. The event, organized by Autonomous Robotics Club (ARC) of Purdue, exhibited some of the newest innovations in robotics and intelligent systems with experts from Purdue research labs and student organizations demonstrating their cutting-edge innovations that explore the future of robotics and intelligent systems.

The event attracted students from multiple disciplines, including industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, aeronautics and astronautics, electrical and computer engineering, agricultural and biological engineering, computer science and Purdue Polytechnic.

“This great event for students showcased their latest results, networking across departments and colleges, and students’ engagement in the robotics community across campus," said Yu She, assistant professor of industrial engineering and director of the Mechanisms And Robotics Systems (MARS) lab. 

Haddy Alchaer, president of ARC and one of the expo undergraduate organizers, said the event provided valuable skills and experience.

“I was able to manage people, coordinate with different organizations and deal with many attendees at once,” he said. “It taught me a lot about time management, communication and persuasion skills, as well as the importance of adapting to changes quickly. Overall, it was a rewarding experience that helped me develop valuable skills that I will use in all my future endeavors, and I’m excited to see how I can apply these skills moving forward.”

With about 84 affiliated faculty members from more than 15 departments across Purdue University, ICON is co-directed by Shaoshuai Mou and Shreyas Sundaram, the Marie Gordon Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Mou and Sundaram have been encouraging ICON-affiliated student clubs to take the lead in exploring new techniques of robotics and autonomous systems.

“This event, as part of ICON’s mission to enhance Purdue’s research and education in autonomy and robotics, also aligns very well with Purdue’s recent Initiative for Physical Artificial Intelligence," said Mou, associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics. “I’m very glad to see so many outstanding demos from our students that show ICON’s strength in applying robotics and AI into real-world scenarios.”