Independent Projects
As part of the degree curriculum, each student completes an independent project that is tailored to the student's interests.
Our students don't just tell people what they can do — they show them
From speaking with leaders in industry and academia, we know that our students are hired by companies and invited to join prestigious labs based on the strength of their portfolios. Therefore, instead of writing a typical master's thesis, one requirement of the Master of Science in Robotics program, is to develop an online project portfolio. Students benefit from ample guidance throughout the program to ensure their portfolios feature their most relevant experience, capabilities, and knowledge. Graduates leave the program with a valuable tool to present to prospective employers and PhD programs alike that showcases their comprehensive abilities.
The types of projects included in our students' portfolios are:
As part of the degree curriculum, each student completes an independent project that is tailored to the student's interests.
At the end of the program, all students complete a final research project while working in a faculty member’s lab.
As part of other coursework within the degree program, students complete group and individual projects.
Students often pursue their own projects and ideas outside the scope of program coursework.
Sample Student Projects
Robotics & Controls Engineer, Johnson & Johnson
Portfolio Focus: Machine learning, robotic manipulation, human-robot interaction, rehabilitation robotics
Project Highlight: Musheng used machine learning and manipulation to train a two-armed robot to detect human emotion and play the piano to alleviate perceived stress.
Robotics Architect, Verizon
Portfolio Focus: Swarm robotics, machine learning, mechatronics, design
Project Highlight: Aamir created a simultaneous operation of three omni-directional robots used for mapping the environment and manipulating large objects.
Robotic Software Development Engineer, Zoox
Portfolio Focus: Navigation, SLAM, machine learning, computer vision, manipulation, soft robotics
Project Highlight: Nate programmed a Jackal robot to autonomously navigate around the Northwestern University Robotics Lab, and also used machine learning for computer vision to detect cancer in medical images.
PhD Student, Northwestern University; Research Assistant, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Portfolio Focus: Rehabilitation robotics, machine learning, computer vision, mechatronics
Project Highlight: Mahdieh Nejati developed a ramp detection algorithm to help powered wheelchairs safely navigate urban environments.
Software Engineer, Boston Dynamics
Portfolio Focus: Machine learning, SLAM, navigation, legged locomotion
Project Highlight: Maurice Rahme used machine learning to train a spot-micro quadruped to walk, built the spot-micro robot, deployed his algorithm, and submitted a paper to the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).
Computer Vision Engineer, Rivian
Portfolio Focus: Computer vision, SLAM, machine learning
Project Highlight: Shangzhou Ye built a stereo visual SLAM system and is working on fusing point-cloud data from multiple sensors to navigate inside an office environment. He used machine learning to detect desks, chairs, and people.
