Group Director:

 Prof. Soon-Jo Chung

Administrative assistant

  • Narin Seraydarian (from October 1, 2023)

Research Scientists/Engineers and POSTDOCs

  • Dr. Matt Anderson
    Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Sydney

  • Dr. Xingxing Zuo (co-advised with Prof. Georgia Gkioxari)
    Ph.D. in Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University

  • Dr. Thomas Berrueta (co-advised with Prof. Fred Hadaegh)
    Ph.D. in Robotics, Northwestern University

  • Dr. Mahdi Taheri (co-advised with Prof. Fred Hadaegh)
    Ph.D. in EE, Concordia University, Canada

  • Joshua Cho
    B.S, M.S. in Robotics, Northwestern University

  • Arion Zimmerman
    M.S. EPFL

Ph.D. Students

  • Sorina Lupu (GALCIT)
    M.S., EPFL
    M.S. in Aerospace, Caltech

  • Jimmy Ragan (GALCIT)
    M.S. in Space Engineering, Caltech
    B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Washington

  • Nikhil Ranganathan (GALCIT)
    M.S. in Space Engineering, Caltech
    B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University

  • John Lathrop (CDS)
    B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics, University of Maryland

  • Fengze Xie (CMS), co-advised with Prof. Yisong Yue
    M.E in Electrical Engineering, Caltech
    B.S. in Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Joshua Ibrahim (CDS), co-advised with Prof. Eric Mazumdar
    B.S., M.S., University of Pennsylvania

  • Yujin An (BE)
    M.S. KAIST

  • Joudi Hajar (EE), co-advised
    M.S. ETH, Zurich

  • Satvik Kumar (GALCIT)
    B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech

  • Haeyoon Han (CDS)
    B.S., M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, KAIST

  • Deemo Chen (EE)
    B.S. in EE, Cornell University

  • Mathieu A Decker
    Visiting MS Student from ETH

  • Gloria Mellinand
    Visiting MS student from EPFL

SURF/WAVE/AMP Undergraduate students

2019. Brian Cruz, Aaron Feldman, Yvette Lin, Jamie Littman, Austin McCoy, Zoe Rock, Jennifer Sun; Saskia Van Nieuwstadt, Yasmin Veys, Anya Vinogradsky, Asta Wu, Sarah Zou, Isaac Perrin; Kasey Adams, Sauhaarda Chowdhuri, Brad Villacis, Gabriel Goch, Muhammad Moughal

2018. Anuj Chadha, Asta Wu, David Elliott, Elaine Lowinger, Evan Yu,Irene Crowell, Joshua Fernandez, Juliette Hu, Karen Chen, Michael Brown, Michael Iovine, Qifan Wang, Ruoyun Zheng, Anuj Chadha, Brendan Hollaway

2017. Michelle Zhao, Aditya Telikicherla, Jui Hung (Ray) Sun, Suzanne H. Oliver, Prinesh K. Mistry, Qifan (William) Wang, Hyung Ju (Terry) Suh, Yunsang Choi.

Former MemBERs who are professors

  • Prof. James Preiss, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Prof. Yashwanth Nakka, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Prof. SooJean Han, Assistant Professor of Electrical Enginering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Tecnology

  • Prof. Lu Gan, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Prof. Giusy Falcone (former visiting MS student), Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering (starting in January 2024), University of Michigan, Ann-Arbor

  • Prof. Hiroyasu Tsukamoto, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering (starting in 2024), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Prof. Kyunam Kim, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University

  • Prof. Guanya Shi, Assistant Professor, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

  • Prof. Wolfgang Hoenig, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Technical University of Berlin

  • Prof. Alireza Ramezani, Assistant Professor, EECS, Northeastern University

  • Dr. Aditya Paranjape, Associate Professor, Monash University, Previously, Lecturer in Aerial Robotics, Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London

  • Prof. Ashwin Dani, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut

  • Prof. Jingjin Yu, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Rutgers University

  • Prof. Animesh Chakravarthy, Associate Professor, University of Texas, Arlington

Former PhD Students

  • Benjamin P. Riviere (GALCIT)
    Ph.D. in Aeronautics, Caltech
    M.S. in AE, Caltech
    B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University

  • Connor T. Lee (GALCIT)
    Ph.D. in Space Engineering, Caltech
    M.S. in Aeronautics, Caltech
    B.S. in Computer Science, Caltech

  • Kai Matsuka (GALCIT)
    Ph.D. in Space Engineering, Caltech
    M.S. in AE, Caltech
    B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
    Currently with Tesla

  • Hiroyasu Tsukamoto (GALCIT)
    Ph.D. in Space Engineering, Caltech
    M.S. in AE, Caltech
    B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Kyoto University
    Currently with Caltech and JPL, Incoming Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Michael O’Connell (GALCIT)
    Ph.D. in Space Engineering, Caltech
    M.S. in AE, Caltech
    B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Currently with Northrop Grumman Corporation

  • SooJean Han (CDS), co-advised with Prof. John Doyle
    Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems, Caltech
    B.S. in EECS and Applied Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley
    Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

  • Ellande Tang (MCE)
    Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Caltech, 2022
    M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Caltech
    B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
    Currently with the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University

  • Guanya Shi (CDS), co-advised with Yisong Yue
    B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University
    Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems, Caltech, 2022
    Currently, Assistant Professor, Robotics Institute, CMU

  • Yashwanth Kumar Nakka (GALCIT)
    Ph.D. in Space Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2021
    M.S. in AE, Caltech
    M.S. in AE, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    B.S. in AE, Indian Institute of Space Science and technology (IIST)
    Currently with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Karena Cai (CDS), co-advised with Prof. Richard Murray
    Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems, California Institute of Technology, 2021

    B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Princeton University
    Currently with Cruise

  • Xichen Shi
    Ph.D. in Space Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2021

    B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Currently with Waymo

  • Michael Duffy

    Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Defended in August 2019)
    Co-advised with Larry Bergman
    Currently with Raytheon

  • Rebecca Foust
    Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (August 2019, defended in May 2019)
    Currently GNC Engineer in the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University

  • Kevin Meier
    Ph.D. Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (May 2018, Defended January 2018)
    Ph.D. Thesis (Thesis Supervisors: Seth Hutchinson and Soon-Jo Chung): Visual-Inertial Curve SLAM
    Currently with the US Army Research Laboratory

  • Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay
    Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (May 2016, Defended December 2015)
    Ph.D. Thesis: Novel Probabilistic and Distributed Algorithms for Guidance, Control, and Nonlinear Estimation of Large-Scale Multi-Agent Systems
    Currently, Robotics Technologist at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Michael Dorothy
    Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (December 2015)
    Ph.D. Thesis: Neuroinspired Control Strategies with Applications to Flapping Flight
    Currently, Aerospace Engineer at the Army Research Laboratory

  • Junho Yang
    Ph.D. in Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (December 2015)
    Ph.D. Thesis (Thesis Supervisors: Soon-Jo Chung and Seth Hutchinson): Vision based Estimation, Localization, and Mapping for Autonomous Vehicles
    Currently, Senior Engineer at Hyundai Motor Company

  • Daniel Morgan
    Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (May 2015)
    Ph.D. Thesis: Guidance and control of swarms of spacecraft
    Currently, Senior GNC Engineer at SpaceX

  • Aditya Paranjape
    Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (December 2011)
    Ph.D. Thesis: Dynamics and Control of Robotic Aircraft with Articulated Wings
    Assistant Professor, Imperial College London (2017) (formerly Assistant Professor at McGill University and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay)

Former Postdoctoral Associates

  • Dr. James Preiss , Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Michael O’Connell

  • Benjamin Riviere

  • Prof. Lu Gan, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Dr. SooJean Han, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

  • Dr. Hiroyasu Tsukamoto, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Dr. Kai Matsuka, Tesla Motors

  • Dr. Michael O’Connell, Northrop Grumman Corporation

  • Dr. Anthony Fragoso, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

  • Dr. Vincenzo Capuano, Samsung Research Lab

  • Dr. Yashwanth Nakka, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Dr. Serin Lee, EpiSys Science

  • Dr. Kyunam Kim, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University

  • Dr. Wolfgang Hoenig, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Technical University of Berlin

  • Dr. Salar Rahili, Reinforcement Learning Lead,  January, Inc

  • Dr. Alireza Ramezani, Currently, Assistant Professor, Northeastern University

  • Dr. Shahrouz Ryan Alimo, Currrently with Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Dr. Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay, Currently, Robotics Technologist at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Dr. Christian Chilan, Currently Research Assistant Professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Dr. Aditya Paranjape Postdoctoral Associate (1/2012-10/2013, co-advised with Prof. Seth Hutchinson)
    Assistant Professor, Imperial College London (2017) (formerly Assistant Professor at McGill University and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay)

  • Dr. Ashwin Dani (co-advised with Prof. Seth Hutchinson) Postdoctoral Associate (8/2011-8/2013)
    Currently, Assistant Professor, Department of ECE, University of Connecticut

  • Dr. Jingjin Yu (co-advised with Prof. Petros Voulgaris) Postdoctoral Associate (3/2013-8/2013)
    Currently, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Rutgers University

  • Dr. Animesh Chakravarthy Postdoctoral Associate (50%, 2009-2010)
    Currently, Assistant Professor at Wichita State University

  • Dr. Keehong Seo (Postdoctoral Associate, 2008)
    Currently with Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT)

Former MS thesis Students, engineers, and Members

  • Dzenan Lapandic, Former Visiting PhD student, KTH

  • Daniel Mitchell, Former Visiting PhD student, University of Glasgow

  • Arion Zimmermann, Visiting MS student, EPFL

  • Hannah Grauer, former Research Engineering Staff
    B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Caltech

  • Jedidiah Alindogan, former Research Engineering Staff
    B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Caltech

  • Yuta Takahashi, former visiting PhD student
    Visiting PhD student, Tokyo Institute of Technology

  • Tommaso Ravanelli
    Visiting M.S. student, Politecnico di Milano

  • Patrick Spieler
    B.S., M.S., EPFL

  • Alexei Harvard
    B.S. in Mathematics, Caltech

  • Thayjes Srivas (Research Staff at Caltech November 2017-November 2018)

  • Sorina Lupu (M.S. EPFL)

  • Shripad Gade (PhD student UIUC under S.-J. Chung supervision during 2014-2016.

  • Martin Miller (ECE UIUC), co-advised w/ Prof. Seth Hutchinson
    M.S. Thesis: Hardware and Software Considerations for Monocular SLAM in A Riverine Environment
    Currently, Ford Motor Company

  • Ayush Saxena M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, UIUC, December 2017

  • Francesca Baldini Visiting MS student from the University of Pisa, Italy
    M.S. in AE, Caltech

  • Giusy Falcone Visiting MS student from the University of Pisa, Italy

  • Lingyu Ma (co-advised with S. Hutchinson), M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, UIUC, December 2016
    M.S. Thesis: Monocular Vision Based Navigation Using Image Moments of Polygonal Features

  • Yashwanth Kumar Nakka (co-advised with J. Allison) M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, UIUC, December 2016
    M.S. Thesis: Nonlinear Attitude Control of Spacecraft with Strain-Actuated Solar Arrays

  • Mingyo Seo (co-advised with S. Hutchinson) M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, UIUC, August 2016
    M.S. Thesis: Application of a Model-Based Nonlinear Attitude Control for Quadtoror UAVs

  • Giri Prashant Subramanian, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, August 2015
    M.S. Thesis: Nonlinear Control Strategies for Quadrotors and CubeSats

  • Nitish Sanghi, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, May 2013
    M.S. Thesis: Design of Flexible Actuators using Electro-Active Polymers And CPG-based Control Strategies
    Currently, Mechanical Engineer on Surgical Instruments, Intuitive Surgical Inc

  • Dushyant Rao, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, August 2012
    M.S. Thesis: CurveSLAM: Utilizing Higher Level Structure in Stereo Vision-based Navigation (Advisors: Soon-Jo Chung and Seth Hutchinson)
    Currently, Postdoc at University of Oxford, UK.

  • Jin Yu Guan, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mary 2012
    M.S. Thesis: Design and Control Strategy of a Flexible, Hyper-Redundant Robotic Arm using Electroactive Dielectric Polymers
    Currently, GNC Systems Engineer, Lockheed Martin Corporation

  • P. Daniel Kuang, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, December 2011
    M.S. Thesis: Robobat: Dynamics and Control of Flapping Flight Micro Aerial Vehicles
    Currently, Control Engineer at Cummins, Inc.

  • Daniel Morgan, M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, August 2011
    M.S. Thesis: Swarm Keeping Strategies for Spacecraft under J2 and Atmospheric Drag Perturbations
    Currently, Senior GNC Engineer at SpaceX

  • Koray Celik (PhD student under S.-J. Chung’s supervision during 2007-2009)

  • Insu Chang (PhD student under S.-J. Chung’s supervision during 2007-2010)

Visiting faculty

  • Anthony Clark, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Pomona College

  • Prof. Mark Balas, Texas A&M University

  • Prof. Tom Richardson, Bristol University

  • Prof. Atsuhiko Senba Visiting Scholar (7/2012-7/2013)
    Assistant Professor Department of Aerospace Engineering, Nagoya University, Japan

Undergraduate Research Assistants (OLD)

  • Swarm Spacecraft Testbed Development (6/2010-Current): Elliot Schwartz, Jenny Roderick, David Hanley, Mike Looby, Li Pan, Ricardo Toro (MS NT), Patrix Haddox (MS-NT)

  • Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Vision Tracking Challenge (since 1/2012): Rasheed Ibrahim, Xichen Shi, Shubham Gupta, Oliver Cai, Guanyang Luo, Sunil Patel, Jonathan Yong (MS-NT), Shravan Gupta, Derek Chen, Christian Howard, Hong-bin Yoon, Niclas Mueller, Gregory Doidge

  • Bio-inspired Flight Mechanics and Control of MAVs: Harry Rocha (ISGC UROP), Joseph Kim, Jim Holtman, Andy Meister, Matt Schipp, Dan Chuchawat, Nihir Ghandi, Robert Cachro, Or Dantsker

  • Swarm Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization (8/2010-5/2011): Austin Nicholas (Winner of NSF Graduate Fellowship, currently at MIT)

  • Design, Fabrication, and Control of Cellular, Flexible Robotic Arms and Control: Daniel Park, Eric Reisenbuckler, Ryan Cook (FPGA Based Central Pattern Generator)

  • Control of Bipedal-Walking Humanoid Robot: Sudarshan Rangan; Alex Cheung

  • Maulik Choksi, James Holtman, Michael Looby, Andrew Meister, Sudarshan Rangan, Matt Schipp, Jonathan Yong, Alex Leung, Harry Rocha, Austin Nicholas

  • Kito Berg-Taylor, Mark Kane, Keegan Gartner

  • Ravi Sharma, Shuang Gao

  • Brad Smith, Anid Monsur, Ryan Paul, Antonella Albuja, Chris Massina, Merritt Tennison