Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Resilient robots in rough terrain

Nathan Kahl — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 01:01:54 +0000

Resilient robots in rough terrain Nathan Kahl Mon, 10/13/2025 - 21:01

Xuesu Xiao oozes enthusiasm when he talks about his off-road robotics testbed in ��’s new Fuse building at Mason Square.

The Robotixx team provided demonstrations to visitors during the Fuse grand celebration in September. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“I'm extremely excited about this because it’s an only-of-its-kind thing on the planet. Nowhere else has such abilities. Off-road mobility and autonomy is a very difficult area to study and investigate because you need to have supporting facilities, you need to have off-road terrain, and you need to have the vehicles. We have all of that,” said the computer science assistant professor.

Xiao is a roboticist who develops algorithms to make robots not only capable, but also intelligent. His goal is that robots will someday work in the real world; humans will stand aside while robots go places that humans don't want to—or simply cannot—go.

“We want them to go to a forest to search for a victim who is lost in the woods,” he said. “We have a proposal in review right now to build robot firefighters. We want them in the field, doing things like scientific exploration in the South Pole.”

Presently, autonomous driving generally involves road networks with traffic lights and lane markings. Xiao’s research focuses on motion planning: using machine learning to determine a series of movements to get a robot from a starting point to a goal while avoiding obstacles.

“That is where AI comes into place,” said Xiao. “We want robots not only to be programmed to do things, but also to learn from themselves, from the humans around them, and from each other.”

Xiao hosted visitors from the RoSys Group of the University of Catania, Italy. Pictured: assistant professor Giuseppe Sutera, Xiao, PhD student Francesco Cancelliere, and assistant professor Dario Calogero Guastella in the test bed. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The testbed where Xiao and students put their robots through their paces is about 700 square feet of rocks and faux vegetation. Xiao is intimately familiar with the space, having placed most of the rocks himself. “I'm very, very proud of this testbed, which has more than seven tons of rocks. I took five of our students of seven or eight trips to the landscaping store. It was an exhausting week!”

The terrain is rugged, designed to represent a real-life situation. “Off-road environments may get the robot stuck because the terrain may be deformable—changing shape under weight,” Xiao said. “Off-road terrain may make the robot roll over because, if there are a lot of rocks, they may need to crawl over them. You don't want the vehicle to roll over on top of those things. Successfully maneuvering this terrain is a very, very big thrust of our lab.”

The testbed is built to a one-tenth scale. A motion-capture system of eight cameras (soon to be upgraded to 16) surveils the entire terrain. Xiao says that his team knows exactly how the vehicles are moving with six-degrees-of-freedom tracking.

The year has been busy for Xiao, who in 2025 won the university-wide Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence and the College of Engineering and Computing’s Excellence in Research Award. He is also George Mason’s sole nominee for the Rising Star Outstanding Faculty Award by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

While he appreciates that recognition, Xiao isn’t one to rest on his laurels. He is particularly excited about what’s next in the lab: He just ordered an autonomous Polaris “side-by-side”—a $300,000 autonomous off-road vehicle that can hold two people. He also talked about a capability that allows the testbed to be used far from George Mason.

“I was at a conference in Korea, and we opened our testbed to the entire world by using a web interface. So, the attendees of the Conference on Robot Learning in Korea could drive our robots in Fuse in Arlington, Virginia.”

With robots at George Mason taking commands from the other side of the globe, Xiao is showing that in robotics, there are no borders—only new frontiers to explore.

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Xuesu Xiao

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Autonomous Systems

Fuse at Mason Square

robotics

Artificial Intelligence

Research

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Eileen Roesler

Domonique Hopkins — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:07:16 +0000

Eileen Roesler Domonique Hopkins Wed, 08/20/2025 - 12:07

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology

Contact Information

Building: Fuse at Mason Square, Room 3324
Email: eroesle@gmu.edu
Phone: 703-993-7299

Personal Websites

Publications

Biography

Eileen Roesler is an Assistant Professor and researcher in the Department of Psychology in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition Group at ��. Her expertise lies in dissecting the dynamics that arise at the intersection of human relations with emerging technologies and scrutinizing the behavioral, cognitive, and social aspects of such interactions. Through the investigations at the Human-Agent Collaboration Lab (HAC Lab) and the Human-Robot Interaction Lab (HRI Lab), Dr. Roesler sheds light on the challenges that characterize the interactions between humans and (embodied) technologies.

Research

Human-robot interaction
Human-automation interaction
Verifiability and Explainability of AI

Teaching

Human-AI Interaction
Research Methods in Psychology
Usability

Degrees

PhD, Psychology, Technische Universität Berlin

Elizabeth Phillips

Domonique Hopkins — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:54:25 +0000

Elizabeth Phillips Domonique Hopkins Wed, 08/20/2025 - 11:54

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology

Contact Information

Building: David J. King Hall, Room 2051; Fuse at Mason Square, Room 3133
Email: ephill3@gmu.edu

Personal Websites

Professional Website

Publications

Biography

Elizabeth "Beth" Phillips is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition Group at ��. Dr. Phillips is the director of the Applied Psychology and Autonomous Systems (ALPHAS) Lab, the co-director of the George Mason Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Lab, and the co-creator of the Anthropomorphic RoBOT (ABOT) database. Her research background is diverse and interdisciplinary and includes collaborations with researchers in the departments of engineering and industrial design, computer science, cognitive science, and commercial product companies outside of the university.

Research

Human-robot interaction
Autonomous systems
Augmented and virtual reality

Teaching

Cognitive Psychology
Ergonomics

Degrees

PhD, Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology, University of Central Florida

George Mason launches Virginia’s first robotics PhD

Martha Bushong — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:39:04 +0000

George Mason launches Virginia’s first robotics PhD Martha Bushong Tue, 07/22/2025 - 14:39

��’s Department of Mechanical Engineering is leading the way in robotics with the approval of Virginia’s first PhD program in robotics that will launch in fall 2025. On July 10, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) officially approved the trailblazing program that will educate future leaders in the growing field.

Researcher Missy Cummings will direct the PhD in robotics program. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Mechanical Engineering Department Chair Leigh McCue and leading robotics faculty across the College of Engineering and Computing combined forces to create the multidisciplinary program that spans mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, computer science, and cybersecurity.

“George Mason is a powerhouse in robotics,” says McCue. With more than 30 faculty members in the field, numerous labs, and research projects, students in the program have access to countless opportunities.

The approval for this program was years in the making and involved many faculty, and it’s coming at the right time to make an impact. “With faculty like Missy Cummings, who will be the program director, Cameron Nowzari, Quentin Sanders, Daigo Shishika, Ningshi Yao, and many more, plus our centers and labs that span across all of our northern Virginia campuses, it felt like the time was right to put together a multidisciplinary program that brings together many great researchers,” says McCue.

The new labs in the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) in Fairfax, the Life Sciences and Engineering Building on the SciTech ��, and Fuse at Mason Square in Arlington increase the college’s capabilities by providing state-of-the-art areas for designing and constructing any robotic system students and faculty envision, enhancing research and teaching activities.

Students at work in the new robotics makerspace in Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

MARC, which opened in spring 2024, is already pioneering designing secure and intelligent autonomous systems. “Every robotics PhD student has a home in MARC. Like the program, it spans expertise across the College of Engineering and Computing and other colleges throughout the university,” says Missy Cummings, PhD program director and co-director of MARC.

As the program grows, Cummings, McCue, and Jeffrey Moran, Mechanical Engineering's associate chair for graduate studies, hope to see more partnerships and opportunities for these students. “I hope to see the types of projects diversify over the next ten years. Robotics is everywhere, and it touches so many industries, so I would like to see us break into new research areas, such as medical robots or micro-robotics,” says Moran.

Cummings adds that they are looking to partner with other universities and colleges across the state to support this growth and access to research in robotics.

The program is ready for transfer students starting in fall 2025. The department’s decision to fast-track the launch reflects high student interest and strong faculty readiness. “We have the talent, the infrastructure, and a clear vision,” says McCue. “This program is ready to go.” New students may apply for January 2026.

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Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

robotics

�� News

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Reimagining robotics through art and innovation

Colleen Rich — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:17:05 +0000

Reimagining robotics through art and innovation Colleen Rich Fri, 02/07/2025 - 16:17

The intersection of art and technology has long been a space for innovation, creativity, and exploration. At ��’s Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) located within the College of Engineering and Computing, this connection has taken center stage with the Integrating Art and Tech Project. This project brings together students from diverse academic backgrounds to create tech-enhanced artwork that highlights MARC’s cutting-edge research in autonomy, embedded artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics.

Project lead Alexia De Costa with Irene Hossain at the exhibition. Photo by Paola Duran/Office of University Branding

The inaugural class began in the fall 2024 semester and met weekly, with artists voluntarily returning on weekends, drawn by the project’s engaging and hands-on nature. Applied computer science major Alexia De Costa, the project’s lead, guided the team of eight students—Irene Hossain, Clarisse Ladaban, Ariel Clemmons, Srikriti Bulusu, Saanvi Munigela, Oluwatomisin Badmus, Adam Alsuezi, and Wanyi Chen (visiting scholar)—who dedicated their time to designing and assembling a collection of interactive artworks.

"Technology has the potential not only to advance autonomous systems, but also to serve as an interactive medium for storytelling and creativity,” said De Costa, who is also an member of the Honors College. "The combination of artistic expression and technological advancement makes the research at MARC more accessible to the public, sparking broader conversations about how these advancements can shape our future."

Their semester-long efforts culminated in an exhibition in December showcasing the innovative projects created through this collaboration.

Exploring the Collection

The collection is divided into three thematic groups: blimps, computer vision, and ground robots, each representing a significant research area at MARC.

Blimps: Bioinspiration in Motion

Lighter-than-air autonomous vehicles are inspired by marine life, including manta rays, stingrays, jellyfish, and sharks. This influence is captured through a lenticular design, where each blimp morphs into its corresponding sea creature as viewers move past the piece. The interactive visual experience reflects MARC’s aerial robotics research and highlights the way bioinspired designs influence technological advancements.

The student team worked on the artwork throughout the fall semester. Photo provided

Computer Vision: The Watchful Eye

A moving eye follows the viewer, its pixelated iris symbolizing the computational process behind image recognition and illustrating how AI-powered computer vision perceives the world. Surrounding the eye, a realistic depiction of the sky contrasts with bounding boxes that outline detected clouds—one of which is left undetected to highlight the imperfections and limitations of computer vision technology.

The work draws inspiration from René Magritte’s The False Mirror (1928), creating a thought-provoking commentary on perception and machine learning.

Ground Robots: Interactive Autonomy

Evolved from its original concept of free-moving robots responding to human touch, the final design features a hidden George Mason logo embedded in a maze that illuminates when a viewer is detected. The background features native plant species from the university’s campus, grounding the piece in its natural environment while highlighting the fusion of technology and organic elements.

Supported by the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR) through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), this project benefited from oversight and guidance of MARC codirectors Missy Cummings and Jesse Kirkpatrick to ensure alignment with the center’s research goals.

“This project highlights just how much creative talent exists in George Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing, and also just what student initiative and leadership can accomplish,” said Cummings. “Because of Alexia’s vision, there is now an undergraduate art and technology class that is available to all students.”

The student team with MARC codirectors Missy Cummings and Jesse Kirkpatrick. Photo by Paola Duran/Office of University Branding

Beyond showcasing student ingenuity and dedication, this collaboration between artists and engineers resulted in meaningful outcomes. Additionally, a partnership with World3D allowed the team to produce high-quality prints at a fraction of the typical cost. Pieces that would have cost upwards of $2,500 were fabricated for significantly less, making innovation more accessible.

Exploring New Frontiers in Research

The Integrating Art and Tech Project marks a pivotal step in demonstrating how art can serve as a medium for interpreting and understanding technological advancements. As MARC continues to explore new frontiers in autonomy and AI, initiatives like this will play an essential role in making complex research more tangible and engaging to broader audiences.

“Exemplifying the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, this project demonstrates how engineering and computing merge with artistic expression to create something truly innovative,” said Kirkpatrick. “At MARC, we recognize that autonomy and robotics research aren’t just about advancing technology—they’re about making it impactful, engaging, and meaningful.”

The inaugural class of students has set a remarkable precedent for future cohorts, demonstrating that technology is not only about efficiency and automation—it also has the power to drive innovation in unexpected ways, engage the human experience, and create immersive moments that resonate and inspire.

Learn more about the project

In This Story

Missy Cummings

Jesse Kirkpatrick

Topics

Students

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

College of Engineering and Computing

Blimps and business collide at the Mason Innovation Exchange

Sarah Holland — Fri, 24 May 2024 15:01:55 +0000

Blimps and business collide at the Mason Innovation Exchange Sarah Holland Fri, 05/24/2024 - 11:01

Building a drone and building a business are, at first glance, two very different tasks. Academically, you’d be hard pressed to find a robotics course in a business school, and vice versa. But at the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX), all that separates these two is a staircase.

From the fabrication floor to the incubator’s loft, the MIX is demonstrating how principles of entrepreneurship and innovation aren’t so easily siloed with two new courses: BLIMP and Student Innovator Mastermind.

The MIX BLIMP workshop was an outgrowth of an Office of Naval Research-funded Bio-inspired Lighter-than-air Instructional Mechatronics Program, developed to expand unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)—or drone—education, with a desire to build a pipeline for students to participate in the biannual Defend the Republic lighter-than-air robotics competition. In this course, students learn introductory concepts of UAVs and, within small interdisciplinary groups, build their own blimps with flapping wing mechanisms.

Daigo Shishika helps students flight test their blimps in the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC). Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“We use organic life as the inspiration for these builds,” said instructor Daigo Shishika, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “Students study the biomechanics of fish, insects, and birds, and then use those principles of flight and motion to create their own blimps.”

Each group learns how to build, program, and control flying robots. Using balloons made of mylar films, the students construct the blimp bodies and mount the electronic components—circuitry, motors, and microcontrollers—while ensuring that the blimp is well balanced.

At the end of the course, groups present their design and describe what creatures inspired their works: butterflies, stingrays, tuna, and even dragons were referenced when building.

“This process is meant to be exploratory,” explained Shishika. “I didn’t want to discourage the groups from trying out-of-the-box ideas. The dragon, for example: I wasn’t confident it would work. But they proved me wrong, and demonstrated some technical benefits of that type of wing.”

“As much as we’re teaching them the basics,” Shishika continued, “they’re teaching us new ways of thinking about design and fabrication.”

Along with the microcredential the students earn upon completion of the course, Shishika hopes they leave with a better sense of creative design and confidence in their ability to design, develop, and deploy robotics.

“It’s fun to build something from scratch and see it fly,” he said.

BLIMP flight testing in the MARC aviary. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

The Student Innovator Mastermind course uses a similar approach: building foundations while allowing space for creativity and innovation. George Mason alum Lisa Shapiro, BA Psychology ’03, Med ’06, is a seasoned business owner and entrepreneur. When she started at Mason as the MIX’s assistant director of entrepreneurship programs, the entrepreneurship incubator on the MIX’s second floor was empty.

“I wanted to reinvigorate the space and provide student innovators with a place to share ideas, develop their businesses, and form a community with other entrepreneurs,” she said.

The Student Innovator Mastermind program is a six-week mastermind group where 10 Mason student innovators and business founders gather for peer-to-peer collaboration and workshops. The inaugural mastermind cohort included students developing video games, a skincare line, mobile applications, and a business that supports the elderly population with nutritional needs—which was one of the finalists in the 2024 Patriot Pitch competition.

A key part of the programming was what Shapiro calls “transformational talks”: presentations from industry professionals that the students can immediately apply to their work. Speakers cover topics such as mindset, marketing and branding, goal setting, customer segment, and advice for business ownership.

“Being able to take what they’ve learned and immediately apply it is super important,” said Shapiro. “Entrepreneurship is super hard. You need the right mindset to be able to handle the ups and downs. I want to get them started off in the right way so they’re better prepared.”

The incubator is also a space for the students to learn from each other. Sharing ideas and challenges is, Shapiro said, a necessary part of the process. “We’ve had a phenomenal response from the students,” she said. “They’re helping each other, recommending professors and other people to meet that could help with their ideas.”

Honors College student Sahil Jagtap, who is majoring in computer science, participated in the Mastermind and the drone-prototyping programs this semester. “I have a passion for building, making, and breaking stuff. I love doing research on new and unique technologies and their potential to solve real-world problems,” he said.

The course offerings at the MIX were an opportunity for Jagtap to get hands-on experience in developing and launching tech-based solutions. “The skills I acquired from both programs, such as project management, teamwork, and technical expertise, are invaluable,” he said. “In addition, the mentorship and networking opportunities have connected me with industry professionals and potential collaborators, which will be beneficial as I continue my career in technology and entrepreneurship.”

Most of all, Shapiro and Shishika both hope that this type of programming keeps students coming back to the MIX.

“Now that they’ve had a taste of the full process,” Shishika said, “they can focus on the aspect they enjoyed the most and dig deeper, whether that’s robotics, electronics, fabrication, or something else.”

“The MIX is a space for prototyping,” Shapiro said. “It’s a place for anyone with an idea to come and try to make it a reality.”

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Create and innovate at The MIX

In This Story

Daigo Shishika

New certificate program in responsible AI starting fall 2024

Martha Bushong — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:52:55 +0000

New certificate program in responsible AI starting fall 2024 Martha Bushong Fri, 03/01/2024 - 10:52

In This Story

Missy Cummings

Learn More About the Certificate

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Apply to Grad Programs

Under the guidance of Missy Cummings, a professor and the director of the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) at ��, the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate program addresses the pressing need for thoughtful AI integration into various industries.

Missy Cummings

“With the rise of large language models like ChatGPT, there is a critical need for companies to develop strategies for effectively and safely integrating AI into their systems. The Mason approach to Responsible AI emphasizes both rigorous technical and sociotechnical approaches to identifying and mitigating AI risks while achieving value-added outcomes,” said Cummings.

Ideal candidates for this certificate program are “people responsible for ensuring the safe and efficacious adoption of AI into their companies or agencies who want to develop and update their skills to understand the design, testing, and implementation of cutting-edge technology,” she added.

Cummings especially looks forward to teaching the AI Design and Deployment Risks class, she said, “because we analyze current and pressing issues surrounding the risks of deploying AI. The combination of theory and practice is critical to understanding these issues, as well as developing the technology and policy mitigations needed to ensure safe and efficacious AI.”

Topics

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Artificial Intelligence

AI's future discussed at roundtable

Rena Malai — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 19:36:06 +0000

AI's future discussed at roundtable Rena Malai Tue, 06/13/2023 - 15:36

In This Story

Missy Cummings

Just what is AI? 

This was one of the first questions posed by Missy Cummings, director of ��’s Autonomy and Robotics Center, at the Future of AI roundtable in June. 

“At the end of the day, AI can be a tool to help you in your job, but you need to understand both its strengths and weaknesses,” Cummings said. “That’s why Mason will be offering a certificate and master’s degree focused on responsible AI, so that people across industry and government can learn how to manage the risks while promoting the benefits of AI.”

The invite-only roundtable, hosted by the College of Engineering and Computing, explored the issues, challenges, and solutions to think about as AI technologies rapidly evolve and change almost as soon as they are introduced. 

Missy Cummings leads the Future of AI roundtable at Mason Square.

Cummings led the roundtable and highlighted AI areas like ChatGPT and autonomous driving systems that lack human reasoning skills. When human behavior, environment, and AI blind spots intersect, the resulting uncertainty contributes to fundamental limitations. 

“As humans, we do a great job of successfully filling in the blanks when there is imperfect information,” said Cummings. “If I quickly flash a picture of a stop sign, your brain automatically recognizes what it is, even if it’s not a clear image. But it’s arguable whether the vision system on a self -driving car can do the same.” 

She added that automation can fall apart at a critical threshold, such as when a car is supposed to stop at a stop sign that’s visible to the human eye, but maybe overlooked by an AI vision system. 

“As humans, we have much more experience driving cars,” she said. “Self-driving cars are still a new technology and while simulation testing can help identify problems, real-world testing for such non-deterministic systems that never reason the same way twice is critical.”

One of her favorite uses of ChatGPT is for her students to use it for grammar and spell checking when they write papers, but that’s the extent.  

“ChatGPT cannot reason under uncertainty. It does not think. It does not know. It can approximate human knowledge, but there is no actual thinking or knowledge,” said Cummings. “ChatGPT goes after the most probable image, or the most probable grouping of words.” 

In general, large language models like ChatGPT will use what the average person is saying on the internet. This means it could pick up extremist views, if it is currently something trending or popular online.    

It can also be a concern when it comes to diversity, she said. 

“If a company uses ChatGPT to write their mission statement, in another five years, everyone’s mission statement will be the same,” Cummings said. “Creative thoughts and authenticity are lost. It’s important to understand how far we push these models, and what the long-term ramifications could be.”

Roundtable attendees from local universities and tech companies left with a greater understanding of how AI can impact everyday life, in more ways than one.

Topics

robotics and autonomous systems

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Research

Mason Square

Washington Post quotes Missy Cummings on Tesla's Autopilot

Rena Malai — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 17:11:55 +0000

Washington Post quotes Missy Cummings on Tesla's Autopilot Rena Malai Mon, 06/12/2023 - 13:11

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Missy Cummings

A Washington Post article titled '17 fatalities, 736 crashes: The shocking toll of Tesla's Autopilot' quotes Missy Cummings, director of ��'s Autonomy and Robotics Center, on the troubling surge in Tesla crashes.

"Tesla is having more severe — and fatal — crashes than people in a normal data set,” she said in response to the figures analyzed by The Post.

One likely cause, she said, is the expanded rollout over the past year and a half of Full Self-Driving, which brings driver-assistance to city and residential streets.

“The fact that … anybody and everybody can have it. … Is it reasonable to expect that might be leading to increased accident rates? Sure, absolutely.”

She says in the article the number of fatalities compared to overall crashes was also a concern.

Read the full article here.

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In the Media

robotics and autonomous systems

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

�� wins Defend the Republic

Rena Malai — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:07:41 +0000

�� wins Defend the Republic Rena Malai Mon, 05/22/2023 - 15:07

In This Story

Cameron Nowzari

Ningshi Yao

Daigo Shishika

Patriot Pilots pose with their Lighter Than Air (LTA) creations. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Twice a year, university teams compete in the Lighter Than Air (LTA) Defend the Republic competition. In April, �� hosted the competition in EagleBank Arena and won. The winning Mason team, Patriot Pilots, led by principal investigators Cameron Nowzari, Ningshi Yao, and Daigo Shishika, all from the College of Engineering and Computing, competed against six universities and about 50 LTA robotic agents, aka blimps.

“Even after three years, I’m still in awe of what happens at this competition,” said Nowzari, who has led the competition for the past three years, will be moving on from the annual competition and leaving things in the hands of Yao and Shishika. “My hope is that this competition will continue, and more schools will get involved.”

The competition is a mix of technology and creativity, and something students seem to have a lot of fun with, according to Yao.

“The strength of our winning team was in the ability to think creatively through building and design,” said Yao.

Without the severity that can sometimes accompany other types of flying agents, blimps are a lighter, gentler kind of airborne machine that appeals to many people.

“Their soft body and low operational speed make them more tangible and accessible than drones or planes,” said Shishika. “At the same time, they bring unique and exciting research challenges that our students with diverse background tackle together.”

The team will schedule a kickoff meeting during the summer, to plan for the next competition in November. The team welcomes students from all majors.

“We’re always actively recruiting for the team,” Nowzari said. “All that you need to bring is your passion and creativity.”

For information on how to join, email dshishik@gmu.edu or nyao4@gmu.edu. People can also visit blimp-robotics.org to learn how to build their own LTA blimp and encourage younger students to do the same.

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competitions

EagleBank Arena

Students

robotics and autonomous systems

Strategic Direction

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Resilient robots in rough terrain

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Personal Websites

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Elizabeth Phillips

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Personal Websites

Biography

Research

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Degrees

George Mason launches Virginia’s first robotics PhD

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Reimagining robotics through art and innovation

Exploring the Collection

Exploring New Frontiers in Research

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Blimps and business collide at the Mason Innovation Exchange

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New certificate program in responsible AI starting fall 2024

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AI's future discussed at roundtable

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Washington Post quotes Missy Cummings on Tesla's Autopilot

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�������� wins Defend the Republic

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�� wins Defend the Republic