I am an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Rice University.

Research Statement

My research is on distributed algorithms for multi-robot systems, with a focus on both algorithm and systems design. Distributed algorithms use local interactions between nearby robots to produce large-scale group behaviors. My long-term goals are to understand computation on multi-robot systems in theory and in practice. I believe that these systems will require a unique theory of computation, because algorithm execution is inextricably linked to robot mobility and communications. Additionally, multi-robot systems require specialized hardware, such as a sensor to measure the geometry of their network. My research program is addressing these open questions.

Selected Projects

FlatBot Robot Hardware Workshop

Boundary Detection

Computation on Multi-Robot Systems

Multi-Robot Systems Engineering

Visit the projects page for a complete list of projects.

Robot Videos

Visit the distributed algorithm library and the multi-robot computation project pages for videos of the swarm in action.

Working in the Multi-Robot Systems Lab

Looking for an undergraduate research project? Visit the research project page for more information.

Teaching

Winter 2009: University of Washington CSE 481C / Robotics Capstone - "Multi-Robot Systems: Theory and Implementation"

James McLurkin