NC West Virginia News

West Virginia University (WVU) is set to launch a new undergraduate degree in robotics engineering, supported by $1 million in NASA funding. This initiative will provide advanced equipment and laboratories at the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, as well as enhance K-12 outreach programs with significant additional robotics supplies.

“This new bachelor of science program in robotics engineering builds on the success of our existing research programs in the area of robotics — and on the success of WVU engineering students who have been competing against the best robotics teams in the world even before we offered them the chance to major in this field,” said Jason Gross, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering.

Gross highlighted that over the past decade, WVU's robotics teams have secured first place at nine national or international competitions. “Our students have earned the opportunity to become top competitive candidates for jobs in robotics, which the World Economic Forum recently named as one of the top 10 fastest growing professions," he added.

The funding will enable students to engage with advanced technologies such as designing autonomous drones, building swarm robots, and conducting experiments with a giant robotic fruit fly. Additionally, WVU plans to extend these technological advancements throughout West Virginia by hosting middle school and high school robotics competitions, enhancing summer camps at Statler College, and offering merit badge courses at WVU Merit Badge University.

“Over the past decade, there has been a major increase in exposure that K-12 students in West Virginia are receiving to robotics in their classrooms and through extracurriculars,” Gross noted. He emphasized that this increased exposure has driven interest among undergraduates pursuing studies in this field.

NASA aims for WVU-trained roboticists to design solutions for planetary exploration or satellite servicing. The new major will prepare students for aerospace jobs while also focusing on industrial robotics opportunities through partnerships with local businesses.

Gross mentioned plans for a new lab dedicated to robotic manipulators used in factory assembly tasks or manufacturing processes like welding. This facility will support an industrial robotics capstone course developed through collaboration with Toyota Motors Manufacturing in West Virginia. The course aims to help other regional companies, including those in mining and aerospace industries.

“With the new lab, our goal is to expand the course... but also students can use it to research cooperative robotics,” Gross explained. Research topics include collaborative robots mimicking human arms for tasks such as cooking or constructing extraterrestrial habitations for NASA.

Students will also work on robot-drone coordination projects funded by the U.S. Department of Defense within the Gross Navigation Laboratory and train drones for mapping dangerous underground areas at limestone and coal mines within the Field and Aerial Robotics Lab. Meanwhile, ongoing development continues on a six-armed precision pollination robot supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture within the Interactive Robotics Lab.

“From acquiring new Lego robotics kits...to creating a space where students can manufacture flexible parts for bendable robots...WVU is leveraging every resource to design and build our next-gen roboticists right here in West Virginia,” Gross concluded.