robotics

Fueled by “the love of the game,” a team of Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center students overcame GPS‑free technical challenges to take first place at the 2026 Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Competition.

Daigo Shishika won the prestigious NSF CAREER Award for his work in robotics.

Assistant Professor Ningshi Yao received a five-year $628K NSF CAREER Award, funded by the Energy, Power, Control, and Learning (EPCL) program. The grant will support her research on ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of interconnected real-time control systems.

David Eichinger’s journey from Navy Reservist and federal scientist to graduate researcher in robotics shows how George Mason’s flexible, veteran‑supportive computer science master’s program empowers non‑traditional students to build new careers with confidence.

George Mason has a one-of-a-kind off-road test bed to put autonomous vehicles through their paces.

Research Interests: Human-robot interaction, end-user development, AI planning, interaction design

George Mason University’s Ciao Lab, led by Assistant Professor Ningshi Yao from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, successfully launched the Airborne Robotics Cup (ARCup) in Gaithersburg, Maryland on August 17, 2025.

A new PhD program in robotics will begin taking transfer students this fall. The program is the first in Virginia and one of just a few nationwide.

Assistant Professor Xuesu Xiao received two prestigious awards for his significant contributions to robotics and leadership of the RobotiXX Lab, where he develops autonomous robots for challenging environments and supports the next generation of roboticists.

George Mason roboticists Xuesu Xiao, Xuan Wang, Daigo Shishika, and Gregory Stein presented nine papers at the 2024 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2024) hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Robotics Society of Japan last month.