Dr. Yao received a $750k grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to establish a hands-on mechatronics training program aimed at building the next generation of high-tech engineering technologists.
The three-year funding will support the creation of the Natural EXTension (NEXT) program. As emerging technologies like autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing continue to expand, the NEXT program will serve the national interest by providing students with rigorous, experiential learning opportunities directly aligned with defense and industry workforce needs.
The program, which will welcome its pilot class in fall 2026, moves beyond standard laboratory exercises. A centerpiece of the NEXT curriculum is a high-stakes endurance mechatronics competition. Student teams will be challenged to design, build, and deploy autonomous mechatronic vehicles during a 72-hour rapid prototyping sprint, followed by a live, 90-minute competitive match on an outdoor field. This intense environment forces participants to manage limited resources, modify hardware, program the systems on the fly, and ensure their systems can handle unpredictable real-world elements like uneven terrain and weather.
This project is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research under award number N00014-26-1-2153.
0 Comments