⟢ ARAI Lab — Autonomous Robots and AI LabEst. 2015

Building autonomous machines that perceive, decide, and move through the real world.

I'm Dr. Akin Tatoglu, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture (CETA) at the University of Hartford. I direct the ARAI Lab, where we build robots and AI systems for defense, healthcare, agriculture, and education, and carry them from the lab into industry-ready systems.

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Dr. Akin Tatoglu with the ARAI Lab team — ⟢ The ARAI Lab · Building robots since 2015

Funded research projects

40+

Peer-reviewed papers

20+

Years in robotics & autonomy R&D

⟢ 01 / Profile

The academic.
The builder.

I direct the Autonomous Robots and AI (ARAI) Lab, which I founded in 2015 as the Autonomous Mobile Robotics (AMR) Research Group. The lab is a team of 8–12 undergraduate and graduate engineers working on legged robots, autonomous vehicles, 3D perception, medical imaging, and edge AI. I source the lab's projects myself and run them end to end with industry, clinical, and academic partners.

I've published more than 40 peer-reviewed papers at venues including IEEE ICRA, ASME IMECE, SPIE, FLAIRS, ASEE, Inter-Noise and the Acoustical Society of America, and in journals including the Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems and Applied Acoustics. Since 2015 the lab has led ten externally funded projects, most with me as PI, with support from NASA, the DoD SBIR program, the State of Connecticut, and industry.

Before academia I spent six years in industry R&D, leading software and engineering teams at Tumer Engineering (METU Technopolis, Ankara) and Underwater Systems Inc. (California). I've been building companies since 1999.

Faculty: Professor (tenured), Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace and Acoustical Engineering
Administration: Associate Dean, CETA · Director of Engineering Graduate Programs
Service: Chair, ASME Dynamics and Control of Systems and Structures Technical Committee · Reviewer, IEEE ICRA and IROS
Also teaching: Graduate Robotics Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Education: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering (Robotics), Stevens Institute of Technology · MBA Business Analytics, University of Hartford · M.S. Computer Science, Gazi University · B.S. Computer Engineering, Başkent University
Lab: HC 210 · autonomoussystems.net
Personal: akintatoglu.com

⟢ 02 / Research

What the ARAI Lab is building now.

Active projects with student, clinical, and industry teams.

P/01Legged Robotics

Quadruped Platform

Full-size quadruped for locomotion, perception, and IoT-connected operation in human-centered environments.

P/02Autonomy

Self-Driving Golf Cart

Outdoor autonomous vehicle platform for navigation, mapping, and sensor-fusion research.

P/03Medical AI

Rib CT Segmentation

Segmentation pipeline that turns CT scans into 3D-printed rib twins for preoperative surgical planning, with Hartford Hospital.

P/04Industry

3D Reconstruction Test Rig

3D reconstruction, AI/ML defect detection, and instrumentation for a manufacturer's test rig (sponsored).

P/05Edge AI

Offline LLMs for Robot Control

Benchmarking lightweight, fully offline generative AI on NVIDIA Jetson hardware for mobile-robot control and voice interaction.

P/06Aerial

Safe Landing Area Detection

Rapid 3D map generation from aerial vehicles to find safe landing zones, with field testing by an industry partner.

P/07Soft Robotics

Intelligent Soft Actuators

Soft robotic actuators that sense force indirectly, without dedicated force sensors, so soft grippers and joints can feel what they touch.

P/08Sensing

Non-Line-of-Sight Detection

UWB radar and audio-visual methods that let mobile robots detect motion and sound sources around corners and through walls.

⟢ 03 / Selected Publications

Fifteen years of peer-reviewed robotics and AI research.

2026
Monocular-Vision-Based 3D Obstacle Detection with a Single Degree-of-Freedom Roll Joint
Sohn K., Gerber A., Tatoglu A.
SPIE Unmanned Systems Technology XXVIII
2026
Clinical Narratives Matter: Feature-Level Fusion for Improving ICU Length-of-Stay Prediction
Naina N.I., Tayeen A.S.M., Russell I., Jung A., Tatoglu A.
FLAIRS-39
2025
Integrating AI/ML Learning in Senior Projects for Mechanical Engineering Technology Students
Li W., Hung Y., Altuger-Genc G., Zhang S., Tatoglu A., Zhang Z.
ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
2025
In Search of a Lightweight "Good Enough" Offline Generative AI for Mobile Robots: Performance Benchmarking
Genc Y., Altuger G., Tatoglu A.
International FLAIRS Conference
2025
Prompting AI-Based Agents for Self-Directed Learning
Genc Y., Altuger G., Tatoglu A.
ASEE Northeast Section Conference
2024
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Feedback-Guided Self-Balance Equipment with Variable Motion Protocols for Physical Therapy and Elite Athletes
Tatoglu A., Pelczarski A., Balaji D., Campana C., Takafumi A., Altuger-Genc G.
Annual Review of Biomechanics
2024
Integration of IoT Network and Sensors with a Full-Sized Quadruped in a Simulated Human-Centered Environment
Ho J., Cajuste J., Schneidler A., Tatoglu A., Sohn K.
ASME IMECE
2024
Benchmarking the Efficacy of Feedback Guided Self Balance Equipment with Variable Motion Regimens for Physical Therapy and Elite Athletes
Tatoglu A., Pelczarski A., Balaji D., Pezzolesi J., Campana C., Takafumi A., Altuger-Genc G.
ASME IMECE
2024
Incorporating AI in Engineering Assignments as a Reliable Self-Directed Learning Tool: A Pilot Implementation Overview
Altuger-Genc G., Tatoglu A.
ASEE Northeast Section Conference
2023
Development of the Kinematic Adjustable Humanoid Platform and its Driving Capability
Wong S., Markiewicz M., Keilich S., Tatoglu A., Sohn K.
Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems

Invited talks

2020
Probabilistic Methodologies for Autonomous Mobile Robot Localization and Agile Motion Control
WPI Colloquium Series
2019
Keynote speaker, Doctoral Recruitment Event
Stevens Institute of Technology
2019
The Future of AI, Health Care and Robotics
Parliament of Future Citizens, United Nations Education Summit, France (video talk)
2017
Probabilistic Methodologies for Robotics
ASME Hartford Student Chapter
2016
Robotics in Our Life
Hartford Public Library
2015
Mobile Robot Localization with MonoSLAM
Mechanical Engineering, Hofstra University

Full CV and papers available on request.

⟢ 04 / Sponsored Research

Funded by NASA, DoD, the State, and industry.

2025
Distributed multimodal sensing and edge AI for real-time agricultural health monitoring
Industry · PI
2023
NASA CT Space Grant: Benchmarking robot control technologies with academic research and ChatGPT
PI
~2022
Kaman Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Rapid safe landing area detection for unmanned aircraft, with in-kind field testing
PI
2021
NASA CT Space Grant: Interdisciplinary communication skills for STEM students in peer-supported projects
PI
2019
DoD SBIR with Custom Electronics: Aerial vehicle dynamic object tracking
Co-PI
2017
CT Next: Innovation Place Robotics Program
Co-PI
2016
Aviagen Group: Bionic Egg, a ruggedized remote sensor suite for environmental conditions
PI
2015
Paul S. Veneklasen Research Foundation: Mobile app for citizen-science noise assessment
Co-PI

⟢ 05 / Teaching

Courses I teach.

ME 404 Automatic Control Systems Analysis
University of Hartford, since 2015
ME 405/505 Mechatronics System Design
University of Hartford, since 2015
ME 465/565 Machine Vision and Robotics (created the course)
University of Hartford, since 2018
RBE 502 Robot Control (core M.S. course)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, since 2021
RBE 511 Swarm Intelligence (graduate)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, since 2024
Manufacturing Processes and Systems (new course)
Stevens Institute of Technology, 2015

⟢ 06 / Leadership, Service & Awards

Leading the college, serving the field.

University of Hartford

Associate Dean, College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture (2024–present); Assistant Dean (2023–2024). Leads college operations, assessment and continuous improvement, and serves as the college's industry liaison.
Director of Engineering Graduate Programs (2022–present). Launched the online Master of Engineering programs in Mechanical and Civil Engineering.
Co-chair, University Artificial Intelligence Committee (2024–2025); member, AI Implementation Committee (2025).
Chair, CETA Graduate Committee (2022–present) and CETA Promotion and Tenure Committee (2025–2026).
Faculty Senator (2017–2020) and Co-chair, Faculty Affairs Committee (2017–2018).

Profession

Chair, ASME Applied Mechanics Division, Dynamics and Control of Systems and Structures, Control Theory and Applications (2021–present).
Reviewer, IEEE ICRA (since 2011), IROS (since 2012), and ASME IMECE (since 2015); NSF IUSE panel reviewer (2018).
Session organizer, ASME IMECE Design and Control of Robots, Mechanisms and Structures (2016).

Awards

2023KEEN Engineering Unleashed "Golden Ticket," Entrepreneurial Mindset Workshop
2021Best Senior Design Project Award (faculty advisor), "Open-Source Quadruped Platform for Robotic Research and Training"
2020Best Senior Design Project Award (faculty advisor), "Breast Cancer Bio-Marker Detection Device"

Aerial view of the Hursey Center at sunset, home of the ARAI Lab

ARAI LAB · HC 210ARAI LAB

⟢ 07 / The Lab

We prototype fast and build complex machines that work.

Director

Dr. Akin Tatoglu

The ARAI Lab is 8–12 engineers at any time, full- and part-time, undergraduate and graduate, from mechanical, electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering. Students run full project cycles from design to field test, co-author papers, and go on to robotics and aerospace roles in industry. More than 30 students have co-authored peer-reviewed work from the lab. The team meets weekly, runs hands-on workshops, and for the past eight years has hosted an annual Robotics Colloquium where students present their work.

Join the lab.

Undergraduate and graduate students from any engineering or computing major are welcome. We meet weekly during the semester, and new members start on an active project. Email with your major, year, and what you want to build.

tatoglu@hartford.edu

⟢ 08 / Advising

Independent technical counsel for robotics, AI and deep-tech companies.

Independent technical and financial counsel for boards, founders and investors in robotics, AI and deep tech. Two decades building autonomous systems, 40+ peer-reviewed papers, and a co-founder seat at a venture-backed hardware company, paired with an MBA. I read the hardware, the code and the financial model, and tell you which claims hold.

Start a conversation

⟢ Advising · Services

Three ways I help you decide.

Governance

Technical Advisor to the Board

An independent technical voice in the boardroom. I review the roadmap, architecture and engineering risks, and I tell the board plainly which claims are proven and which still need testing.

Investment

Technical Due Diligence

Before you invest, I check the pitch against the product. That covers the technology, the IP, the team's ability to deliver, and the competitors already in the market. You get a written assessment that separates what's demonstrated from what's promised.

Finance

Financial Modeling for Robotics and Emerging Technologies

I build revenue, unit-economics and cash-flow models around how hardware and deep-tech companies actually grow: field deployments, fleet ramps, consumables and recurring revenue. They're built for fundraising and board planning, with every assumption visible and editable.

⟢ Advising · Engagements

How we can work together.

01
One-time review
A due diligence report or a technical risk assessment, delivered in 3–4 weeks.
02
Advisory role
Quarterly board meetings plus on-call technical guidance.
03
Model build
A working financial model your team owns and can update.

Start a conversation

⟢ Advising · FAQ

Common questions.

What does a technical advisor to the board do?+

They give directors an independent read on the technology: whether the roadmap is realistic, where the engineering risks are, and which milestones are proven.

What does technical due diligence cover?+

The technology's maturity, IP position, team capability, competitors, and how the company's claims compare with the evidence.

Which sectors do you cover?+

Robotics, autonomous systems, edge AI, sensing and IoT, agtech, and hardware-plus-software products.

⟢ 09 / Collaborate

Bring your hardest robotics problem to the lab.

I work with companies that need autonomy without the multi-year overhead, from early-stage startups to established manufacturers.

Industry R&D

Sponsored research, joint prototypes, and applied autonomy work built around your operational constraints.

Technology Transfer

License lab-grown IP in perception, 3D mapping, sensor packaging, and custom locomotion for your product roadmap.

Talent & Advising

Recruit from a pipeline of robotics-trained engineers, or bring me in as a technical advisor to your board on autonomy and AI strategy.

See advising services

Let's talk.

Drop a line about your project, problem, or partnership idea. I respond personally within a few days.