Members of the App State Robotics Lab in the College of Arts and Sciences demonstrate how a humanoid robot can assist children with their communication skills during the Robotics Lab opening celebration on June 25, 2025. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — Students in Appalachian State University’s Robotics Lab are exploring how robots can learn, adapt and collaborate with humans in dynamic environments while gaining hands-on experience in research and technology development. Since opening last summer, the lab has expanded its research activities and increased student involvement while exploring new approaches to human–robot interaction.
Led by Dr. Yeganeh Madadi, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, the Yeganeh Robotics (YeRo) Lab combines research in robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Beyond research, the lab emphasizes experiential learning, with students participating in experiments, developing algorithms, analyzing data and contributing directly to ongoing projects.
“Our students’ curiosity, creativity and dedication are essential to the progress of our research,” said Madadi. “One of the most rewarding aspects of leading the lab is watching students take ownership of challenging research questions, learn through experimentation and grow into independent researchers.”
Left: App State alumna Molly Watson ’26, who graduated from App State earlier this year with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, demonstrates her robotic vehicle’s ability to avoid obstacles with a decision-making algorithm. Right: Alexander Jones, a senior computer science major from Bristol, Tennessee, demonstrates his robotic vehicle’s ability to remain inside perimeters. Photos by Chase Reynolds
Madadi has developed three courses in the Department of Computer Science to further strengthen robotics education at App State: Introduction to Robotics, Robot Modeling and Control, and Machine Learning in Robotics. These courses provide students with foundational and advanced knowledge in robotic systems, motion modeling, control algorithms and machine learning applications, connecting classroom instruction with hands-on research opportunities in the Robotics Lab.
Current lab projects focus on helping robots better understand and respond to the people around them. Researchers are investigating how robots can adapt their behavior over time, work safely alongside people and use different types of information to make more informed decisions.
One research area examines how robots can adjust their actions as people move nearby, an important challenge in workplaces where humans and robots share the same space.
This brief video offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Yeganeh Robotics (YeRo) Lab in App State’s College of Arts and Sciences. Demonstrations include a Go2 quadruped robot, often called a “robot dog,” navigating its surroundings while maintaining balance, and a robotic arm transferring an object between locations on a workbench. These examples illustrate the types of robotic systems and research questions student researchers are exploring in the lab.
Students work with a variety of robotic platforms, including robotic arms that handle objects, humanoid robots such as Pepper and NAO that are designed to interact with people and mobile robots that can move through an environment while manipulating objects. These platforms help students explore how robot behavior, movement and communication influence interactions with people.
The establishment of the Robotics Lab and the development of the Introduction to Robotics course were supported in part by two College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) opportunities: the Billy and Del Hunt Helton Faculty Excellence Fund and a CAS Research/Proposal Development Summer Grant.
About the Department of Computer Science
Appalachian’s Department of Computer Science provides a rigorous, high-quality education that prepares students for the computing industry or graduate education. It offers a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, which is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, and a Master of Science degree in computer science. Learn more at https://compsci.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
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