Kunal Garg

Kunal Garg is drawn to designing advanced algorithms for autonomous robots that can enhance everyday life. His passion for robotics, fueled by a fascination with aircraft and drones, drives him to advance safe autonomy.

“I am excited to explore and unleash the full potential of learning-based methods in daily-life autonomous robotic applications with the safety and comfort of humans as the center of the focus,” he says.

Before joining the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Garg held a postdoctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he was involved with the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems and the Reliable Autonomous Systems Lab.

His expertise lies in the safe autonomy of multi-robot systems. He utilizes advanced learning-based techniques alongside mathematical models to ensure provable guarantees of the robot system’s safe behavior.

According to Garg, he wants to contribute to the expanding safe autonomy field.

Garg values the collaborative freedom and support offered to junior faculty.

“ASU genuinely cares about the success of its faculty and students, making it an appealing choice for young researchers,” Garg says. “The rapid growth of ASU engineering in recent years highlights its potential to become a leader in STEM education.”

In the coming year, he will lead courses in aircraft dynamics and control, system dynamics and control, control systems design, and fundamentals of control and optimization.

“In addition to traditional textbook material, I generally incorporate a lab or practical component, including software and hardware implementations, to provide students with hands-on experience and the opportunity to learn by doing,” Garg says.

He emphasizes that his courses offer an in-depth understanding of autonomous algorithms and their practical applications. Garg aims to provide a thorough overview of the latest advancements in robotic autonomy and prepare students for future developments in the field.

Garg received several awards for his contributions to aerospace engineering during his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, including the Richard and Eleanor Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement and the Professor Pierre T. Kabamba Award for Excellence in Control Systems.

When he is not exploring multi-robot systems, Gary enjoys traveling, playing badminton and chess. He also loves cooking and putting a lot of effort into perfecting his dishes. Another of his passions is music.

“I play drums and have a wide range of taste in music, from classical to death metal,” Garg says.

Meet the newest faculty members of the Fulton Schools of Engineering here.

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Written by Allison Lyne