Â鶹ӳ»­Ó°Òô

Eighteen Â鶹ӳ»­Ó°Òô students shared the goals of their summer research projects during the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (S.U.R.F.) Kickoff Day, marking the start of a program that will engage students in faculty-mentored research across a wide range of disciplines. 

Hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research, the event gave S.U.R.F. Fellows an opportunity to introduce their projects and discuss the questions they hope to answer over the coming months.

The 18 students participating in this year's program represent 16 research projects spanning fields including education, business, engineering, nursing, biochemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics.

"Between 2016, when the program started, and 2025, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship proudly sponsored 127 students," Dr. Cristian Bahrim, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research said. "Following an increasing trend from 10 S.U.R.F. projects in 2024 to 13 projects in 2025, this year we have a record number of 16 S.U.R.F. projects with 18 student participants in the most complex summer undergraduate research program sponsored by Â鶹ӳ»­Ó°Òô."

According to Bahrim, each S.U.R.F. project receives a $7,000 budget that includes student stipends, research support, housing and travel funding.

"This year we had the most competitive selection ever with a 50% acceptance rate," Bahrim said. "We are very proud of all our S.U.R.F. Fellows for the high quality of their research projects."

Among the students presenting at the kickoff event was Kasey Kuch, a Texas Academy student majoring in electrical engineering. Under the mentorship of Dr. Hassan Zargarzadeh, Kuch is researching how different combinations of robotics algorithms perform on low-cost robotic systems.

Her project, "Comparative Evaluation of Algorithms and Techniques on a Mobile Manipulator," will evaluate path-planning, perception and grasping algorithms using a robotic platform equipped with an NVIDIA Jetson computing system.

"The goals of my research are to determine which combinations of algorithms provide the best balance between reliability, speed and efficiency on a constrained mobile manipulator," Kuch said. "This aims to identify which combinations are most efficient for low-cost robots."

Kuch will test multiple algorithm combinations in environments with varying levels of clutter using objects such as cones, cylinders and cubes. The results will be analyzed to determine which combinations perform best under different conditions.

"The novelty of my project is that it focuses mainly on subsystem interactions," Kuch said. "Many existing studies examine advanced robotics algorithms with expensive hardware, but undergraduate researchers and educators are often limited to more affordable systems."

Kuch said the project combines her long-standing interest in robotics with practical engineering applications.

"I'm interested in this research because it connects to my robotics experience throughout middle school, high school and now as an electrical engineering major," she said.

Another student researcher, mechanical engineering major Justin Barrera, is exploring how artificial intelligence can improve the safety and efficiency of autonomous robots operating in warehouse environments. Working with mentors Dr. Baisaravan HomChaudhuri and Dr. Wenhao Yang, Barrera's project combines machine learning, computer vision and robotics to help robots navigate around people and obstacles.

"Our main goal is to develop safe routes for autonomous robots to move while taking into account where people are, where objects are and where obstacles are," Barrera said.

The project uses a machine-learning model known as YOLO, short for "You Only Look Once," to recognize human hand gestures through onboard cameras. Those gestures can be used to guide robots when precise movements are needed.

"If there are more precise movements that the robot needs to make, you can have an operator on the floor actually kind of marshaling it into position," Barrera said.

In addition to gesture recognition, Barrera's research incorporates simultaneous localization and mapping technology, allowing robots to create maps of their surroundings and determine their position in real time. Monte Carlo simulations will also be used to predict likely human movements and help robots avoid potential collisions before they occur.

"Right now, autonomous robots in warehouses mostly use reactive obstacle avoidance," Barrera said. "This research is predictive. The robot can recognize that someone is about to move in a certain direction and adjust its path before a collision becomes a possibility."

Barrera said the project brings together concepts from multiple disciplines.

"The novelty of this research is that it's really a cross section between computer engineering and mechanical engineering," he said. "We're taking artificial intelligence frameworks and applying them to robots so they can navigate autonomously while also improving safety."

For Barrera, the project's potential impact on workplace safety is particularly meaningful.

"There are so many people who get injured by these massive machines," he said. "If we can use machine learning and robotics to help prevent those incidents, that's something worth exploring."

Bahrim said the diversity of projects reflects the broad range of research opportunities available to undergraduate students at Â鶹ӳ»­Ó°Òô.

"The academic areas which are part of this year's S.U.R.F. program cover a broad range of research topics from pre-college education to business management and various fundamental and applied sciences, such as biochemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics, as well as applications in chemical and mechanical engineering," Bahrim said.

In addition to conducting research throughout the summer, S.U.R.F. Fellows will participate in outreach activities, including summer camps and New Student Orientation sessions, where they will share their experiences with prospective and incoming students.

"Complementary to a rich research experience acquired in our lab facilities at Lamar and the opportunity to travel, during summer, our S.U.R.F. students are going to be engaged in two summer camps and will participate in several New Student Orientations, where they will share their experiences at Lamar with prospective and freshmen students," Bahrim said.

The summer research program will conclude Sept. 11 with the annual S.U.R.F. Symposium, where students will present the results of their research to the university community.

To learn more about the Office of Undergraduate Research, visit /undergraduate-research/.