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Molinar first began doing research on autonomous systems in January 2024 with Wenbin Wan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. Passionate about math, Molinar first became interested in studying autonomous systems algorithms because he was interested in a math-heavy application of mechanical engineering. Molinar says working in Wan’s lab motivated him to stay at UNM for graduate school, where he will begin a Ph.D. program next year. In his autonomous systems research, Molinar frequently uses Python and has recently worked on writing programming modules that work together to help an autonomous system he built in Unity Engine to move independently.
Currently, autonomous systems operate most effectively in environments specifically designed for them. This presents a great challenge for the continued development of the technology.
During his graduate studies, Molinar will work to design a state estimation framework for systems under high uncertainty and then incorporate the framework with the system control.
“I remember thinking to myself that I should try and apply for the fellowship no matter what, even if it was really competitive, and I was so happy when I found out I got it,” Molinar said.
Molinar will continue to work with Dr. Wan during his Ph.D. at UNM.
Link to news from UNM School of Engineering (SoE).
