Team
Principal Investigator
Prof. Junfeng Zhao
Dr. Junfeng Zhao is an assistant professor at Arizona State University, where he founded the Battery Electric & Intelligent Vehicle (BELIV) Lab. He is a graduate faculty member of the Robotics & Autonomous Systems (RAS) program and the Clean Energy Systems (CES) program. His research interests include connected and automated vehicles (CAV), CAV system integration and safety assessment, motion planning and controls, cooperative perception, AI/ML in automotive and robotics systems, electrified propulsion system controls, and intelligent transportation systems. Before joining the ASU Fulton Schools of Engineering and the Polytechnic School, Dr. Zhao worked as a senior researcher at General Motors R&D. Dr. Zhao has authored over 20 journal and conference papers and holds 15 patents. He received his doctoral degree from The Ohio State University in 2015, where he was an OSU Presidential Fellowship recipient. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of British Columbia (2009) and a bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University (2007).
Education
- Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University, USA, 2015
- M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada, 2009
- B.S. Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, China, 2007
Ph.D. Students
Jingxiong Meng
(08/2022-Present)
Jingxiong Meng received his M.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2022, and his B.S. degree in Transportation from the South China University of Technology in 2020. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in Systems Engineering at Arizona State University.
His research interests are focused on Machine Learning, Vehicle Localization, Transportation Route Planning, and Connected and automated vehicles.
Hengcong Guo
(01/2023-Present)
Hengcong Guo received his M.S. degree in Communication and Transportation Engineering in 2021, and his B.S. degree in Automation in 2016, both from the South China University of Technology. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in Systems Engineering at Arizona State University.
His research interests include Automated Vehicle Motion Planning, Deep-Reinforcement-Learning based Driving Behavior Modeling, and Operational Safety Testing for Automated Vehicles.
Steve Rundus (co-advise)
(8/2023-Present)
Steve Rundus has 25+ years of engineering experience in the aerospace and automotive industries. He received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2004 and his M.S. degree in Automotive Engineering in 2002, both from Lawrence Technological University. He received his B.S.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1996 from LeTourneau University. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in Systems Engineering at Arizona State University.
His research interests include Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV), Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) and CAV operational safety metrics.
Haorao Ding
(01/2024-Present)
Haoran Ding completed his M.S. in Computer Engineering at New York University, Tandon, in 2021 and his B.S. in Math and Scientific Computation as well as Computer Science at the University of California, Davis, in 2019. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in Systems Engineering at Arizona State University.
His research interests are focused on computer vision, including autonomous systems and human-computer interaction, as well as machine learning methods such as object detection and other deep neural networks.
Master Students
Sunder Swaminathan
(08/2022-Present)
Sunder Swaminathan received his B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India in 2020. He is currently pursuing his M.S. degree in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (MAE) at Arizona State University.
His research interests include Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV), motion planning, Simulation-based testing of CAVs
Pranav Rajesh
(08/2022-Present)
Pranav Rajesh received his B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology, India in 2022. He is currently pursuing his M.S. degree in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (MAE) at Arizona State University.
His research interests include Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV), Localization and Mapping, Motion Planning and Controls
Nithish Kumar Saravanan
(08/2022-Present)
Nithish Kumar Saravanan received his B.E. degree in Robotics and Automation from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India in 2022. He is currently pursuing M.S. degree in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (Systems Engineering) at Arizona State University.
His research interests include system integration, motion planning and control, and Operational Safety Testing for Automated Vehicles.
Pranav Ramesh Bidare
(08/2023-Present)
Pranav received his B.Tech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from PES University, Bangalore, India in May 2023. He is pursuing his M.S degree in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (Electrical Engineering) at Arizona State University.
His research interests include Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Perception.
Sobha Srujana Patri
(08/2023-Present)
Sobha Srujana Patri received her B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering from GVP College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam, India in 2021. She is currently pursuing her M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State University.
Her research interests include Connected and Automated Vehicles(CAV), Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, and Battery Management Systems.
Dheeraj Reddy Pasham
(11/2024-Present)
Dheeraj Reddy Pasham received his B.Tech degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India, in 2024. He is currently pursuing his M.S. degree in Robotics and Autonomous Systems(Electrical Engineering) at Arizona State University.
His research interests include Digital Twin Technology, Battery Management Systems (BMS), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Machine Learning, and Deep Learning.
Undergraduate Students
Abdalla Osman
(05/2024-Present)
Abdalla Osman is a Computer Science major at Arizona State University and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. He has a keen interest in the intersection of human-enhancing technology and innovation, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Abdalla has developed a strong technical foundation through his coursework at ASU and is excited to bring his skills to the team.
Lab Alumni
Ms. Sudeeksha Chagarlamudi, M.S. Fall 2024, Co-Founder and Head of Product, Naware
Mr. Krithik Rajavelu, M.S. Fall 2024, Robotics Control Engineer, Persimmon Technologies Corporation
Mr. Dheeraj Kallakuri, M.S. Fall 2024, System Engineer, Caterpillar Inc.
Mr. Nathan Fahner, M.S. Fall 2024, Manufacturing Engineer, CNH Industrial
Mr. Shun-Yen Wang, M.S. Fall 2024, Project Engineer, TSMC
Mr. Jiangtao Li, M.S. Fall 2023, Project Engineer, BYD North America
Mr. Gavin O’Malley, M.S. Fall 2023, Safety Engineer