People

Laboratory Director

Andrew Petruska is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and robotics and the director of the M³Robotics Lab. His primary research focus is on the control of complex dynamic systems with an emphasis on magnetic manipulation for medical applications and autonomous systems for mining and underground exploration. He obtained his PhD in 2014 from the University of Utah and did his posdoctoral studies at ETH Zurich, where he was named a Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems fellow. In 2017 he was named a Boettcher Investigator for his work on magnetic manipulation for neurosurgery.

Brown Hall W470F, 1610 Illinois St, Golden, CO 80401
303-384-2021
apetruska@mines.edu

Graduate Research Assistants

Stewart Grimshaw’s passion for engineering began at a young age, and he gained experience by dismantling anything that a hammer and screwdriver would grant him access to. His research focuses are intelligent robotics and biomedical devices. When not in the lab he can be found rock climbing with his wife or working on his horse ranch.

Richard Pratt earned his BSME at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. He is currently working on his PhD in Robotics, focusing on controlling magnetic-tipped needles for medical applications. While not in the lab he enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, and spending time outdoors.

Ben Moser is a second-year PhD student with a passion for robotics, manufacturing processes, and machine design. When not locked in extensive debugging sessions, he enjoys hiking, bowling, and board games.

Ramprasad Rajagopalan is a final-year graduate student pursuing his MS in Mechanical Engineering. He did a research internship in CSIRO Data61 Robotics and Autonomous System Group, Australia. He earned his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Amrita School of Engineering, India, after completing a project to design the torso of the humanoid robot (Roboy). His research interest lies in modeling of soft robots and biomimetics. He is a fan of science fiction (The Matrix!) and makes time to practice photography and art.

Austin Oltmanns completed his Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering at North Dakota State University before coming to Colorado School of Mines to complete his Master’s in Electrical Engineering. Currently, he is working on his PhD in the Mechanical Engineering department via projects focused in mining and robotics. His primary project involves classifying rock properties in real time based on readings from the business end of a rock drill. Auxiliary projects concern ground vehicle control.

Jake Czajkowski is a second-year PhD student who first completed his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research within the lab focuses on sensor fusion and autonomous robotics.

Brooke Suesser completed her Bachelor’s in Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech and is currently working toward a PhD in Robotics. Her project focuses on steering multiple magnetic devices for surgical applications. Outside of class, she enjoys running, snowboarding and climbing.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Alexander Frye

Heather Keniry

Lab Alumni

Sam Osterhout worked for three years as a mechanical engineer at NAPS nuclear power plant with primary work responsibilities involving technical specification of pipe weld requirements, documentation and isometrics. He earned his BS in engineering from James Madison University and completed his undergraduate research in electric vehicle design and testing in 2013. His research interests are in dynamic systems and control.

Christina Champion earned her B.S. at Virginia Tech in Engineering Science and Mechanics. She is currently working on her master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in the M³Robotics Lab.  Her research focus is on control of continuum magnetic devices for medical applications.

Mark Lesak earned his bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy. He focused his studies on automotive engineering, participating in the Society of Engineers Mini-Baja competition. Mark currently lives in Golden, CO with his wife Lisa and daughter Olivia. He is conducting research in autonomous underground navigation at Colorado School of Mines.