BATT CAVE
Electrifying Experts
Artur Wolek
By Eric Butterman
Artur Wolek’s dreams have long focused on robotics and unmanned systems. Where once he tinkered with and worked on mechatronics projects — those that unite the principles of mechanics, electronics and computing — as a hobby while growing up, he now calls BATT CAVE home for his research.
“I once made a pair of light-up morse code communicators and a remote-control car from scavenged parts,” Wolek said. Another time it was a tethered remote-control airplane made from balsa wood, Styrofoam, a small DC motor and a propeller. He even fired model rocket engines in his garage to measure thrust before launching them outdoors.
Postdoctoral experience with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, which came with opportunities to participate in field experiments that required spending time at sea, deepened Wolek’s early interest and expertise in unmanned underwater vehicles. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to help develop motion planning and control algorithms for advanced underwater vehicles and work with a team of remarkable scientists, engineers and technicians,” he said.
Now an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Wolek sees the vital intersection between unmanned vehicles and energy storage and power systems. His goal in regard to batteries is to design control laws that consider the energy needs of vehicles as they are deployed and to optimize their efficiency and endurance. Within BATT CAVE, Wolek is able to focus on aerial and marine robotic systems, including fixed-wing aircraft and multicopters as well as underwater vehicles and unmanned boats.
“Many of these vehicles are used for collecting geospatial information about the environment,” he said. “For example, unmanned boats can collect depth information by autonomously scanning rivers, lakes and coastal waters. This information is used by transportation agencies to evaluate flood risk and to determine the safety of transportation infrastructure such as bridges and piers. Our research aims to design paths for the robots to follow that will collect the most informative measurements while minimizing the energy and time required to do so.”
‘At BATT CAVE, I walk into the lab every day and start innovating new technologies in dynamics and controls. It’s an incredible opportunity.’
– Alex Nikonowiscz, master’s student, mechanical engineering
Meet the BATT CAVE Team
Groundbreaking research, curriculum and collaborations are fueling North Carolina’s ascent as a hub for EV and battery production. BATT CAVE researchers — and their graduate students — are driving solutions regarding next-generation batteries for vehicles, smart cities and intelligent systems.
Tiefu Zhao
Power Transformer
Amir Ghasemi
Self-driving Director
Anthony Bombik
Battery Authority
Lin Ma
Element Investigator
ELECTRIFYING INNOVATION
Batt Cave: Electrifying Experts
Artur Wolek
By Eric Butterman
Artur Wolek’s dreams have long focused on robotics and unmanned systems. Where once he tinkered with and worked on mechatronics projects — those that unite the principles of mechanics, electronics and computing — as a hobby while growing up, he now calls BATT CAVE home for his research.
“I once made a pair of light-up morse code communicators and a remote-control car from scavenged parts,” Wolek said. Another time it was a tethered remote-control airplane made from balsa wood, Styrofoam, a small DC motor and a propeller. He even fired model rocket engines in his garage to measure thrust before launching them outdoors.
Postdoctoral experience with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, which came with opportunities to participate in field experiments that required spending time at sea, deepened Wolek’s early interest and expertise in unmanned underwater vehicles. “I was fortunate to have the opportunity to help develop motion planning and control algorithms for advanced underwater vehicles and work with a team of remarkable scientists, engineers and technicians,” he said.
Now an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Wolek sees the vital intersection between unmanned vehicles and energy storage and power systems. His goal in regard to batteries is to design control laws that consider the energy needs of vehicles as they are deployed and to optimize their efficiency and endurance. Within BATT CAVE, Wolek is able to focus on aerial and marine robotic systems, including fixed-wing aircraft and multicopters as well as underwater vehicles and unmanned boats.
“Many of these vehicles are used for collecting geospatial information about the environment,” he said. “For example, unmanned boats can collect depth information by autonomously scanning rivers, lakes and coastal waters. This information is used by transportation agencies to evaluate flood risk and to determine the safety of transportation infrastructure such as bridges and piers. Our research aims to design paths for the robots to follow that will collect the most informative measurements while minimizing the energy and time required to do so.”
‘At BATT CAVE, I walk into the lab every day and start innovating new technologies in dynamics and controls. It’s an incredible opportunity.’
– Alex Nikonowiscz, master’s student, mechanical engineering
Meet the BATT CAVE Team
Groundbreaking research, curriculum and collaborations are fueling North Carolina’s ascent as a hub for EV and battery production. BATT CAVE researchers — and their graduate students — are driving solutions regarding next-generation batteries for vehicles, smart cities and intelligent systems.
Tiefu Zhao
Power Transformer
Amir Ghasemi
Self-driving Director
Anthony Bombik
Battery Authority
Lin Ma
Element Investigator