The Autonomous Robots and Systems Laboratory (ARSL) is part of the Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). Our research is in the area of aerospace and ocean vehicle guidance, dynamics, control and path planning.
Research areas of expertise include:
Trajectory optimization and optimal path planning
Designing trajectories/paths for curvature-constrained (e.g., Dubins-like) vehicle models that optimize some criteria such as time, energy, or risk
Informative/adaptive path planning and multi-vehicle coordination
Planning paths and coordinating teams to collect data efficiently or adaptively (e.g., target tracking, search, or environmental monitoring)
Aerial and marine field robotics
Developing novel vehicle platforms and conducting field experimentation with UAVs, USVs, UUVs, and underwater gliders in unique applications
Lab Director
Artur Wolek is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a resident faculty member of the NC Battery Complexity, Autonomous Vehicle and Electrification Research Center (BATT CAVE) and an affiliate faculty member of the Charlotte Aviation Innovation and Research Institute (Charlotte AIR). Wolek earned the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2010 and 2015. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Acoustics Division at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (2015-2018), an Adjunct Lecturer in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Catholic University of America (2017-2018), and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Systems Research and Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland (2018-2020). Wolek joined UNC Charlotte in 2020 and founded the Autonomous Robots and Systems Laboratory (ARSL). In 2023, Wolek was part of the AFOSR Summer Faculty Fellowship Program collaborating with the Control Science Center at Wright Patterson AFB. In 2026, he was awarded the Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award by the William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte. Wolek has authored more than 55 journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. His research interests are in the area of aerospace and ocean vehicle guidance, dynamics, control and path planning. Wolek teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses in engineering dynamics, robotics, estimation, aerospace engineering, flight mechanics, and astromechanics. Wolek’s research has been supported by the NSF, AFOSR, Air Force Research Lab, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Army STTR Program, Defensewerx, and the Coastal Studies Institute. Wolek has also collaborated with the USAF Test Pilot School and the Naval Research Laboratory. At UNC Charlotte, Wolek is the Faculty Advisor for the AIAA Student Branch, the Design-Build-Fly (DBF) Club, and the Charlotte Space Program. Wolek is a Senior Member of AIAA, a Senior Member of IEEE, an affiliate member of IFAC, and a member of AUVSI and ASME. Wolek serves as an Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Autonomous Vehicles and Systems (JAVS) and Frontiers in Robotics and AI.
Contact
Dr. Artur Wolek
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science
8415 Phillips Rd, Charlotte, NC 28223
BATT CAVE Research Building, Room 103
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Email: awolek [at] charlotte [dot] edu
Lab Locations
Duke Lab: Duke Centennial Hall, Room 370
Water Tank and Student Offices: BATT CAVE Research Building, Room 124
Office: BATT CAVE Research Building, Room 103