UROP Project
Developing an Autonomous Platform for Ammonia Synthesis
Robotics; Automation; Artificial Intelligence; Machine Learning; Materials Science; Clean Energy;
Research Mentor: Prof. Ali Abdelhafiz,
Department, College, Affiliation: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: am26cg@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Ms. Aya Kamel
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: ak26bg@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: am26cg@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Ms. Aya Kamel
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: ak26bg@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Mechanical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Computer Science; Robotics/Mechatronics; Chemical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Chemistry;
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: located in FSU campus innovation hub (Materials Research Building) Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Mechanical Engineering; Electrical Engineering; Computer Science; Robotics/Mechatronics; Chemical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Chemistry;
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: located in FSU campus innovation hub (Materials Research Building) Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 8:00
Zoom Link: 519 787 8254
Project Description
Ammonia is an important chemical for fertilizer production and is increasingly being investigated as a potential energy carrier. Developing more sustainable ways to produce ammonia requires new materials and improved catalysts, but discovering these materials can be slow because researchers must synthesize and test materials one experiment at a time.This project will develop an autonomous experimental platform for materials research related to ammonia production. The research assistant will help build and integrate a robotic experimental station capable of preparing, testing, and collecting data from materials. The project will combine robotics, programming, laboratory experimentation, and data-driven analysis.
The long-term goal is to create an experimental system that can perform experiments with minimal manual intervention and use the resulting data to help determine which materials or experimental conditions should be investigated next. The student will contribute to a prototype of this system and gain experience at the intersection of engineering, materials science, robotics, and AI.
Research Tasks: * Assist with assembling and integrating robotic components, sensors, and laboratory equipment.
* Develop or modify software, preferably in Python, for experimental control and automated data collection.
* Develop and test automated workflows for materials synthesis and performance evaluation.
* Organize, visualize, and analyze data generated by automated experiments.
* Apply existing AI/ML approaches to identify trends and promising materials or experimental conditions.
* Document the system and present the research findings at the UROP symposium.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required:
* Prior programming experience, preferably Python.
* Basic understanding of experimental or engineering problem-solving.
* Willingness to work hands-on with laboratory equipment and troubleshoot problems.
* Ability to work independently while communicating regularly with the research team.
Recommended:
* Experience with robotics, automation, electronics, sensors, or microcontrollers.
* Experience with machine learning or data science.
* Experience with CAD or mechanical design.
Mentoring Philosophy
Mentoring PhilosophyI genuinely enjoy working with students as a team. My mentoring approach comes from both teaching and research experiences: at Georgia Tech, I mentored undergraduate researchers through the SURE program, and at MIT I have helped lead a diverse research team of more than 25 experimentalists. These experiences taught me that students develop fastest when they are engaged, respected, and given meaningful responsibility.
I like to work closely with students, discussing ideas, troubleshooting experiments, and sharing my own research experience, but my goal is always to teach them to become independent while allowing them to lead. I begin by understanding their interests and strengths, provide the guidance they need, and gradually give them more ownership of the research question and decisions.
I also want students to feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. Research rarely goes exactly as planned, and I encourage students to treat unexpected results as opportunities to learn and think differently. Ultimately, I want them to feel that they are members of the research team, not simply assistants, and to leave with confidence, independence, and genuine ownership of their accomplishments.