Stephen L. Smith

Research Group

Postdoctoral Researchers

• Michael McCreesh (michael.mccreesh (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • Research: Reservoir computing for prediction and control of autonomous systems
• Shaghayegh (Shay) Sadeghi (shaghayegh.sadeghi (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • Co-supervised with Prof. Del Rey Fernandez
  • Research: Machine Learning for planning and decision making in urban development
• Megnath Ramesh (m5ramesh (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Baris Fidan
  • Research: Diffusion policies for robotic coverage

PhD Students

• Barry Gilhuly (barry.gilhuly (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • Research: Active perception and planning in dynamic environments
• Pamul Yadav (pamul.yadav (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Roya Firoozi
  • Research: Diffusion policies for visual navigation
• Christian Schaible (cschaible (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Yash Vardhan Pant
  • Research: Learning-based predictive control for robotic systems
• Murphy Wu (x334wu (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Michael Fisher
  • Research: Non-linear model predictive control for robotic systems
• Manuel Schrick (mschrick (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • Visiting PhD student from Hamburg University of Technology
  • Research: Legible and predictable social navigation

MASc Students

• Steven Caro (s2caro (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • Research: Learning environment physics for interactive robot planning
• Venkata Kameswara Praneeth Kolapalli (vkpkolapalli (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Yash Vardhan Pant
  • Research: Safe motion planning in obstacle-rich environments
• Krishna Kalavadia (kkalavadia (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Yash Vardhan Pant
  • Research: Multi-objective motion planning in complex environments
• Matteo Golin (mgolin (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Yash Vardhan Pant
  • Research: Game-theoretic planning for multi-robot systems
• Lance Pharand (l2pharand (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Yash Vardhan Pant
  • Research: Planning to push for robot navigation
• Melda Kiziltan (melda.kiziltan (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Prof. Yash Vardhan Pant
  • Research: Large-scale flight planning optimization

Past Postdocs

• Shamak Dutta (Postdoc, 2024-2025)
  • Research: Large-scale fleet optimization for planning and coordination
  • Current Location: Research Scientist, Meta, Menlo Park, CA
• Ali Noormohammadi Asl (Postdoc, 2024-2025)
  • Research: Preference and performance-based adaptive task planning in human-robot collaboration.
  • Current Location: Software Engineer, Huron Digital Pathology, Waterloo, ON.
• Alex Botros (Postdoc, 2022-2023)
  • Research: Lattice planners for efficient motion planning.
  • Current Location: Director of Machine Learning and AI, Integrus, Hong Kong.
• Armin Sadeghi (Postdoc, 2021-2022)
  • Research: Informative and safe local planning for autonomous vehicles.
  • Current Location: Machine Learning Engineer, Uber, Toronto, ON
• Nils Wilde (Postdoc, 2020-2021)
  • Research: Active preference learning for human-robot interaction
  • Current Location: Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Dalhousie University
• Pamela Carreno Medrano (Postdoc, 2017-2019)
  • Research: Human-robot collaboration for joint assembly tasks.
  • Current Location: Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Electrical and Computer Systems Eng., Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Past PhD Students

• Megnath Ramesh (PhD, Aug 2025)
  • Thesis: Planning and Replanning Near-optimal Robot Coverage Paths in Partially Unknown Environments
  • co-supervised with Baris Fidan
  • Next Location: Postdoc in Autonomous Systems Lab, University of Waterloo
• Ruiqi Li (PhD, February 2025)
  • Thesis: Data-Driven Predictive Control: Equivalence to Model Predictive Control Beyond Deterministic Linear Time-Invariant Systems
  • co-supervised with John Simpson-Porco
• Ali Noormohammadi Asl (PhD, Apr 2024)
  • Thesis: Preference and Performance-Based Adaptive Task Planning in Human-Robot Collaboration
  • co-supervised with Kerstin Dautenhahn
  • Next Location: Postdoc in Autonomous Systems Lab, University of Waterloo
• Shamak Dutta (PhD, Apr 2024)
  • Thesis: Resource Constrained Linear Estimation in Sensor Scheduling and Informative Path Planning
  • Current Location: Research Scientist, Meta, Menlo Park, CA
• Chuanzheng Wang (PhD, Feb 2024)
  • co-supervised with Jun Liu
  • Thesis: Safety-Critical Control for Dynamical Systems under Uncertainties
  • Current Location: Quantitative Researcher, RBC Insurance
• Abhinav Dahiya (PhD, Dec 2023)
  • Thesis: Route Planning and Operator Allocation in Robot Fleets
  • Next Location: Senior Researcher, General Motors, Warren, MI
• Alexander Botros (PhD, Dec 2021)
  • Thesis: Lattice-Based Motion Planning with Optimal Motion Primitives
  • Next Location: Postdoc in Autonomous Systems Lab, University of Waterloo
• Armin Sadeghi (PhD, Sept 2020)
  • Thesis: Multi-robot Coverage and Redeployment Algorithms
  • Next Location: Postdoc in Autonomous Systems Lab, University of Waterloo
• Nils Wilde (PhD, Sept 2020)
  • Thesis: Specifying User Preferences for Autonomous Robots through Interactive Learning
  • co-supervised with Dana Kulic
  • Current Location: Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Dalhousie University
• Ahmad Bilal Asghar (PhD, May 2020)
  • Thesis: Multi-Robot Path Planning for Persistent Monitoring in Stochastic and Adversarial Environments
  • Current Location: Postdoc, University of Maryland
• Frank Imeson (PhD, Apr 2018)
  • Thesis: Robotic Path Planning for High-Level Tasks in Discrete Environments
  • Current Location: Senior Software Developer at Avidbots Corp. in Waterloo, ON.
• Haotian Zhang (PhD, Aug. 2016)
  • Thesis: Estimation and Control of Dynamical Systems with Applications to Multi-Processor Systems
  • Co-advised with Shreyas Sundaram
  • Current Location: Software Engineer at Meta, Toronto

Past MASc Students

• Murphy Wu (x334wu (at) uwaterloo.ca)
  • co-supervised with Michael Fisher
  • Thesis: Nonconvex Trajectory Optimization using Trajectory Sensitivities: Application to Personalized Autonomous Driving
  • Current Location: PhD Student, University of Waterloo
• Ninghan Zhong (MASc, Aug 2025)
  • Thesis: Non-Prehensile Mobile Agent Interactive Navigation in Cluttered Environments
  • Current Location: PhD Student, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
• Anna Moskalenko (MASc, Sept 2025)
  • Thesis: Learning Human-Aware Strategies for Legible and Predictable Robot Navigation
  • Current Location: TBD
• Avraiem Isklander (MASc, Sept 2025)
  • Thesis: Planning Under Uncertainty: Informative and Stochastic Path Planning via Gaussian Processes
  • Current Location: Software Engineer - Algorithms and Optimization, RideCo, Waterloo, ON
• Jack Dai (MASc, Feb 2025)
  • co-supervised with Yash Vardhan Pant
  • Thesis: Model Predictive Control for Systems with Partially Unknown Dynamics Under Signal Temporal Logic Specifications
  • Current Location: Software Engineer, Apple, San Diego, CA
• Ahmed Hamouda (MASc, Oct 2024)
  • Thesis: Uncertainty-aware motion planning for ground vehicle in unstructured uneven off-road terrain
  • co-supervised with Baris Fidan
  • Current Location: Robotics Engineer, Clearpath Robotics by Rockwell Automation, Kitchener, ON
• Rodrigue de Schaetzen (MASc, Aug 2024)
  • Research: Autonomous navigation of vessels in icy waters
  • Thesis: Local Navigation for Autonomous Maneuvering of Marine Vessels in Broken Ice Fields
  • Current Location: PhD Student, Université de Montréal and Mila
• Anni Yue (MASc, Oct 2023)
  • Thesis: Minimizing Robot Digging Times to Retrieve Bins in Robotic-Based Compact Storage and Retrieval Systems
  • Current Location: Technical Engineer at AtkinsRéalis, Markham, ON
• Yifan Cai (MASc, Jan 2023)
  • Thesis: Online Scheduling of Operator Assistance for Multi-Robot Teams with Uncertain Robot Capabilities and Environments
• Jean-Luc Bastarache (MASc, Nov 2022)
  • co-supervised with Chris Nielsen
  • Thesis: On Legible and Predictable Robot Navigation in Multi-Agent Environments
  • Current Location: Software Engineer at Nokia, Ottawa, ON
• Olzhas Adiyatov (MASc, Aug 2022)
  • co-supervised with Baris Fidan
  • Thesis: Path Planning Framework for Unmanned Ground Vehicles on Uneven Terrain
  • Current Location: Software Developer, Arc Aero
• Andrew Downie (MASc, Apr 2022)
  • Thesis: Submodular Maximization Subject to Information Constraints
  • Current Location: AI Engineer at RBC Capital Markets, in Toronto
• Tristan Walker (MASc, May 2021)
  • Thesis: Dead Reckoning for Distributed Network Online Games
  • Current Location: Technical Engineer at Swap Robotics, in Waterloo
• Frank Wang (MASc, Apr 2021)
  • co-supervised with Chris Nielsen
  • Thesis: A Pursuit Evasion Game Approach to Obstacle Avoidance
  • Current Location: Embedded Software Engineer at Ciena, in Toronto
• Barry Gilhuly (MASc, Apr 2020)
  • Thesis: Coverage Path Planning for a Moving Vehicle
  • Current location: PhD Student, University of Waterloo
• Florence Tsang (MASc, Jan 2020)
  • Thesis: Learning a Motion Policy to Navigate Environments with Structured Uncertainty
  • Current Location: Software Engineer at Avidbots in Waterloo, ON.
• Ryan De Iaco (MASc, Dec 2019)
  • Thesis: Motion Planning and Safety for Autonomous Driving
  • co-supervised with Krzysztof Czarnecki.
  • Current Location: Software Engineer at Waymo in Mountain View, CA.
• Alexandru Blidaru (MASc, Sept 2019)
  • Thesis: Assessing User Specifications of Robot Behaviour for Material Transport Tasks
  • co-supervised with Dana Kulic
  • Current Location: QA Developer, Apple Inc., Cupertino CA.
• Ryan MacDonald (MASc, Sept 2017)
  • Thesis: Robotic Motion Planning in Uncertain Environments via Active Sensing
  • Current Location: Lead Embedded Developer at GEOTAB, Kitchener, ON.
• Stanislav Bochkarev (MASc, Jan 2017)
  • Thesis: Minimizing Turns in Single and Multi Robot Coverage Path Planning
  • Current Location: Senior Software Developer at Darwin AI in Waterloo, ON
• Armin Sadeghi (MASc, May 2016)
  • Thesis: Distributed Task Allocation and Task Sequencing for Robots with Motion Constraints
  • Next Location: PhD Student, University of Waterloo
• Ahmad Bilal Asghar (MASc, Sept. 2015)
  • Thesis: Robot Patrolling for Stochastic and Adversarial Events
  • Next Location: PhD Student, University of Waterloo
• Neil Mathew (MASc, Jan. 2014)
  • Thesis: Discrete Path Planning Strategies for Coverage and Multi-Robot Rendezvous
  • Current Location: Co-founder and CEO at Placenote, Waterloo, ON and Mountain View, CA
• Talha Jawaid (MASc, Sept. 2013)
  • Thesis: Informative Path Planning and Sensor Scheduling for Persistent Monitoring Tasks
  • Current location: Software Engineer, National Instruments in Austin, TX
• Philip McCarthy (MASc, Sept. 2013)
  • Thesis: Cardinality Constrained Robust Optimization Applied to a Class of Interval Observers
  • Current location: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Toronto
• Elaheh Fata (MASc, Aug. 2013)
  • Thesis: On Two Combinatorial Optimization Problems in Graphs: Grid Domination and Robustness
  • Current location: Assistant Professor of Management Analytics, Queen's University, Canada.
  • Previous location: PhD Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

Past Undergraduate/Visiting Students

• Rick Bhatnagar (Spring 2025)
  • Rising Stars Visiting Student, University of Alberta
• Nathan Wu (Fall 2024)
  • Applied Math, University of Waterloo
• Nikki Guo (Fall 2024)
  • Computer Science, University of Waterloo
• Alessandro Potenza (Spring 2024)
  • Rising Stars Visiting Student, University of Manitoba
• Imen Habibi (Spring 2024)
  • Mitacs Globalink (ENSTAB, Tunisia)
• Fatima Ziauddin (Spring 2024)
  • Mitacs Globalink (NED University)
• Sara Taghizadeh Kakhki (Winter 2022 - Winter 2023)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Ansar Khan (Spring 2022)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Neil Brubacher (Spring 2020)
  • Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Yingzi Zhang (Fall 2016 - Spring 2017)
  • Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Michael Zechmair (Spring - Fall 2016)
  • Master's Student
  • Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Shamak Dutta (Spring 2016)
  • Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Edward Wang (Fall 2015)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Jamie Waugh (Spring-Fall 2014)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Andrew Perkins (Fall 2013)
  • Electrical and Computer Systems and Computer Science, Monash University, Australia
• Danson Evan Garcia (Fall 2012 - Spring 2013)
  • Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Sebastian Schweigert (Spring 2013)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Zhaowei (Charlie) Wang (Winter 2013)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Joao Pedro Battistella Nadas (Fall 2012)
  • University Federal Technological of Parana, Brazil.
• Ross McCandless (Fall 2012 - Winter 2013)
  • Co-op high school student.
• Jingwei (Henry) Zhu (July-Aug 2012)
  • The University of Hong Kong.
• Mohammadreza Memarian (Fall 2011 - Winter 2012)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo
• Zhixu Han (Winter 2012)
  • Nanjing University, China

Prospective Students

If you are interested in joining my research group, please feel free to send me an email. In the email you should indicate your background in areas such as control, robotics, mathematics and optimization. Also be sure to indicate some specific aspects of my research that you are interested in.